Homemade Hot Chocolate

Rich and creamy homemade hot chocolate made with chopped chocolate and no mixes! This real hot cocoa is flavorful, delicious and ready within minutes.

More beverage recipes that we make for the holidays include homemade eggnog recipe, crockpot wassail and caramel apple cider.

Best Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe

There’s nothing more cozy, comforting and nostalgic during the holidays than homemade hot chocolate. My family makes it on Christmas Eve then adds their favorite toppings, like hot fudge, whipped cream, mini marshmallows and crushed peppermint.

This easy homemade hot cocoa is quite possibly the best out there! It’s super rich and creamy plus way better than a packaged mix.

The best part about this recipe is that it only requires 5 ingredients and can be ready in just 10 minutes! It can be made on the stovetop, as well as the crockpot, too. When hosting a holiday party, I’ll even double (or triple) the recipe and set out a hot chocolate charcuterie board.

Hot Chocolate Ingredients

• Cream: Heavy cream helps give it a rich, creamy flavor. You can sub the cream with milk for a thinner cocoa if preferred.
• Milk: I use low fat milk since the cream is on the heavier side. 
• Chocolate: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are my favorite. You can add more or less depending on how rich you want the chocolate flavor to be. For a more bitter version, try using a mix of dark cocoa powder and dark or bittersweet chocolate.
• Sugar: This adds the perfect balance of sweetness. Granulated sugar works best.
• Vanilla: For an extra boost of flavor.

How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolateve

Cook the milk, cream and chocolate together on low heat until it has melted. Then you’ll dissolve the sugar and heat just until warmed. I like to add the vanilla at the very end so that the flavor really comes through.

At this point, I love to taste the drinking chocolate and add a pinch of salt or cinnamon if I think it needs it. If it’s too rich for your taste, you can always add more milk too. We love it nice and chocolatey though! :)

Crockpot Version

If serving for a crowd, feel free to double (or even triple) the recipe to make crockpot hot chocolate. You can easily move to the slow cooker to keep warm. Just make sure to stir right before serving. The chocolate tends to rise to the top, so giving it a good stir will mix it all together.

To cook the hot chocolate in the crockpot from start to finish, simply add all ingredients to the bottom of the slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on low for about 2-3 hours, whisking every 45 minutes. All of the ingredients should be melted and hot. Then reduce heat to warm and serve.

Tips + Variations

• Vanilla. Wait to add in the vanilla extract until the very end. If you add it in the beginning, the vanilla flavor will cook off from the heat.
• Chocolate. If you want a more bitter hot chocolate, try using 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder and 1/2 cup dark or bittersweet chocolate. Or use white chocolate to make white hot chocolate, a pinch of cinnamon makes this snickerdoodle hot cocoa.
• More liquid. Add an extra 1/2 cup milk or water if the hot chocolate is too sweet for your taste.
• Peppermint. To add a peppermint twist, simply add about 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract when stirring in the vanilla. You can add a little more or a little less depending on preference. It gives the hot cocoa such a delicious mint chocolate taste!
• Frozen. If you’re craving the nostalgic flavors of hot cocoa in the summer time, try making this frozen hot chocolate.

Hot Chocolate Toppings

Around Christmas, we love to top our hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and crushed candy canes. You can even add in a candy cane stick to make it look festive and taste a tad minty. Adding an Andes mint to the bottom of the cup tastes amazing, too. ;)

• Hot fudge
• Whipped cream
• Cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• Mini marshmallows
• Crushed peppermint
• Chocolate shavings
• Sprinkles

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