Homemade Hot Chocolate

Making this homemade hot chocolate is just as easy as making hot chocolate from a mix. This drink is perfect for those upcoming winter months when you’re looking for a drink to curl up with for that Netflix series you’ve been binging or book you’ve been reading.

If you want to make this hot chocolate but don’t want to fiddle with taking the measurements of the ingredients, you can premake the mix. You can keep it in a Mason jar or another type of airtight container to store it.

Since this recipe is milk based, it’s easy to sneak in much-needed calcium and other good-for-you vitamins into what will taste like a treat. If you or loved ones don’t drink regular milk, you can make this recipe with a nut milk or a low-lactose milk.

Make this hot chocolate even better by adding freshly-made vanilla marshmallows or whipped cream with bits of peppermint added on top.

Making Homemade Hot Chocolate

Making this homemade hot chocolate is as easy as adding three ingredients together and heating.

Heat the mixture until the hot chocolate simmers. When the hot chocolate reaches temperature, take it off heat and serve in mugs.

Ingredients

Ingredients for this hot chocolate are straightforward and simple.

• Cocoa powder: For that deep chocolatey flavor you’ll need a cocoa powder. Use an unsweetened cocoa powder so that you can add your own sweetness to the hot chocolate. I used Hersey’s 100% cocoa powder unsweetened and it definitely brought back memories of my childhood.
• Sugar: Use white granulated sugar and start with about a fourth of a cup. Add more if you like your hot chocolate sweeter.
• Milk: This recipe will work with any kind of milk. It will taste best with whole milk, but you can also use a lactose-free milk such as almond, cashew or soy milk if you’d like.
• Vanilla: An optional ingredient is adding 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract to round out the flavor of the chocolate. Totally optional, but a little bit will take your hot chocolate to the next level.

Reheating Hot Chocolate

Do you have leftover hot chocolate? You have two options- you can either toss it or you can save it and reheat it later.

Save your hot chocolate by storing it in an airtight container for as long as the milk is good for. Just double check the milk carton to see what the date on the milk is.

When you’re ready to reheat your milk chocolate, you can just add it back to a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Serve the homemade hot chocolate when it is hot.

Variations

There are a couple different ways to spice up this standard hot chocolate recipe.

• Mexican hot Chocolate: Spice up this standard hot chocolate recipe by adding 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 ts. nutmeg and a pinch of cayenne.
• Peppermint hot chocolate: Add in peppermint extract when you add in the milk. You can also garnish your mug with peppermint flakes or a peppermint stick.
• Marshmallows: Add homemade marshmallows to top off this homemade hot chocolate recipe.
• Want a richer hot chocolate? Replace some of your milk with half and half.
• Mochas: Make this a mocha by adding in a shot or two of espresso. If you don’t have an espresso maker you can add drip coffee instead.

How do you like your hot chocolate? Do you like yours with whipped cream, marshmallows or plain?