3-Ingredient Hot Chocolate Mix
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Did you know you can make homemade hot chocolate with only THREE ingredients? Skip the generic brand (made with highly processed, sugary ingredients) and make your own hot chocolate at home! You can even make this in bulk and use our tag to give it as a gift.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Only 3 Ingredients – You likely have them in your pantry!
- It comes with a free gift tag – Download, print, and attach it to a jar of the mix for the perfect gift!
- Save money – No need to buy expensive packets or mixes from the store.
- It’s healthier – Whenever possible, we try to make things from scratch. You’d be surprised at how easy it is to make your own things like pizza sauce, croutons, BBQ sauce, and even breadcrumbs.
- You can customize it. See ideas below.
Make Hot Chocolate a Gift
Make your hot chocolate extra special by gifting it to friends and family!
Simply portion out the ingredients, add them to a cute jar, and finish it off with our free printable tag.
This tag includes instructions, so all they’ll need to do is add warm milk and enjoy a cozy, homemade treat. It’s a perfect gift or even Stocking Stuffer Idea.
Hot Chocolate Gift Tags
Ingredients
You likely have the ingredients to make hot chocolate mix RIGHT now. All you need is:
Instructions
To make a batch of mix for 10 servings: Put 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of cocoa powder into a 16-ounce mason jar (standard size) and give it a good shake.
To make a single serving: You’ll use 3 tablespoons of this powder per 1 cup of hot milk.
Variations
While this recipe is super simple, there are many ways you can customize your hot chocolate. Here are some ideas:
- Spice It Up: Add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or a dash of cayenne pepper for a cozy warmth or mild heat. Try a bit of cardamom for a unique twist!
- Flavor Boosts: Stir in a drop or two of extracts like vanilla, peppermint, or almond. Peppermint especially gives it a holiday feel!
- Chocolate Depth: Mix in a small piece of dark chocolate, a sprinkle of espresso powder, or a spoonful of chocolate syrup for an extra chocolatey depth.
- Make It Creamy: Top it with our Homemade Whipped Cream (so fast and easy) or add a spoonful of heavy cream or half-and-half to make it even richer.
Recipe FAQs
I learned from a Taste of Home article (which referenced a taste test that America’s Test Kitchen did with expired cocoa) and a Simply Recipes article about sugar, both cocoa powder and sugar have an indefinite shelf life when it comes to safety. Be sure to store the hot chocolate mix in a dry, cool place in a container with an airtight lid. As long as it’s not moldy and it doesn’t have an unpleasant odor, there’s no reason to toss the hot chocolate mix…even years later!
Absolutely! Use the amount of sugar that tastes best to you.
No, you don’t. But, we like Ghirardelli because it’s one of the best-powdered cocoas you can get. It rivals specialty high-end products but is much cheaper. Its flavor is deep, rich, and velvety.
Tasty Tip!
The Best Ever Homemade Popcorn is our favorite snack to enjoy with this hot chocolate. Have you tried it yet?
Other Recipes That Make Great Gifts
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
3-Ingredient Hot Chocolate Mix
Avoid all the junk in store-bought hot chocolate mix by using just 3 simple ingredients to make your own. This recipe makes the best homemade hot chocolate ever!
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk (sub: your favorite milk)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons 100% unsweetened cocoa powder (We recommend Ghirardelli brand.)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- Optional for serving: mini marshmallows or Homemade Whipped Cream
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Microwave Method: Add the milk to a microwave safe mug. Heat in 30 second increments until very hot. Use a fork to whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar until fully combined.
Stovetop Method: Pour all three ingredients into a small saucepan and heat over medium to medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until the ingredients are fully combined and the milk is hot.
Serve warm and top with marshmallows or Homemade Whipped Cream, if desired.
Notes/Tips
- To make a batch of mix for 10 servings: Put 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of cocoa powder into a 16 ounce mason jar (standard size) and give it a good shake. You’ll use 3 tablespoons of this powder per 1 cup of hot milk.
