How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolate

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22 Recipe Ratings | Success Stories

Reviewed by Ashley Crawford

Last Updated: October 21, 2024 Approved

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Hot chocolate is the perfect beverage for a snowy winter’s day, or a wonderful treat that can fill your mouth with chocolaty goodness during any time of the year. There are a variety of ways to make hot chocolate, whether you want it to be simple, spicy, or a bit sweeter. If you want to know how to make hot chocolate in no time at all, just follow these steps.

Ingredients

Simple Hot Cocoa

1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup skim evaporated milk
3/4 tsp. vanilla flavoring
A handful of miniature marshmallows

Mocha Hot Chocolate

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant espresso powder
1 tbsp. vanilla
6 cups milk
2 cups half and half

Spicy Hot Chocolate

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground chili pepper
1 seeded and sliced red bell pepper

Mexican Hot Chocolate

6 (12 oz.) cans of evaporated milk
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 (12 oz.) bags semisweet chocolate chips
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch cocoa powder

Two Minute Hot Chocolate

milk
chocolate chips

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Simple Hot Cocoa

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Combine 1 tbsp. of cocoa powder and 1 tbsp. of granulated sugar in a bowl. Stir the ingredients a bit to combine them.
Make sure it's microwave-safe.

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Stir the mixture until it’s smooth.
Microwave it on high for 1 minute. Then, pour the warm milk into the mug with the water and cocoa mixture.
of vanilla flavoring. Stir well to combine the ingredients. Then, place a few mini marshmallows in the cup.
Enjoy the taste of this cup of delicious hot chocolate with mini marshmallows -- if you'd like to treat a friend, just double the ingredients when you start making your hot chocolate, or repeat the process.

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Mocha Hot Chocolate

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Combine 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 cup of sugar, ¼ cup of instant espresso powder, 1 tbsp. vanilla, 1 pinch of salt, and 1 cup of cold water in a heavy saucepan and heat the mixture over low heat.
Continue to whisk them until the cocoa powder is dissolved and the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Add 6 cups of scalded milk and 2 cups of scalded half and half to the mixture over low heat, whisking the ingredients together until they’re hot but not boiling. Add 1 cup of milk and ¼ cup of half and half at a time and continue to add the rest of the milk and half and half in small portions until all of the ingredients are thoroughly blended.
Enjoy this tasty mocha hot chocolate as a breakfast treat or during any time of day.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Spicy Hot Chocolate

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Heat it until the milk is hot, but not boiling. ^{[1]
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of chopped unsweetened chocolate and ½ cup of sugar to the milk. Stir the ingredients together until they’re blended.
of cinnamon, ¼ tsp. of chili powder, and 1 seeded and sliced red bell pepper to the mixture. Bring the ingredients to a simmer.
Their flavor will remain in the hot chocolate.
Enjoy this spicy hot chocolate at any time.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Mexican Hot Chocolate

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Whisk together 6 (12 oz.) cans of evaporated milk, 4 tsp. of ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp. of vanilla extract, and 1 tsp. of ground nutmeg together in a large pot over medium heat.^{[2]
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Add 2 (12 oz.) bags of semisweet chocolate chips to the mixture. Stir the hot chocolate until the chocolate is melted.
This will blend the ingredients even more. Then remove the hot cocoa from the stove.
Sprinkle this hot chocolate with a pinch of cocoa powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper and enjoy it any time.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Two Minute Hot Chocolate

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Put the stove on medium low.
Add anything, from marshmallows to candy.

Community Q&A

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Question

Should the milk have a skin on it?

Community Answer

The milk forms a skin because of the hot to cold temp - meaning as it cools, the skin gets thicker. You can stop this skin from forming if you use 100-percent skim milk.

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Question

I'm not allowed to use the stove. Can I do the chocolate chip method in the microwave?

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Community Answer

Yes, you can, especially if using chopped chocolate. I would suggest adding the chopped chocolate to a mug with just enough milk to cover it. Heat that for about 30 seconds, stir it, and continue heating it in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Add the remaining milk while stirring with a spoon and reheat to finish melting if necessary.

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Question

How many chocolate chips do I add for the chocolate chip method?

Community Answer

It depends on how flavorful your chocolate chips are, and how much milk you are using. Start with 1/4 cup of chips for each cup of milk (so 4 cups of milk would need 1 whole cup of chocolate chips) and add more or less to make it just the way you like it.

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Thank you for your feedback.
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