I don’t know about you, but to me a good cup of hot chocolate is sometimes the brightest point of a dreary winter day!
When I say good, I mean rich, creamy and flavorful. I’ve made my hot chocolate for friends and family before and to some it’s just too rich. I understand. And I’m not offended. I have trained my taste buds to enjoy such richness because of how I cook and eat. (Just ask my husband about my butter habits!)
It’s Worth the Wait
Don’t get me wrong, I will enjoy hot chocolate out of a packet. It’s just not my first choice. I have a box of Swiss Miss up in my cupboard for quick entertaining and convenience. But honestly, when I offer my guests homemade hot chocolate they are more than willing to wait. And I really should replace that box because it’s over a year expired!
Homemade Hot Chocolate
This recipe is very easy to make. And also easy to burn…ahem… How do I know?
Well, there was this one time that I hosted a sledding party. I wanted to serve hot chocolate out at the hill so I made a huge kettle of it.
My first mistake was choosing a thin-bottomed kettle. My second mistake was not stirring it constantly. The combination of these two missteps made the most disgusting hot chocolate I’d ever tasted! Burnt milk nastiness! 
But being the stubborn and frugal person that I am, I insisted that all that hot chocolate must not go to waste. In spite of its nastiness, I loaded it up onto my sled and pulled it the 1/4 mile through a foot of snow back to our sledding hill.
When I got there it was still hot. But it was still disgusting. My friends tasted it but that’s it. I couldn’t even force myself to drink it. So I took the punch to my pride and frugality and dumped the huge kettle of hot chocolate on the ground.
Lesson learned: choose a heavy bottom pan or kettle and always stir!
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons sugar or maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons cocoa
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- Whipped cream (optional)
- Cinnamon (optional)
- 12 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/4 cup sugar or maple syrup
- 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cocoa
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- Whipped cream (optional)
- Cinnamon (optional)
- Pour milk into a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in sweetener, cocoa and salt. Heat to desired temperature whisking constantly.
- Try not to boil as this will change the flavor a bit.
- When the mixture is hot to your liking, remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.
- Pour into your mug.
- Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Enjoy!
Cheaper Hot Chocolate for a Crowd
I like making the previous recipe because I have unlimited access to milk from our dairy farm. However, if you are buying your milk from the store that recipe can get a bit spendy.
Now if you want a healthier option to the instant packet but the same convenience, here is a recipe from Pioneer Woman for homemade instant hot chocolate. It has powdered milk as its base making it more affordable. Plus it’s easier to serve in the moment because your prep work is done ahead of time.
The recipe says it can be stored for up to 6 months. In my experience, don’t try to keep it longer. The powdered milk will be the first thing to go bad leaving a horrible taste in your guests mouths!
Yes, I choose to keep the less-healthy store bought packets on hand because I don’t use enough instant hot chocolate to get the homemade stuff used before it goes bad.
So instead of giving in to winter dulldrums, whip up yourself a delicious cup of hot chocolate and snuggle up with your favorite book!
