Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe (2024)

This homemade hot chocolate mix makes a rich, indulgent, chocolaty treat. It is SO easy to make, let me show you how to make it along with 4 flavor variations!

Hot Chocolate Mix Variations:

This recipe is a fabulous base for flavored hot chocolate mixes. To make different flavored hot chocolate mixes, follow the base recipe and add the additional ingredients below just before processing.

ORANGE: add 1 Tablespoon of orange zest.
MINT: omit the vanilla and use 1 teaspoon of mint extract instead.
MALTED: omit the nonfat dry milk powder and use 1/2 cup of malted milk powder instead.
MEXICAN: add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 3/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder.

Cook’s Note – Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Use the best quality chocolate that you can afford. High-quality chocolate enhances the quality and intensity of the hot chocolate.
I used all Ghirardelli chocolate products for this homemade mix recipe.
This mix will keep, in an air-tight container at room temperature, for up to 2 months.
This recipe will make 3 cups of the mix with is enough for 12 1-cup servings.
While this recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc it may not all fit in your food processor. I recommend processing one batch at a time. After all, it only takes a minute to make each batch!

Cook’s Tools:

food processor
airtight glass storage jar
small saucepan

More Homemade Gifts for the Holidays:

I love giving homemade food gifts to neighbors and friends for Christmas. This mix is a great option, and sometimes I give a few of my Hanging Gingerbread Cookies that hang off of the side of a hot chocolate mug. These Gingerbread Truffles are always a welcomed gift (I have friends who ask for the specifically at Christmas time) as well as my sister-in-law Beth’s Totally Addicting Peanut Brittle. Lastly, these Dip Mix Ornaments are genius! They’re easy to make and so pretty, too!

4.50 from 2 votes

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Author Cook's Illustrated

Prep Time 3 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 minutes minutes

12 people

This homemade hot chocolate mix makes a rich, indulgent, chocolaty treat. It is SO easy to make, let me show you how!

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
▢ 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped fine
▢ 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
▢ ½ cup nonfat dry milk powder
▢ 5 teaspoons cornstarch
▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
▢ ¾ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor. Process until the mixture is ground to powder, about 30-60 seconds. Transfer mix to and airtight container.

Notes

This recipe makes 3 cups of mix.

To make 1 Serving of Hot Chocolate: heat 1 cup of milk (whole, 1% or 2%) in a small saucepan over medium heat until it starts to steam and bubbles form around the edge of saucepan. Add a ¼ cup of hot chocolate mix and continue to heat, whisking constantly, until it just begins to simmer, 2-3 minutes longer. Pour into a mug and serve!

Nutrition

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Source: recipe from my favorite cooking periodical, Cook’s Illustrated.

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Jillian

I’m Jillian, the creator behind Food Folks and Fun. I have over 30 years of experience cooking for others. There’s nothing I love more than cooking for my family. Food is love, and cooking isn’t just putting a meal on a plate: It’s putting a little part of myself into that meal.

I tried making this nearly sugar free with 1/4 tsp stevia extract powder instead of the sugar (replaced volume with powdered milk) and using mostly 72% dark chocolate for the chocolate.
Drank a cup: Not bitter, but not sweet enough to enhance the chocolate flavor either. Will try adding a couple of Tbls of sugar to the mix.
Added 2 Tbls + 1 tsp
Drank a cup: Much better, less “dirt” tasting due to the added sugar.
Added 2 tsp, will call it good.
Reply
1. Rachel, thanks for sharing this almost sugar-free adaptation! I know it will be useful to others. 🙂
  Reply
Does it have to be warm milk? Can you make this with hot water?
Reply
1. Hot water will work, too!
  Reply

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