Hot Cocoa Mix

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Make your own homemade hot cocoa mix with 6 simple ingredients and keep it on hand for months. Enjoy a delicious cup of hot cocoa anytime you want! Hot cocoa mix is a great gift idea, too.

How long it takes: 10 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, storage container
Servings: makes 6 cups, about 48 servings

A wooden scoop in a glass jar of hot cocoa mix on a plaid cloth.

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A hot cup of cocoa embodies everything warm and cozy about this time of year whether it’s wool socks and crackling fires, or coming in from the cold after a day spent playing in the snow. There is nothing better than warming up with a delicious mug of creamy hot cocoa!

DIY Hot Cocoa Mix

Loads of chocolate. This recipe doesn’t skimp on real chocolate. It’s made with cocoa powder and two kinds of chocolate. You can easily vary the recipe by choosing the type of chocolate you like the best. There are no rules for making your own hot cocoa mix; it depends on what your tastes are and what your budget is. In a nutshell, use what you like!

Easy to make. Making a homemade mix to always keep on hand is so easy to do with just a few simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry.

Saves money. It’s more economical to make your own hot cocoa mix. This mix makes 48 servings. That’s a lot of little envelopes!

Perfect gift idea. Who wouldn’t like getting a jar of homemade hot cocoa mix?! It’s a great teacher gift or for that special someone you want to remember at Christmas. Put the hot cocoa mix in a decorative jar, tie a pretty ribbon around it, and include instructions.

A mug of hot chocolate on a plaid cloth, surrounded by marshmallows and cocoa powder.

Ingredient Notes

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This is the type of cocoa used for baking. Ghirardelli is a great brand but use any cocoa powder you like.
Milk Chocolate Bar: When melted, milk chocolate gives your hot cocoa chocolatey richness. You can use dark chocolate if you prefer.
White Chocolate Bar: The white chocolate adds a delicious sweet creamy flavor.
Confectioner’s Sugar: Also known as powdered sugar. This type of sugar is perfect because it dissolves quickly. Regular granulated sugar tends to be grainy.
Powdered Milk: Dry milk powder is the foundation of the hot cocoa mix. Technically, you could use hot water when you make your cup of hot cocoa but I prefer milk. Using both makes the cocoa so nice and creamy.
Powdered Coffee Creamer: Coffee creamer adds another layer of creaminess. You can buy flavored coffee creamer for a fun variation.

Ingredients on a marble surface: bowls of sugar, cocoa powder, and sugar, with pieces of white and dark chocolate.

How To Chop Chocolate

Chopping chocolate bars can be messy. I’ve found that a large serrated knife works the best. Put the chocolate on a cutting board and gently rock the serrated knife back and forth (not sawing), until the chocolate is finely chopped. A food processor works too. Gently pulse the chocolate pieces until they’re chopped. Don’t overprocess the chocolate; it may begin to melt. You can also grate it using a microplane or a box grater.

How to Make Hot Cocoa Mix

Combine all the ingredients. Add powdered milk, confectioner’s sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, chopped white chocolate bits, chopped milk chocolate bits, and powdered coffee creamer to a large mixing bowl. Mix until well-combined.

Put into storage container. You can store your hot cocoa mix in any tightly sealed container. A quart jar or clean dry recycled jar works well.

Make hot cocoa. When you’re ready to make a cup of hot cocoa, heat a cup of milk and stir in two (or more!) tablespoons of your homemade hot cocoa mix until blended. Enjoy!

A jar of cocoa powder with a wooden scoop, a glass bottle of milk, and a white bowl with cocoa powder sit on a plaid cloth.

A cup of hot chocolate on a plaid cloth, surrounded by marshmallows, hot chocolate powder, and a bottle of milk.

Hot Cocoa or Hot Chocolate?

Is hot cocoa the same as hot chocolate? Would you believe it’s not? Hot cocoa is made from a dry mix containing powdered cocoa, sugar, dry milk powder, and so on. Hot chocolate is melted chocolate bars blended with milk or cream. This recipe is a combination of both, so call it whatever you want!

Recipe Variations

Make it with water: This hot cocoa mix contains powdered milk and creamer so, if you prefer, it can be made with boiling water instead of hot milk. I usually add a little more mix when using water. Start with 3 tablespoons, adding more if desired.
Dark chocolate hot cocoa: For richer chocolate flavor, consider replacing the white chocolate with dark chocolate or additional milk chocolate.
Peppermint hot cocoa: Add crushed candy canes to the mix.
Try flavored coffee creamers. Cinnamon, vanilla, hazelnut are all delicious to use when making a cup of cocoa.
Mexican hot chocolate: Add cinnamon and a dash of cayenne powder to the mix for a spicy surprise.
Add toppings. Mini marshmallows are a classic topping. Try adding a dollop of homemade whipped cream and a drizzle of hot fudge or caramel sauce.

A person holds a mug of hot chocolate with a marshmallow snowman on top.

Serving Suggestions

This hot cocoa mix will remain fresh for up to 3 months when stored properly in an airtight container or mason jar. There’s no need to refrigerate it.

To make mix:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together powdered milk, confectioner’s sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, white chocolate, milk chocolate, and powdered coffee creamer.
2 cups powdered milk, 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup white chocolate bar, finely chopped, ½ cup milk chocolate bar, finely chopped, ¼ cup powdered coffee creamer
Store hot cocoa mix in a tightly sealed container.

To make hot cocoa:

To make a cup of hot cocoa, pour 1 cup of hot milk (see note) into a mug, add 2 large tablespoons of hot cocoa mix, and stir until the mix is dissolved into the hot milk. If you like your hot cocoa extra rich and sweet, feel free to add additional hot cocoa mix.

Make it with water: Because this mix contains dry milk powder and creamer, you can actually blend it with hot water instead of milk, if you prefer. I use a little more mix when I’m making it with water. Start with 3 tablespoons per cup of boiling water, and adjust to your liking.
Storage: Store in an airtight container or a clean dry quart jar (a canning jar or recycled jar) for up to 3 months.
Variations: Feel free to use any type of chocolate you prefer. The white chocolate can be replaced with additional milk chocolate, or you can substitute dark chocolate. You can also try different flavors of coffee creamer to change it up.
Yield: If you want, it’s easy to increase the yield (double the recipe) or decrease the yield (halve the recipe).
Nutrition note: Nutrition information does not include milk used to make cocoa.

Serving: 2tablespoons, Calories: 50kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 24mg, Potassium: 116mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 56IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 60mg, Iron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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