This is the BEST homemade hot chocolate mix, and only 5 ingredients are needed to make it. You can't beat a hot chocolate on a cold day, and this hot chocolate mix is SO easy to make, and cheaper than buying it ready made (that is often filled with additives). Little jars of this also make a cute homemade Christmas gift.
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Sure, hot chocolate isn't the healthiest drink but it's a must for our kids during the winter months and making it yourself is always going to be the healthier option.
It still has sugar in (although there are "healthier" options below), but it doesn't have all the additives and artificial ingredients you usually get in store-bought mix.
This hot cocoa mix takes just a couple of minutes to mix together and then it keeps in a jar for a few months, to see you through winter. Then just add a couple of tablespoons to hot milk and then load it up like you usually would a hot chocolate.
Looking for more hot drink recipes? Why not try our tasty Chai Tea Latte, delicious Cinnamon Mocha or our festive Slow Cooker Mulled Wine.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cocoa powder - Use the best quality you can here, as it really makes a difference. It's where all the flavor comes from. We use a dark unsweetened cocoa powder, as it has a really intense flavor. You can use cacao powder instead too.
- Cornstarch - This might seem a strange ingredient, but it's the "secret" ingredient for homemade hot chocolate mix, as it helps to make it really creamy.
- Salt - This really helps to bring out all the sweetness. You can leave this out, but you won't get the same flavor.
- Milk powder - This also adds to the creaminess, and gives a real authentic hot cocoa flavor. It's a must if you want the best mix for hot chocolate.
- Granulated sweetener - This is where all the sweetness comes from, and hot chocolate mix has to be sweet. We used Truvia Sweetener. See below of the different options here.
Hot Chocolate Mix Variations
You can adjust the sweetness to suit your own tastes, but the less sugar you use, the more bitter it will be. When it comes to how you sweeten it, you need a granulated sweetener.
You can use granulated sugar, or if you wanted an alternative then you could use stevia or coconut sugar. We would never recommend using an artificial sweetener though.
If you wanted to make this hot cocoa mix a little more indulgent, then you could grate some 80% dark chocolate and mix that in.
How To Make the Best Hot Chocolate Mix
- Step 1: Just one step - Pour everything into an airtight container and give it all a good mix.
How To Use This Hot Chocolate Mix
To use this homemade hot cocoa mix, you need to stir 2-3 tablespoon into 1 cup (250ml) of hot milk. You can add more for a more intense chocolate flavor if you want. You could also stir it into hot water if you wanted to keep it lighter, and although the powdered milk makes it creamy, it wouldn't be as creamy.
What to make a mocha? Stir some of this into coffee and then top with hot milk. SO good.
A jar of this homemade hot chocolate mix is a must on your own homemade Hot Chocolate Station.
Once you have made the hot chocolate, we recommend whipped cream, mini marshmallows and sprinkles. Looking for something festive to dunk in it? Why not try our Oat and Cranberry Cookies or a Healthy Christmas Cookie?
Hot Chocolate as a Gift
We love to give little homemade gifts as much as possible, and this hot chocolate mix is a really easy and budget friendly option. And who doesn't love hot chocolate at Christmas time?
Simply put some in a nice jar with a lid, write a label with the instructions of how to use it and tie it on with some festive string.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you store it in an airtight container, then it will keep for up to 3 months. These are the Glass Jars that we used. It can actually be kept for up to a year if stored properly, but we find the flavor isn't as good after 3 months.
This recipe makes about 4 cups of mixture. How many servings that is depends on how much you are using each time. But it should give you about 10 servings, based on 3 tablespoon each time.
More Hot Chocolate Recipes
If you've tried this hot chocolate mix recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Hot Chocolate Mix
Ingredients
- 85 g (1 cups) of Cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon of Cornflour (corn starch)
- 1 teaspoon of Sea salt
- 280 g (1.5 cups) of Granulated sweetener
- 35 g of Powdered milk
Instructions
- Pour everything into an airtight container and give it all a good mix.
- To make hot chocolate, mix 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture per 1 cup (250ml) of hot milk.
Recipe Tips
- Different sweeteners can weigh differently if using cups to measure. However, generally sweetener can be substituted weight for weight, so we recommend using scales to measure the weight, rather than cups.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Diane Davies says
Can I check if the quantity of granulated sweetener is correct please? Your recipe says 180g or 1.5 cups. But I'm finding that 180g is far more than 1.5 cups. Have I read it wrong? :)
Dannii Martin says
Hi Diane,
This can be a little confusing as different sweeteners can weigh different amounts.
Our recipe actually says 280g is 1.5 cups. This is based on the Truvia brand of sweetener (which we haven't specified, but will edit the post to say so).
1.5 cup of Truvia sweetener weighs 280g, but if you use a lighter sweetener, 180g will result in more cups.
Generally, sweetener and sugar can be substituted weight for weight, so if you are making the recipe, use scales to measure 280g and don't rely on cups.
It is also worth noting that cup sizes vary from country to country.
Hope this clears things up and I will edit the post so people know that this recipe is based on the Truvia brand.
Diane Davies says
Ah, that makes sense. Thanks :)