Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe

My kids love hot chocolate. When they come home from school after being outside playing — or when it’s just a cold winter day — a warm mug of cocoa is always a favorite. We go through a LOT of hot chocolate during Michigan winters, so making a big batch of homemade hot cocoa mix has become one of our winter kitchen traditions.

But those big containers of store-bought hot chocolate mix can get expensive fast.

That’s why I started making my own hot cocoa mix recipe at home. It’s simple to mix together, uses pantry ingredients, and makes a large batch so we always have some ready.

Homemade cocoa mix is also perfect for holiday gift bags, teacher gifts, or even small thank-you gifts for delivery drivers during the winter season.

And when you make your own, you can control the sweetness and ingredients, which is always a win.

Preparing to Make The Mix

Before you start, grab a large mixing bowl.

This recipe makes a big batch, so you’ll want plenty of room to stir everything together. I used a bowl that holds about 26 cups, which worked perfectly.

You can also store the finished mix in a large airtight container or divide it into smaller jars for gifts.

What Ingredients Are Needed?

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this homemade hot cocoa mix.

powdered milk
NesQuik chocolate powder
powdered sugar
granulated sugar
cocoa powder
powdered coffee creamer (plain or flavored)
mini marshmallows

Once everything is mixed together, you’ll have a creamy, chocolatey hot cocoa mix recipe that’s ready whenever you want a cozy mug of cocoa.

Making Hot Cocoa Mix

Simply add all of the ingredients to your large bowl and mix well until everything is evenly combined.

Store the mix in an airtight container to keep it fresh.

When you’re ready to make hot chocolate, just scoop some of the mix into a mug and add hot water or hot milk.

Fun Ways to Use This Cocoa Mix

This homemade hot cocoa mix recipe is great to keep in the pantry, but it’s also perfect for sharing.

You can use it to make:

• holiday gift jars
• party favors
• teacher gifts
• thank-you gifts for delivery drivers

You can even use the mix to make mocha coffee by adding a spoonful to your morning coffee. Or hot chocolate from candy too.

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Homemade Hot Chocolate

Hot cocoa is so much better when you make it yourself. Server up a delicious cup of hot chocolate or put it in your holiday gift baskets.

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Author: Regina Sober

Equipment

Ingredients

10 cups powder milk
2 cups NesQuik
3/4 cup powder sugar
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup powder coffee creamer plain or flavored
8 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

In a big bowl, add all the ingredients EXCEPT the marshmallows! Mix the ingredients slowly or you will have a big fluff cloud in your kitchen. You can mix ingredients as you go or wait and mix once all the ingredients are in the bowl.
Taste test the hot chocolate by mixing 1 cup water with 1/4 cup hot chocolate mix. Want a more chocolaty taste, add more cocoa. Want it sweeter, add more sugar. I found it to be not to sweet, and chocolaty enough to make my kids happy. You can also make this with milk for extra creaminess.
Once you have it to your liking, it’s time to bag it up.
I put five 1/4 cups in each treat bag with 1 cup of marshmallows on top. This gives each person 5 cups of hot cocoa to serve in a standard size mug. Got a larger mug? You will need to add more mix.