This homemade hot chocolate mix recipe features simple ingredients and delicious chocolatey flavor. It is the perfect homemade hot cocoa and a great gift!
This Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix is my Nana’s recipe that she makes and gives out to family and friends each year. It’s a great inexpensive gift for neighbors, teachers, etc. It’s easy, too!
This homemade hot chocolate recipe is rich in chocolate flavor and perfect with whole milk or just water. I love to serve mine with a drop of peppermint extract and lots of marshmallows in a festive Christmas mug. You could even add a little vanilla extract for added sweetness. But, none of those additions are necessary. This recipe makes an amazing hot cocoa mix with just the perfect rich milk chocolate taste.
How do I make homemade hot chocolate?
There are so many ways to make homemade hot chocolate. My recipe is a quick dump-and-go mixture featuring chocolate beverage mix, dairy-free coffee creamer, nonfat dry or powdered milk, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. It’s that simple. I recommend serving 1/2 cup of the mix with 1/2 cup of boiling hot water.
If you plan on gifting the mixture to friends and family, I recommend dividing it up into sealable, food-safe jars or containers. I’ve even included printable gift tags in color and black and white that you can print out, punch a hole in, and attach to your gifts.
You could also whisk up a big batch of this hot chocolate on your stovetop in a medium saucepan or in a crockpot on medium-low heat if you have guests coming over. I love the idea of setting up a hot chocolate serving station or bar with lots of toppings, like marshmallows, whipped cream, crushed peppermint, any type of chocolate syrup, cinnamon, or caramel sauce. How fun!
Are hot cocoa mix and chocolate milk mix the same?
Hot cocoa mix and chocolate milk mix are very similar. They both usually feature similar ingredients, like cocoa powder and sugar. Where these two are different is in how they are served. Hot cocoa mix is usually served by mixing in hot water or hot milk. It is common to have toppings like whipped cream or marshmallows on the top of hot cocoa. Chocolate milk mix on the other hand is typically mixed in cold milk, and it doesn’t usually have toppings. So, they are generally the same in ingredients but are served very differently. Either way, they are both delicious!
Because this mix includes powdered milk, it works perfectly to mix it into hot water, but for a super rich cup of hot chocolate, you could mix it into hot milk, too.
Recipe Card
Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
Ingredients
- 1 (20.1-ounce) container Nesquik chocolate beverage mix (about 5.5 cups)
- 1 (16-ounce) container powdered non-dairy coffee creamer (about 3.5 cups)
- 1 (32-ounce) container instant nonfat dry milk (about 7.5 cups)
- 1 (16-ounce) bag powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- freeze dried marshmallows (optional)
Instructions
- In a very large bowl, combine ingredients well. Divide into individual sealable, food-safe containers. Top with a scoop of freeze dried marshmallows, if desired.
- To serve, combine 1/2 cup mix with 1/2 cup boiling water. Stir well.
Notes
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
From the original post on December 12, 2012…
I have to let you in on a little secret… but don’t tell. My grandmother, Nana, has never been on a commercial flight. Now, I can hear the collective gasp from some of you, but it’s the truth. She’s never had a reason to. But she’s always wanted that experience. I remember as a little boy laying on her couch with my head in her lap, she would tell me, “One day when you’re rich, you can take Nana on an airplane.”
Well, a quick check of my bank account revealed that the check from Publisher’s Clearinghouse still hasn’t been deposited, so trust me, I’m far from rich. But I’ve been scrounging and saving all year long and this year, she’s going on her plane trip. We head out first thing Sunday morning.
The fun part is where we’re going. You see, her favorite thing to do this time of year is to ride and look at Christmas lights. So, I’m taking her to see some lights – about 30,000 of them to start. Yep, I’m taking her to see the lights at Rockefeller Center, namely that big ol’ Christmas tree. So, y’all excuse me for a few days while I’m gone. It’s going to be a whirlwind tour of the city, but I’ll try to post a few pictures.
Cathy
I accidentally bought instant dry WHOLE milk instead of nonfat!! Will it be ok??
Yep, it will work just fine!
Myrna
Wow. Nice Christmas present for Nana. Southerners love glitz and all that sparkly will win her heart ! Can’t wait to hear about the trip.
How many jars can you fill from the cocoa mix ?
This makes about 42 1/2 servings, so it really depends on the size of your jars.
Julie Miller
What an exciting trip for you and your sweet grandmother Nana. I hope you have a wonderful time and be safe! Merry Christmas to you and your family. Enjoy your trip! Can’t wait to see pictures! 🎄😊🥰
Thanks, Julie! It was an amazing trip!
