When the weather turns cold, there’s just something comforting about a nice big mug of hot cocoa. With these easy homemade hot cocoa mixes and recipes, you’ll be enjoying hot cocoa all winter long!
Wintertime in our house is synonymous with stovetop potpourri simmering on the woodstove, Grandma’s traditional Christmas pudding, endless batches of homemade molasses cookies, chai tea latte’s, and making homemade old-fashioned Christmas wreaths to adorn the front door.
As a modern homesteader and a mom, hot cocoa around the holidays is also a must. But every time my kids would use those packets of store-bought cocoa powder I would die a little inside (have you ever read the ingredients on those things? Hydrogenated oils? No thank you! I’m looking at you Swiss Miss!).
Every time my kids would make a cup of cocoa with that stuff I knew there had to be a better alternative.
I made it my personal mission to find a homemade hot cocoa recipe that my kids would not only love, but that would actually be good for them!
If you’re like me, then look no further, my friends, the following recipes are for you! I’m sharing the three ways we like to prepare homemade hot cocoa that won’t take all day, including recipes for an instant cup of hot cocoa that doesn’t require stirring over the stovetop, and even a fun way to make great DIY hot cocoa powder in a mason jar (they are my favorite, ya know!).
Enjoy these recipes, whip up large batches ahead of time, and never be caught without a quick and easy hot cocoa mix made from ingredients you can trust (and read) again!
If you have my book Hand Made, the homemade hot cocoa powder mix recipe is on page 245!
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DIY Gifts in a Jar
One of the reason’s I love this homemade hot cocoa powder mix is that it makes a fantastic gift for a hostess, birthday, mother’s day… I mean, when wouldn’t you want to get a gift of hot cocoa?
We love it so much we actually put together an entire “gifts in a jar” eGuide to making and gifting beautiful gifts any time of the year (but it’s especially timely for Christmas).
If you like this recipe and want to learn how to make more heartfelt gifts from scratch, check out the DIY brownie mix in a jar and fill out the form at the top of the page for the full free gift guide!
Why I Love These Recipes
In my house, my kids are the ultimate taste testers. They’ve had the store-bought version and they know how good that stuff tastes. If my healthier version doesn’t taste as good as that, they don’t care how healthy it is for them, they’re not going to drink it.
That’s why I love these homemade cocoa recipes, especially the homemade cocoa powder mix or freeze-dried hot cocoa that you can whip up in a large batch ahead of time and have on hand throughout the winter.
I also happen to make mine extra special by adding in some mini chocolate chips just for good measure (can cocoa ever be too chocolatey?).
The other reason the DIY hot cocoa mix is great is that, at the time of filming this video, our power had been out for 48 hours, which meant we weren’t wanting to get in and out of the refrigerator. By having this DIY cocoa mix on hand, we could just head up a pot of water on the woodstove and my kids could serve up a cup of hot cocoa any time they wanted.
DIY Hot Cocoa Powder Mix (in a jar)
Ingredients Needed for DIY Hot Cocoa Powder Mix
I love sourcing the highest quality ingredients possible, and one way I can do this (that also makes it more affordable) is by buying in bulk from Azure Standard. I’m going to link to the products I’ve purchased from them below, they do have smaller portions available to buy, but you pay less per pound (or ounce) the more you buy, so always keep that in mind, especially with items like these that are shelf-stable:
- Freeze-dried milk powder – I always like to buy organic dairy, and Azure Standard actually has A2/A2 whole milk powder which is a fantastic option for this homemade hot cocoa recipe. Using powdered milk means you can add this cocoa powder to water and it will be rich and creamy instead of watery (no one likes watery cocoa, am I right?).
- Organic powdered sugar – Of course I wouldn’t necessarily consider this “healthy”, but when used in moderation I do think a bit of sugar is acceptable from time to time. And when compared to the ingredients in the store-bought brands, I feel pretty comfortable about this option of sugar. If you’re not thrilled about using sugar, you could always omit it from the jar and add in some maple syrup or honey to taste at the time of serving.
