All it takes is three pantry staples and five minutes to make this easy 3-Ingredient Hot Cocoa Mix. Just add hot water for a rich, creamy cup - no fresh milk needed. Keep a batch on hand for chilly days, or package it up for an easy homemade gift!
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Quick Recipe Summary ✨
3-Ingredient Hot Cocoa Mix: Powdered sugar, dry milk powder, and cocoa powder make a rich, creamy homemade mix that only needs hot water.
Just add water: Dry milk is already in the mix, so there's no need to heat fresh milk. Use natural, Dutch-process, or dark cocoa powder to customize the chocolate flavor.
Active Time: 5 minutes • Total Time: 5 minutes
Difficulty Level: ⭐ Easy. Just measure, whisk, and store!
Yield: 5 cups (540 grams) mix • About 10 servings • Make-ahead: Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
👉 Keep a batch in the pantry for quick cups of hot cocoa, or package it in jars for an easy homemade gift.
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Why this recipe works
- Dry milk does double duty: Adds creamy milk flavor while keeping the mix shelf stable
- Powdered sugar blends easily: Sweetens the cocoa while its cornstarch helps give the drink a little more body
- Easy to customize: Make each mug stronger, thicker, darker, or flavored however you like
- Simple pantry ingredients: No creamer, chopped chocolate, or other extras needed
As the weather cools, I look for warm comfort foods. Of course, soups are supreme for warming, like French Onion soup and Cock-a-Leekie soup.
For sitting by the fire, there's nothing like a mug of something warm. Eggnog is traditional in the winter months, and Hot Butterbeer is quite fun. But you can't beat the chocolatey goodness of a mug of rich steaming hot cocoa.
You can put your keys away. Instead of reaching for a box of store-bought mix, you can whip up your own hot cocoa mix using just three pantry staples in about five minutes! And the hot cocoa it makes just needs hot water (not fresh milk) to make a smooth and creamy cup.
The mix will keep for months in your pantry, and it makes a great gift, too. You can also use it in recipes as well, like with my Hot Chocolate Lava Cookies.
Easy to make, preservative free, thick and creamy hot cocoa is yours for the making!
Recipe ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this hot cocoa mix recipe:
Ingredient Notes
Cocoa powder: Either natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder will work since there's no leavening involved. Natural cocoa has a brighter, sharper chocolate flavor, while Dutch-process cocoa is smoother and darker. For an even more intense chocolate flavor, use dark cocoa powder.
Dry Milk Powder: The dry milk powder builds in richness so you only need hot water to mix up a cup of delicious hot cocoa. You can use whole milk powder, or choose a nonfat version if you prefer. You can even use your favorite non-dairy dry milk powder.
Powdered Sugar: Since it contains cornstarch, powdered sugar not only sweetens the mix, but also makes the resulting hot cocoa thick and rich.
When you make the hot cocoa, you can adjust its thickness by altering the amount of hot water you mix it with.
While this really is a 3-ingredient hot cocoa mix, there's one optional extra that's worth mentioning:
Vanilla bean powder: A little vanilla bean powder adds a warm vanilla note that rounds out the chocolate flavor. Unlike vanilla extract, it can be mixed right into the dry cocoa mix without adding moisture. See below for how much to use.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make hot cocoa mix
Step 1: Mix the ingredients
Combine the powdered sugar, dry milk powder, and cocoa powder in a large bowl (photo 1). Thoroughly whisk all the ingredients together. Using a glass bowl to whisk the ingredients helps - you can see if all the powders are thoroughly mixed.
For a hint of vanilla
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder to the full batch of cocoa mix for a warm vanilla note that complements the chocolate. Since vanilla bean powder is made from finely ground whole vanilla beans, you may see tiny vanilla flecks in the finished cocoa.
Step 2: Store the mix
Transfer the mixture to a storage container with a tight fitting lid (photo 2).
I use both pint- and quart-sized wide-mouth canning jars, and a wide-mouth funnel to easily pour the mixture into the jars.
Storage instructions
Store the hot cocoa mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. For best quality, use it by the earliest best-by date of the ingredients used, particularly the dry milk powder.
Yield Notes
This recipe makes 5 cups (540 grams) of hot cocoa mix and about 10 servings of hot cocoa. It can easily be doubled.
How to make hot cocoa
I use a generous ½ cup of mix with 1 cup of hot water for a thick, rich hot cocoa. For a lighter cup, use a little less mix and adjust to taste.
- Pour ½ cup (67 grams) of the mix to a heat-proof mug.
- Add in 1 cup (230 grams) of hot water and whisk until smooth.
