When the weather turns cold, I like having a jar of homemade hot chocolate mix ready in the pantry. There’s something about a warm mug of chocolate on a chilly winter day, especially when you can make a cup in just a few minutes.
This homemade hot chocolate mix is an easy alternative to those little packets of hot cocoa. It makes a big batch that you can keep on hand all winter, and you can make a cup with either hot water or milk.
Add some marshmallows or whipped cream on top and settle in with a warm mug. And if you like giving homemade food gifts, this mix is easy to package in a mason jar for a simple holiday gift.
Why You’ll Love This Hot Chocolate Mix
Just three main ingredients. Cocoa powder, powdered sugar and dry milk powder make up the base, with a little salt to round out the chocolate flavor.
It’s your own instant hot chocolate mix. No little packets tucked in the back of the pantry. Just scoop, stir and you have the makings of hot chocolate ready to go.
Make a cup with water or milk. The dry milk powder means you can reach for the hot water when you don’t have milk on hand. Or use hot milk when you want an extra creamy cup.
One jar goes a long way. This recipe makes a big batch, so once it’s mixed up, you’re set for plenty of mugs of hot chocolate through the cold-weather months.
And it makes a pretty sweet little gift. Fill a mason jar with the mix, add some dehydrated marshmallow bits and you’ve got a homemade hot chocolate gift that’s ready to tuck under the tree or hand to a friend.
Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix for Gifts
This homemade hot chocolate mix makes an easy holiday gift, especially when you want to give something homemade without spending all day in the kitchen. The recipe makes about 2¾ cups of mix, which is more than enough to fill a pint-size mason jar with a little room at the top for dehydrated marshmallow bits.
Want to make more than one gift? Double the recipe to fill two pint jars, or use the double batch to fill a quart-size jar.
Add a simple gift tag with instructions for making a cup: Add ¼ cup mix to 1 cup hot milk or water. Stir, add marshmallows if you like, and enjoy!
Ingredients for Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Powdered Sugar
- Whole milk powder or instant dry milk
- Salt
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Unsweetened cocoa powder gives the mix its chocolate flavor. Use unsweetened cocoa rather than sweetened cocoa powder so you can control the sweetness.
Powdered sugar is one of the little things that makes this mix work well. It dissolves more easily than granulated sugar when you add hot water. If granulated sugar is all you have, you can run it through a blender until it is powdered.
Whole milk powder is my preference for this recipe. It makes the hot chocolate especially creamy and is what allows you to mix the powder with hot water instead of needing fresh milk. But it is a little hard to find, so instant non-fat milk powder works too!
Salt may be a small amount, but it helps enhance the chocolate flavor.
How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
Detailed recipe and instructions are in recipe card at bottom of post.
- Sift the ingredients. Combine the cocoa powder, dry milk powder, powdered sugar and salt into a large bowl.
- Mix and store. Stir everything together, then transfer the mix to a mason jar or airtight container.
- Make hot chocolate. Stir 3-4 tablespoons of mix into 1 cup of hot water or milk. Add marshmallows or whipped cream if you like.
CREAMIER CUP: Using hot milk instead of hot water gives you an even richer cup of hot chocolate. The mix is designed to work with either, so use whichever is easiest.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- This recipe makes about 11 servings. Each serving uses ¼ cup of mix.
- Store the mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
- Using hot milk is optional. The mix is designed to work with hot water, but you can use hot milk if that’s how you prefer your hot chocolate. If you always use milk, you can leave the dry milk powder out of the mix.
Hot Cocoa or Hot Chocolate?
You’ll see both hot cocoa and hot chocolate used for these drinks. Traditionally, hot cocoa is made with cocoa powder, while hot chocolate is made with melted chocolate.
If you want to make hot chocolate with real chocolate, try my creamiest homemade hot chocolate, made with a chocolate bar and steamed whole milk. Or try my Starbucks copycat hot chocolate, which uses chocolate sauce, vanilla syrup and steamed whole milk.
More Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipes
If you have a jar of this mix in the pantry, you may also want to try some of these homemade hot chocolate recipes when you’re in the mood for something a little different.
- Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
- The Creamiest Homemade Hot Chocolate
- Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
- Starbucks Copycat Hot Chocolate Recipe
- Starbucks Peppermint Hot Chocolate
More Homemade Drink Mixes
And if you like keeping homemade drink mixes on hand, or are looking for more gifting ideas, try these too:
Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
This homemade hot chocolate mix is easy to keep on hand all winter or package in a mason jar for a homemade gift. Made with cocoa powder, powdered sugar and dry milk powder, it makes creamy hot chocolate with hot water or milk.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup dry milk powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Sift the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, dry milk powder and salt into a large bowl. Discard any large clumps left in the strainer.
- Stir the ingredients together until evenly combined. Transfer to a mason jar or airtight container.
- To make hot chocolate, stir ¼ cup mix into 1 cup hot milk or water. Serve with marshmallows or whipped cream.
Notes
- For gifting: The full recipe makes about 2¾ cups of mix, which is enough to fill a pint-size mason jar with some left over. Double the recipe for two pint jars or one quart-size jar.
- I recommend making a mug of hot chocolate with hot milk for the creamiest cup.
- I recommend using powdered sugar because it dissolves more easily than granulated sugar. If using regular sugar, run the entire mix through a blender to break it up.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 11 Serving Size: 1/4 cup powderAmount Per Serving: Calories: 121
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary based on the ingredients and brands used.