- Cocoa powder – Another Azure Standard win! They have ethically sourced organic cocoa powder options in various sizes. You can choose whether you want dark cocoa powder or not, but do be sure it’s unsweetened. If you use dark cocoa powder, you may want to increase the sugar by a smidge, or just add a little maple syrup at time of serving if it’s not sweet enough.
- Sea Salt – A lot of people look at me sideways when I add salt to sweet recipes, but the truth is a little bit of salt actually brings out the sweetness of a recipe without having to add any more sugar. It also happens to add in a few trace minerals if you use a high quality sea salt like Redmond Real Salt (my favorite salt for baking, cooking, preserving, and fermenting and you get 15% off with coupon code: Pioneering ).
- Mini chocolate chips (optional) – These are purely for fun! But, when gifting a jar of homemade hot cocoa mix, the little mini chocolate chips give it that extra something special in presentation!
- White chocolate chips (optional) – These are also purely for fun, and they also look really pretty in a gifted jar of cocoa! But they are optional and can be omitted if desired.
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until well blended.
- Spoon into Mason jars or a glass container.
- Use 3 Tablespoons hot cocoa powder to 1 cup hot water or milk.
- If you want a peppermint hot cocoa, add 1 teaspoon mint extract (or to taste) to hot chocolate.
- Top with optional whipped cream and/or marshmallows, or add a splash of heavy cream to your mug.
Hot Cocoa Mix in a Jar
Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1.5 cups cocoa powder
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (optional)
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until well blended.
- Spoon into Mason jars or a glass container.
- Use 3 Tablespoons hot cocoa mix to 1 cup hot water or milk.
- If you want a peppermint hot cocoa, add 1 teaspoon mint extract (or to taste) to hot chocolate. Top with optional whipped cream and/or marshmallows, or add a splash of heavy cream to your mug.
Notes
- Both mini and white chocolate chips are optional but look great in gift jars.
- For a richer hot chocolate, mix 3 Tablespoons hot cocoa mix with milk.
- Since there is powdered milk in the hot cocoa mix, you can use hot water and the hot chocolate will still be delicious!
Nutrition
Easy Homemade Hot Cocoa (for a crowd)
If you want to whip up a large batch of homemade hot cocoa (sans the packets or canister from the store) you can follow this recipe and make enough for twelve. If you don’t have quite that many mouths, you can scale this recipe down as well. However, I actually like to toss the extra into my Harvest Right freeze dryer and store it in mason jars for a rainy day (literally!).
Ingredients for Homemade Hot Cocoa
The following recipe is great for a crowd (I’d say about 12 people) or for making in a large batch to freeze-dry to have a shelf-stable cocoa mix.
- Sugar – just one cup is all this recipe needs! When you divide that by twelve servings, I’d say that’s pretty low!
- Water
- Sea Salt – a little bit of salt actually makes sweet things taste a bit sweeter without having to add in any extra sugar.
- Milk – raw milk is my favorite for hot cocoa, but really any milk will do, even milk alternatives like almond or coconut milk. Use what your family likes!
- Heavy Cream (optional) – If you’re looking for a very decadent hot cocoa, replace a couple cups of the milk with heavy cream! You won’t regret it!
How to Make Hot Cocoa From Scratch
- In a large sauce pan on the stove add sugar and water. Turn heat to medium-high and stir to dissolve sugar.
- Add cocoa powder and sea salt and continue whisking as the mixture heats up. Remember, you do have sugar in there, so you don’t want it to scorch or burn.
- Add milk and continue to whisk until the milk is just under a simmer. No need to bring to a simmer or boil, we just want it hot enough for drinking.
- Serve and enjoy! (My favorite mug is our new custom handmade pottery Pioneering Today Mugs here)
Homemade Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk you can use any type of milk you wish
- 1.5 cups water
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup sugar increase or decrease to taste preference
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 cup cream (optional)
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan on the stove add sugar and water. Turn heat to medium-high and stir to dissolve sugar.
- Add cocoa powder and sea salt and continue whisking as the mixture heats up. Remember, you do have sugar in there, so you don't want it to scorch or burn.
- Add milk and continue to whisk until the milk is just under a simmer. No need to bring to a simmer or boil, we just want it hot enough for drinking. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If making this for a large crowd or to have enough to freeze dry, times by three. Just warm the total liquid, no need to simmer if pouring into the freeze dryer.