Linda
As a Nana myself, this brought tears to my eyes. This is such a thoughtful gift. The giver always gets a blessing!! Have a wonderful trip.
Thank you so much for your kind words! Surprising her was such a special moment, and you’re absolutely right—the giver truly does get the biggest blessing. It’s a memory I’ll cherish forever. I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season!
Boydeen Albrecht
Hope your Nana enjoys her flight and NYC tour. I would love to see Rockefella Center and that big tree. Have a wonderful holiday. I love your cookbook.
It was an amazing trip that she still talks about! Thanks, Boyadeen!
Lisa
It is a good quick cocoa mix to make . My recommendation would be to cut the recipe in half as the batch is huge and difficult to mix, it was too much to mix even in a large roaster pan.
It does make a very large batch – making it perfect for gift giving. I don’t like have random extra stuff leftover, so I like using full packages of stuff like the dry milk, but you can absolutely scale this recipe down.
Wendy
Hope that you and your family have a great holiday season Stacey thank you for your great recipes love them Wendy Huntsville Alabama
Thanks, Wendy! Y’all, too!
Auntiepatch
OMG! I hope you both have a great time! I love to fly but my husband doesn’t so we don’t go anywhere!
Love this Hot Chocolate recipe! Easy, fast, and delicious!
Thank you!!
Connie Fanos
Thank you for such a complete and thoroughly informative recipe for Hot Chocolate! I particularly appreciate the illustrative photo of all the required ingredients. You have outlined a complete plan for a 2-hour project that will yield several holidays gifts. At the age of 77, this is the first time in 20 years I’ve considered homemade presents, and it’s only because you have presented everything in a very understandable way. Thanks so much, and Happy Holidays to you!
You are too kind, Connie! I’m happy to help! Hope everyone enjoys it!
Ruth
That’s almost how I made mine 20 years ago except I didn’t add the unsweetened cocoa powder or freeze dried marshmallows. It was so good.
Ruth
Oops I meant 40 years ago.
It’s a classic for sure!
Cowgirl Diva
What a wonderful, comforting idea for Christmas gifts.!! Definitely going to try this and put in cute little Mason Jars and tie them up with Christmas bows..!! Oh, and, BTW…..You’re a very good grandson..!! Oh, and BTW, I bought The Southern Bite Cookbook…Love it..!! Thanks so very much for sharing..!!
Thank you so very much! I appreciate your support more than you could ever know!
Julie
This is what my mom made us when we were kids some 40 years ago. The same exact ingredients! We would put all ingredients in a big Tupperware container with a tight fitting lid and all take turns shaking it to get it all mixed up.
Love that! Thanks for sharing, Julie!
Ann Cannon
I hope you and your Nana have wonderful trip to NYC. The city is all lit up for Christmas and is beautiful this time of year. I would suggest you taking her to see St. Patrick’s Cathedral which is on the corner across from Rockefeller Center. They have a life size nativity and you can walk throughout the cathedral. Saks Fifth Avenue is adorned with lights that are in sync with music and the lights change colors to the music. Both are in close proximity to Rockefeller Center. A good place to get a burger is Bill’s Burger (reasonably priced and crowded) located close to Rockefeller center also. Have a safe trip and wonderful time in NYC.
Jess
this is a fantastic recipe – but i had no idea how large of a bowl you were talking about. the amounts listed in this recipe combined surpassed every bowl in my house and i literally had to use a clean trash bag to mix them in.
haha
LOL!
Julie
Have an amazing trip! Went this past summer for a week and stayed in SoHo loved it. Now if you want a great Gelato place you need to head to SoHo and go to Mo IL Gelato 178 Mulberry Street. This is made the same way as in Italy, Rochelle and I found it by watching Live with Kelly when we were out there. But get your walking shoes on and enjoy every minute of your trip!
Thanks, Julie! That sounds like a great idea!
Angela S.
What a sweet grandson you are! Hope y’all have a GREAT trip! I have never been on a plane either, really don’t care to, I’m a chicken. So Nana-You Go Girl!
Thanks, Angela!
Glen
Hey Stacey, hope you two have a wonderful trip. Will be anxious to hear about it. Grannies do so much for us and it’s a blessing to be able to give a little something back. I took my Grannie on a shopping trip to a big city (driving because she was afraid to fly) and one of the biggest deals was her seeing and riding on an escalator for the first time. We take so much for granted. sometimes.
Thanks, Glen! I’m really looking forward to it and I know she will be so surprised!