Simple Hot Cocoa Recipe (+ Hot Chocolate Bar Ideas)
How to make hot chocolate at home with a simple, ultimate 'base' hot cocoa recipe - perfect for customizing to your needs (sugar-free, vegan, keto, decadent, etc.). Plus, 50+ hot chocolate bar ideas (including eco-friendly/low-waste options) and/or optional add-ins/flavor variations!
Servings 1 Mug
Calories 162kcal
Ingredients
- 7 oz milk (dairy or dairy-free)
- 1.5 tablespoon cacao powder
- ½ tablespoon brown sugar (or sweetener of choice) or more, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon Salt optional (brings out the chocolate flavor in the powder)
Instructions
- Heat up the milk in a saucepan over medium heat and then add the cacao powder and sweetener of your choice*.
- Whisk the mixture well until there are no lumps left in the hot cocoa. You can also add a pinch of salt directly to this base mix.
- For a hot chocolate bar/party: If you're preparing large amounts, you can also do so in crockpots/ slow cookers (I suggest making at least two, one with dairy and one without) and then leave on the warming function for the event.
- Any leftover hot chocolate can be cooled to room temperature and then chilled for up to 3 days.
Notes
* You can omit the sweetener for now if you know that guests will want to use different ones.
- You can make the hot chocolate the day ahead and reheat it for the event.
- For a truly individual experience, you can simply prepare the heated milk (dairy and dairy-free) and allow your guests to do every other part themselves (including adding the cocoa powder and sweetener of their choice).
- It's best to label each of the ingredients at your hot chocolate bar with titles and dietary info (Ve, GF, Nut-free, etc.). For ease of access, you can also group the items together - vegan toppings in one area, ketogenic, etc.
- To keep the milk/hot chocolate warm: You can use slow cookers/crockpots, good thermos flasks, or large insulated coffee dispensers.
- If you use a thermos to serve the hot chocolate, fill it will boiling water beforehand for a few minutes - this will help to keep the hot cocoa recipe warmer for longer as it ‘preheats’ the thermos.
- I have used the terms hot chocolate and hot cocoa interchangeably in this post. I know some people refer to hot chocolate as the drink with a melted chocolate base - however, in the UK and several other countries ‘hot chocolate’ is used to describe both versions (with chocolate or cocoa powder).
Nutrition
Serving: 1Mug | Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 379mg | Potassium: 385mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 321IU | Calcium: 235mg | Iron: 1mg