- Place trays in freeze dryer (I have the medium size) and pour hot chocolate into the trays. Fill the middle trays of the freeze dryer more than the top and bottom trays to help keep the product from *poofing* out of the tray and making a mess. The middle trays don’t tend to *poof* as much, so they can get filled fuller.
- This takes up to 3 days to completely freeze-dry, it’s not a quick one!
- Once the cocoa is completely freeze-dried, break off into chunks and run them through a food processor or high-powered blender until a fine powder. Transfer it to a mason jar with a lid and store it at room temperature until ready to use. (You can also vacuum seal the jar for it to last much longer if desired.)
- To use, simply add 8 ounces of hot water with 1.38 ounces of freeze-dried cocoa powder (roughly 6 3/4 Tablespoons of cocoa powder). If you want it nice and decadent, add a splash of cream to finish it off!
Nutrition
How to Freeze Dry Homemade Hot Cocoa
If making cocoa for the freeze dryer, follow steps one through three above. However, you don’t need to heat the milk up, just stir to combine then carry the pot to the freeze dryer and fill the trays while they’re in the machine (don’t try and carry full trays of liquid, trust me!).
I find that filling the middle trays of the freeze dryer more than the top and bottom trays helps keep the product from *poofing* out of the tray and making a mess. The middle trays don’t tend to *poof* as much, so they can get filled fuller.
This is one of the lengthier recipes to freeze dry, I’ve found that my cocoa tends to take anywhere from two to three days to be completely freeze-dried and ready to powder.
Once the cocoa is completely freeze-dried, break off into chunks and run them through a food processor or high-powered blender until a fine powder. Transfer it to a mason jar with a lid and store it at room temperature until ready to use. (You can also vacuum seal the jar for it to last much longer if desired.)
To use, simply add 8 ounces of hot water with 1.38 ounces of freeze-dried cocoa powder (roughly 6 & 3/4 Tablespoons of cocoa powder). If you want it nice and decadent, add a splash of cream to finish it off!
Quick & Easy Store-Bought Option
If you’re not looking to make homemade hot cocoa from scratch, my best suggestion would be to have a few packs of these hot cocoa mixes from Farmhouse Teas on hand.
It’s their brand new line of drinking chocolate and they taste incredible! In fact, my very favorite (Gourmet Peppermint Cocoa Mix – pictured above) actually has bits of organic crushed-up candy canes in there!
Thank you for all your lovely recipes. I’ve done the vanilla cake recipe, chocolate cake recipe, the fudgy brownies, and now the hot chocolate and printed the tags out. Thank you so much what lovely gift ideas. I’m looking forward to trying some of your other mixes. You’re very gifted.
Hi. I want to try your hot cocoa recipe for the freeze dryer. The recipe calls for 9 cups of milk plus three optional cups of cream. If I am not using the cream, would I use 12 cups of milk?
I made hot cocoa mix years ago. I basically used the recipe on the box of cocoa and substituted powdered milk and powdered vanilla. The recipe is similar to yours; except I don’t usually have powdered sugar on hand.
Hi Donna! Mom thought me to just blend the regular sugar. She makes a batch of this and always has powdered sugar on hand. She like to use it in recipes as it incorporates faster. 🙂
Is there a link to print for the hot chocolate labels? I saw several others but no that one.
I used mint chocolate chips. Not only add a minty flavor but the mint green color is so pretty.
I love making homemade dry mix for hot cocoa because I can control the ingredients (i.e. sugar content) and of course the source (organic is my choice!) Have you ever thought of adding some plain, organic whey protein powder from grass fed cows? I sometimes mix this 50/50 with the milk powder for an extra protein boost! I’ve also used the vanilla flavored whey powder, but then I will usually need to reduce the sugar since most flavored protein powders have sugar in them.
Is freeze drying necessary for a powder?
I have a question about the measuring spoon amounts. Do you use struck level amounts or mounded spoon amounts?
A second question. Can a beeswax sheet formed into a cup shape to fit the mason jar be used to hold ingredients that you do not want to be in the mix(es)? The beeswax ‘cup’ would be removed from the jar and set aside until the proper amount of mix is removed for preparation. A portion of the items in the beeswax cup are set aside and the cup replaced in the mason jar with the rest of the mix and resealed. The items that were in the beeswax cup are added to the mix at the appropriate time depending on what they are.