- Top with whipped cream and mini marshmallows, if desired.
You can use hot milk instead of water for an even richer cup, though it's not necessary since the mix already contains dry milk.
Flavor variations
You can flavor your hot cocoa with extracts, spices and/or spirits for variety. Use a light hand to flavor your hot cocoa to taste:
- Use a couple of drops of vanilla extract, peppermint extract, or Fiori di Sicilia (a vanilla-orange extract)
- Stir in a pinch of ground cinnamon or cayenne pepper
- Add a dash of your favorite spirit (like bourbon or rum), or a flavored liqueur (like Kahlua or Amaretto) for a boozy kick
Have fun with it!
Troubleshooting tips
Here are some issues you might encounter when making homemade hot cocoa mix:
- Mix is lumpy: Sift any clumpy cocoa or powdered sugar before whisking the ingredients together.
- Hot cocoa isn't mixing smoothly: Whisk the cocoa mix with a small amount of hot water to make a smooth paste, then gradually whisk in the remaining water.
- Hot cocoa is too thick: Add a little more hot water until it reaches the consistency you like.
- Hot cocoa is too thin: Use slightly less water or add a little more cocoa mix.
DIY cocoa mix gifts
Because this cocoa mix is shelf stable, it's easy to make a homemade hot cocoa mix gift jar:
- Layer the ingredients in a quart-sized wide-mouth canning jar. I recommend starting with the powdered milk, then add in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Layering this way highlights the cocoa powder in the middle, giving the jar a pretty look.
- Top the mix with mini marshmallows. You can even use homemade marshmallows if you'd like!
- Tie a ribbon around the top with a tag printed with the instructions for making the hot cocoa.
Easy peasy!
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
While the terms might be used interchangeably, there is a difference based on the ingredients used to make the mix. To be specific, hot cocoa mix is made with cocoa powder, while hot chocolate contains actual chocolate.
I prefer powdered sugar because it blends easily into the mix and dissolves readily in the hot water. It also contains a small amount of cornstarch, which helps give the hot cocoa a little more body. Granulated sugar can be used, but the resulting cocoa may be thinner.
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I hope you like this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions, and don't forget to leave a comment and rating. Thanks!
Slainté! L'chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
More recipes featuring chocolate to try
Recipe
Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix (Just 3 Ingredients!)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cocoa mix
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 cups dry milk powder, see Recipe Notes
- 1 cup cocoa powder, or dark chocolate cocoa powder, see Recipe Notes
For hot cocoa
- hot water
- whipped cream, optional
- mini marshmallows, optional
- flavorings, optional, like extracts, spices, or spirits
Instructions
- In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 cups dry milk powder, and 1 cup cocoa powder together. For best results, sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder to remove any lumps.
- Transfer the mixture to a storage container with a tight fitting lid. I use wide-mouth canning jars, and a wide-mouth funnel to easily pour the mixture into the jars.
- To make hot cocoa: Pour ½ cup (67 grams) of the mix into a heat-proof mug. Add in 1 cup (230 grams) of hot water and whisk until smooth. Top with whipped cream and mini marshmallows, if desired.
- You can flavor your hot cocoa with extracts, spices, and/or spirits for variety. Use a light hand to flavor your hot cocoa to taste. See the post for some flavoring ideas.
- Storage instructions: Store the hot cocoa mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. For best quality, use it by the earliest best-by date of the ingredients used, particularly the dry milk powder.
- Yield Notes: Makes 5 cups (540 grams) of hot cocoa mix and about 10 servings of hot cocoa.
Notes
- Layer the ingredients in a quart-sized wide-mouth canning jar. I recommend starting with the powdered milk, then add in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar.
- Top the mix with mini marshmallows. You can even use homemade marshmallows if you'd like!
- Tie a ribbon around the top with a tag printed with instructions for making the hot cocoa.
Dawn says
if I wanted to add French vanilla coffee creamer how much should I add
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Dawn, I haven’t tested the recipe using a powdered creamer to replace some of the powdered milk, so I can’t say definitively. It would depend on how strongly you’d want that flavor to be. If I were to guess, I’d say to start by replacing 10 to 20% of the milk with your creamer and see if you like it. If you do try it, please share you results with us! 😉
Leanne says
I made this recipe for a gift for my grandchildren. The only thing I did differently was to add a teaspoon of vanilla powder - yummmm!!
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Leanne, that sounds delish! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Tammy Spencer says
I enjoyed creating this recipe for you, and I hope you like it as much as I do. Please leave your questions or comments with a star rating so that other readers can benefit from your experience. Thanks!