Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe (Hot Cocoa) (2024)

The best homemade hot chocolate recipe. This hot cocoa is smooth, creamy and made with two forms of chocolate for a rich, deep chocolate flavor. It’s easy to make in 5 minutes with 5 ingredients.

Say hello to the most delicious hot chocolate recipe – seriously it’s the absolute best. This hot cocoa is rich, creamy and so intensely chocolatey it will make you say, “goodbye” to powdered mixes once and for all.

This recipe is easy to make in 5 minutes with only 5 ingredients (including two forms of chocolate) on the stovetop, so you can quickly whip up a batch to warm up after a day outside skiing or sledding, to enjoy with a side of cookies of course!

Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions

This hot cocoa recipe is best when made as written. If you’re looking for an allergy-friendly hot chocolate recipe, try this Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate – which can be Paleo and vegan!

• Whole milk.Any milk, dairy or non-dairy, should work very well in this recipe. Just remember, the higher the percentage of fat in your milk, the creamier the final product will be. Use whole or 2% milk for the best results. Or you can make it with half whole milk and half heavy cream or half and half. For a dairy-free version I recommend full-fat coconut milk.
• Cocoa Powder.Use pure, unsweetened cocoa powder. For a dark chocolate cocoa, use dark cocoa powder.
• Granulated sugar.white sugar, organic cane sugar and coconut sugar are all good choices.
• Chocolate.I recommend using semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate. You can use milk chocolate or white chocolate, just be aware that the end result will be sweeter. For a dairy-free/vegan version, use dairy-free chocolate! You can also use bakers chocolate (100% cocoa) and just increase the amount of sugar to suit your tastes.
• Vanilla Extract. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.

How to Make Hot Chocolate

So many people wonder, “How do you make hot chocolate from scratch?” Well, this hot cocoa recipe is so easy you’ll forget about store-bought mixes once and for all.

It only takes 5 minutes to make, but as always we’ll walk through the process together, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin by measuring the milk, sugar and cocoa powder into a medium saucepan.

Heat over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture just begins to bubble but does not boil.

When the mixture just begins to bubble, turn off the heat and add the chocolate and vanilla and whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Serve

This homemade hot cocoa recipe makes either 2-4 servings depending on the size of servings you’d prefer. Since this hot chocolate recipe is so rich, I usually pour it into 4 mugs and it’s plenty for us.

Add Toppings

This homemade hot cocoa recipe is perfect on its own. But if you’re looking to jazz it up with some fun toppings, here are some suggestions:

• Homemade Whipped Cream (obviously)
• Marshmallows (any variety, homemade marshmallows are delicious).
• Shaved chocolate
• Dusting of cocoa powder
• Holiday sprinkles
• Crushed candy canes
• Chopped peppermint bark

Store

If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container (glass jar) for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe FAQs

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