Would this work?
Just my opinion and questions.
Jerry D Young
Love the recipes! I’m just wondering if you or any of the readers might have ideas for dairy free alternatives for a dry mix. Thanks!!!
You could consider powdered coconut milk.
Is there a link for the A2 powdered milk? I’m lactose intolerant but would this be ok? I don’t care for the commercial powdered milk and it’s not very creamy. Thanks for any info. I’ve always made my own hot choc. mix but with just the two of us I just grab whatever is in the store. Want and need a healthier alternative.
https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/search/a2%20powder%20milk
this is the company Melissa uses.
https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/search/a2%20powder%20milk
This sounds like a wonderful recipe! I have a few questions about the freeze drying. If I throw the extra into a freeze dryer and then into a vacuum sealed mason jar stored at room temperature, any idea what the shelf life might be? If I added the optional cream will that affect the freeze drying process? Will the cream shorten the shelf life?
Is the cocoa you use a Dutch cocoa?
With using the A2 dried milk, this helps with those that have any allergy to milk! My son has a milk allergy and can only drink A2. What a win for our family. Thank you so much!
I love this!! I am a Freeze Dry addict. I love that you included your recipe for the freeze dryer.
I could not figure out how to get the DIY Gifts in a Jar eGuide.
Where can I find the eGuide?
Thanks so much for the hot cocoa recipe. I just made the one with the powdered milk, sugar and cocoa, it was so good. This will be nice to have on hand during the cold winter months.
I never buy the stuff they sell at the store. The ingredient panel is scary, lol.
Seriously.
For a no refined sugar/home-rather-than-gift-in-a-jar version we like: 1 cup milk, 1TBSP each of cocoa and maple syrup, dash vanilla and pinch of salt. Scale up by doubling, etc. Cocoa can be super yummy without the refined sugar! Thank you for the gift idea and recipe. God bless!
Bea, Just found your recipe! Wonderful cup of cocoa! Thank you so much for sharing.
What size mason jar? There are 8 cups of ingredients!
Thanks!
Hi Amy! There are 2 cups per pint jar, 4 cups per quart jar and 8 cups per half gallon jar. Wow! a half gallon of cocoa mix! Sounds close to heaven in a jar!
I do enough for 2 jars, one for them and one for me
Sounds SO Yummy! Though I have a couple of questions. Since the chocolate chips are noted to add to the presentation, does that work when they are all chopped up in the blender? Will the bits melt easily if the shelf storage is warm? The pictures show white to chocolate layers, though the recipe says to blend it all together?
I would love to make these for family, but I don’t quite understand how to do it.
Thanks!
Chocolate chips don’t melt at room temperature for me so I’ve never had even the mini or chopped melt. If they’re mini they’ll melt without chopping in the blender, if regular size it’s best to chop up some and then you can put some in the jar whole for presentation if you wish. If you want to layer like the photo then a note to the recipient to blend together before serving is best.
Thank you for all the tips and recipes.
Hi there thanks so much for the hot chocolate recipe.
I wanted to order the Redmond real salt with your link but it’s not working, it doesn’t give the 15% percent discount. Is there a code I need to put in? Thanks
Love it…I made mine with eggnog and milk…
Sounds delicious but I have a question. In the article part, you refer to powdered sugar but in the recipe itself, it just states sugar. Which do you use powdered or white? or does it matter?
Thank you! I can hardly wait to try this one.
Either works fine, you’re mixing the ingredients up in a blender or food processor anyways so it will “powder” the regular sugar some. Powdered does dissolve faster.
Hi Melissa,
Clarification on the powdered sugar…do you mean icing sugar or pure sugar that has been blended down to a powder?
I use cane sugar when sugar is called for and would like a recipe for giving the mixture in a cup.
Just ordered your Hand Made and Garden Planner books for Xmas gifts (and maybe one for me 🙂 ).
Thanks for all you do!
Either, I buy powdered sugar (it’s labeled organic powdered sugar) or I have powdered my own if I ran out.