- Free Gift Tags: Want to turn this into a gift? Print our free gift tags here with directions for how to package it and how the recipient should use it.
- You can pull back on the sugar if you want.
- I learned from a Taste of Home article (which referenced a taste test that America’s Test Kitchen did with expired cocoa) and a Simply Recipes article about sugar, both cocoa powder and sugar have an indefinite shelf life when it comes to safety. Be sure to store the hot chocolate mix in a dry, cool place in a container with an airtight lid. As long as it’s not moldy and it doesn’t have an unpleasant odor, there’s no reason to toss the hot chocolate mix…even years later!
Decadent!! Added some homemade peppermint syrup.
That sounds delicious. Thanks for leaving a review, Cheri. We really appreciate it!
Tasty and simple. Much better than a mix
So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Absolutely delicious!!!! And easy!!
Love to hear this! Thanks for the review.
Good but needed a little more sugar or little less cocoa
Thanks for the feedback Renee. The great thing about making things like this at home is you can cut back on things like salt and sugar for your family’s preferences. Hope you find just the right ingredient amounts to make it perfect for you!
Easy & great tasting. You need no more!!
Yay! Glad you loved it Nancy. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
Delicious! We used Ghirardelli 100% cocoa my granddaughters, ages seven and six, enjoyed making the mix. Purchased 1/4 cup mini espresso orange cups from Hobby lobby. The girls enjoyed using mini cups for their drinks. Making memories. how long can the mix be stored in a glass container? Thank you for this recipe.
Hi Tammy. So glad the granddaughters enjoyed this. We learned from a Taste of Home article (which referenced a taste test that America’s Test Kitchen did with expired cocoa) and a Simply Recipes article about sugar, both cocoa powder and sugar have an indefinite shelf life when it comes to safety. Be sure to store the hot chocolate mix in a dry, cool place in a container with an airtight lid. As long as it’s not moldy and it doesn’t have an unpleasant odor, there’s no reason to toss the hot chocolate mix…even years later!
Easy and very delicious! I always have Ghriadelli 100% cocoa on my shelves. Don’t care for cocoa mix because of all that is in it. Thanks for sharing it.
Homemade hot chocolate is the way to go! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review Linda.
Great recipe! Just what I was looking for. Added peppermint mocha creamer for an extra kick!
Great idea! I’ve added in vanilla extract before and it’s great, too.
Delicious and I need it for the low acid. Perfect
Glad you found this recipe! Thanks for the review Michele.
Delicious! Followed recipe exactly. When it was ready I put a couple mini marshmallows in and used the electric whisk. The marshmallows melted in and it was frothy and yum! Thanks for recipe!
Thanks so much for taking time to leave a review with your mini marshmallow addition. Sounds delish!
Super easy, very yummy
Yay! Glad you liked it Kimberly. I love making it for my crew. Thanks for taking time to leave a review.
Made this last night for my husband and I. We liked it but both decided it needs a 4th ingredient. Vanilla
I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m sure adding vanilla would appeal to a number of readers. Thanks for the tip!
Perfect balance! I recommend bakers sugar, whole or 2% milk or almond milk, and majestic cocoa (top notch)!
Thank you for the recommendations! And for leaving a review. 🙂
FYI, the recipe for the 4 serving mix has 2 tbsps cocoa and 2 tbsps sugar per cup, while the single cup recipe has 1 1/2 tbsps each. Either works, depending on one’s preferences. Also, for a single cup, just combine mix in a mug, slowly stir in milk, and microwave, but don’t boil.
Hi Claire. Thanks for the tip. It is amazing how everyone’s preferences can be so different. We’re grateful to have such a wide variety of readers!
Thanks for catching that, Claire. I just updated that in the blog post.
Perfect hot chocolate! I added a splash of vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. SO GOOD!
Oooh, yummy additions! Thanks for sharing.
Love it!