DRINK: Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
This homemade hot cocoa mix is so easy to make, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with all those little packets. It’s so simple to make your own! The best thing about making your own hot cocoa mix is that you can adjust everything to your tastes.
This dark chocolate cocoa mix is deeply chocolaty and rich, while being just sweet enough to balance the bitterness from the cocoa. A pinch of sea salt and spice rounds out the flavor without overpowering the chocolate flavor, although you can experiment with bold flavors if you like. I use a bit of cinnamon and a hint of red chili powder, but you can kick that up and make your cocoa much more spicy if you are feeling adventurous. Or try a dash of turmeric, or garam masala, for a chocolate chai variation, or keep it plain and simple… it’s your choice.
You just whisk together a few basic dry ingredients, and then put it in a cute jar (or any airtight container), and presto, hot cocoa whenever you want it. It’s a great addition to a homemade gift basket of winter treats for a housewarming or holiday gift, especially if you dress it up in a nice jar with a swing-top wire bail and a ribbon.
This hot cocoa mix is so good, it might even get you through a nuclear winter! At least, Vault Boy thinks so and gives it an atomic thumbs up (that’s a video game joke, if you weren’t sure or were concerned about where I was going with this, congratulations on not also being a giant nerd, or living with one, lol).
No guarantees, but I will absolutely guarantee that it’s great for a regular old winter (which is hopefully the only kind we’ll ever have, ammirite).
But speaking of bombs (ugh, sorry, I can’t resist a pun ever), if you want a more ambitious DIY project, you can use your homemade hot cocoa mix to make your own hot cocoa bombs! You’ll need to coat cupcake liners, silicone mini muffin tins, or round chocolate molds with tempered melted chocolate to make the candy shells, fill them with hot cocoa mix powder (and mini marshmallows or other garnishes) and then seal the two halves together with more melted chocolate. Fun, but tricky! That’s another post entirely, or you can find a ton of other tutorials if you want to try them.
Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix Ingredients
Sugar:
Use powdered (confectioner’s, or icing) sugar in your cocoa mix. Granulated sugar doesn’t dissolve as well in the hot water, and the cornstarch in the powdered sugar helps thicken the cocoa and give it a silky texture and body.
We add a little additional cornstarch to this recipe to make it even richer and thicker. There’s a point of diminishing returns with more cornstarch though, especially if you use this as an instant cocoa mix rather than simmering it on the stove. The cornstarch really should boil to gel the starches, so if you add too much to an instant mix it gives it a chalky texture. No bueno. But a little bit goes a long way and helps keep your cocoa mix from clumping.
Gluten-Free Cocoa Mix Variation
You could also try arrowroot powder or tapioca starch if you’re trying to avoid cornstarch. You’d also need to substitute one of the commercially available gluten-free powdered sugars that does not contain cornstarch (like Geffin brand) to make this cocoa mix gluten-free.
Cocoa Powder:
For the richest chocolate flavor, use a good quality cocoa for your homemade hot cocoa mix.
Powdered milk:
You’ll get the best results with super-fine instant nonfat dry milk powder (I like this one from Bob’s Red Mill). You can substitute instant whole milk powder, although the cocoa mix will have a shorter shelf life, and I find that it doesn’t blend as well as the nonfat milk powder.
Depending on which source you use, nonfat milk powder can have a shelf life of at least 12-18 months (as long as you store it in an airtight container) after it’s opened, or up to several years if it’s stored at cooler temperatures (50-70 F). Compare that with the whole milk powder in my pantry, that recommends using it within one month of opening for the best flavor. If you use a lot of cocoa mix, or are going to store it in a cold, dry place (or your freezer), you can use whole milk powder.
I use nonfat milk powder, and sometimes make the cocoa with hot milk instead of boiling water, or add a splash of half and half (or Irish Cream liqueur for a grown-up’s only beverage) to the mug if I want a more decadent drink. The mix is great on its own, but any of these variations will make it over-the-top!
Seasonings:
A pinch of salt, especially sea salt or Himalayan pink salt, is essential to balance out the sweetness and keep your cocoa from tasting flat or cloying. Salt amplifies flavors. There’s not enough in here to make it taste “salty”, but it’s an important ingredient, so don’t leave it out!
The cinnamon and cayenne are both optional, but I think they add a little extra something without being too spicy. At the amounts suggested, they’re barely perceptible. You can safely double each (and triple the cayenne for a hotter hot chocolate) without ruining your cocoa mix. It depends whether you have adventurous tastebuds!
Or try other spice mixes and make your own signature blend! Just remember that less is more, and that you can always add more! I’ve made chai hot chocolate mixes before, adding garam masala spices and even some turmeric for a healthy antioxidant boost. Yum!
Equipment & Method for Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
Wire Sieve or Sifter:
You’ll get the best results if you sift the ingredients together. This removes lumps that could make unmixed clumps in your cup of cocoa (and who wants that?). The powdered sugar and the cocoa powder, especially, have a tendency to clump up if you don’t sift them together. It also helps everything to get evenly distributed throughout the mix so each mug gets an even amount of goodness.
Glass Jar:
You’ll want a tightly sealing container to store your cocoa mix. Moisture from the air will cause your mix to clump, and possibly to spoil, so make sure you use an airtight container. If you are giving your cocoa mix as a gift, you’ll want to choose a pretty jar, but if you’re making it for yourself, any container with a tightly fitting lid will do to store it. Either glass jars or plastic canisters or screw-top containers will work well.
DRINK: Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
Ingredients
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 ½ cups cocoa powder sifted
- 2 ½ cups nonfat powdered milk
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½-1 tsp cinnamon, vanilla powder, turmeric, or cayenne optional flavorings
Instructions
Hot Cocoa Mix:
- Sift the powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl. Sift each of the other ingredients over the top to remove lumps and help them mix together.
- Whisk or sift the ingredients together until they are uniformly blended.
- Transfer into an airtight container (I like a glass jar with a wire bail top and gasket for easy access).
To Prepare Cocoa:
- Add 2-4 tablespoons of cocoa mix to a mug and top up with boiling water. I like about 3 tablespoons of mix for a typical 8-10 oz mug, but you can adjust this for your taste preferences.
- For extra-rich hot cocoa, make this with hot milk, or add a small splash of half and half to each mug.
- Garnish with marshmallows or a cinnamon stick if you like.
These all look scrumptious. I have a few friends that will enjoy theses as gifts . Of course while I’m making something for them—I will also make some for myself ‼️
Thanks for sharing your recipe’s💚