Having a batch of this homemade hot cocoa mix in your pantry is your ticket to the perfect creamy cup of cocoa anytime.
I’ll be honest with you, store-bought hot cocoa mixes, while nostalgic in their little pouches, kind of suck. I find they are never the creamy, rich, decadent cup of liquid chocolate that I want them to be. And the *fancy* ones that are all those things are muy expensive.
Last Christmas I found myself six months pregnant and wanting anything and everything chocolate all the time. I had bought a can of powdered milk for something (I still can’t remember what it was for) and figured I would try my hand at a homemade hot cocoa mix so that I could indulge that craving on a moments notice.
I didn’t really expect to be able to throw together a handful of pantry ingredients and make the hot cocoa mix of my dreams on the first try, but sometimes you just get lucky!
Why should I make my own homemade hot cocoa mix?
Aside from the fact, as stated above, that most store-bought hot cocoa mixes are either sad or too expensive, the ones you find in the store often have highly processed ingredients, fillers, and preservatives in them. Take a look at the ingredients list from a box of Swiss Miss hot cocoa: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Modified Whey, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Nonfat Milk, Calcium Carbonate Less than 2% of: Salt, Dipotassium Phosphate, Mono- and Diglycerides, Carrageenan, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Artificial Flavor. (source) This recipe uses just five household ingredients.
How long will homemade hot cocoa mix last?
This homemade hot cocoa mix will last up to a year or until the expiration date on the powdered milk that you used to make it, whichever comes first. It is also important to keep your cocoa mix in an airtight container away from heat and humidity in order to keep it fresh.
What can I substitute for powdered milk in homemade hot cocoa mix?
If you don’t have powdered milk or don’t want to use it for any reason, you can still make this mix omitting the powdered milk. When you go to use it, I heat a combination of water and heavy cream to recreate the creaminess you would get from using powdered milk in the mix. See my notes at the end of the recipe for the exact ratio of cream and water to mix.
What are some other uses for homemade hot cocoa mix?
In addition to my regular hot cocoa recipe, you can also use this mix as the base for my bone broth hot cocoa recipe! Boost the nutrition of this indulgent drink using home-made or store-bought bone broth. I promise it is not as weird as you would think and the bone broth provides a significant amount of protein as well as trace minerals and collagen. You can get my recipe for bone broth hot cocoa here.
Homemade hot cocoa mix would also make a great homemade gift around the holidays! Layer the ingredients in a mason jar and write preparation instructions on a cute gift tag. This would be a great homemade and inexpensive gift for teachers, co-workers, your postal workers, and friends!
Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered milk
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Add all your ingredients to a quart size mason jar with a lid.
- Mix ingredients thoroughly by putting the lid on your jar and shaking it.
- When ready to mix up a cup of cocoa, add 1/4 cup of your dry mix to a heatproof mug.
- Heat 8 – 10oz of whole milk and pour over your cocoa mix.
- Stir thoroughly to combine and enjoy!
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