Hot Cocoa Mix
Learn how to make homemade hot cocoa mix with this easy recipe so that you are ready for a cup of hot cocoa any time! This mix makes an excellent Christmas gift, especially if you include the tiny dehydrated marshmallows as garnish for the top!
Servings: 22
Calories: 96kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 250 grams nonfat dry milk powder
- 250 grams icing sugar more or less depending on how sweet you like your hot cocoa
- 90 grams Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder or any Dutch-processed cocoa powder you like
- 9 grams vanilla sugar
- 5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
Serving
Instructions
- Place a strainer over a large bowl.
- Add the milk powder, icing sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla sugar to the strainer and use a whisk to strain it through and remove any lumps.
- Whisk the salt into the strained ingredients in the bowl.
- Transfer to a jar to store the mix until you are ready to use.
Serving
- To make a cup of hot cocoa, place 2 tablespoons of the mixture in a mug and top with boiling water.
- You can garnish with dehydrated marshmallows before serving.
Notes
- This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
- Sift the components of the mix together. This helps you better mix and evenly disperse the dry ingredients, and you will have a smoother cup of hot cocoa when you add boiling water. It's worth the extra time, though not essential.
- Hot cocoa is made with boiling water! Give a freshly made cup of cocoa a few minutes to cool down slightly before drinking. Otherwise, you may burn your lips or your tongue!
- Lactose-free version—if you can't have lactose, there is lactose-free milk powder made from dehydrated lactose-free milk, or you can try soy milk powder, or even coconut milk powder. I haven't tried these alternatives. Note that some of these non-dairy milks may have more fat. These products can be more expensive too.
- Hot cocoa without milk powder—If you'd rather not use powdered milk and instead make the hot cocoa with hot milk, you can! Skip the milk powder in the recipe, and when portioning it out the mix into mugs, add half the amount of hot cocoa mix. Add hot milk to make the beverage.
- Spices:
- Warm flavours—Add ground cinnamon, which will add a very comforting flavour
- Spicy flavour—add ground cayenne pepper to the dry mix, but remember, a little goes a long way! You will have to experiment to find the right balance of flavours
- Floral flavour—add ground green cardamom to the mix
- Swapping the sugar—instead of icing sugar, you can use granulated or superfine sugar. Note that these are to dissolve. I recommend this change with reservations.
- Vanilla sugar—you can use ground vanilla bean instead of vanilla sugar, but this will be much more expensive.
Nutrition
Calories: 96kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 266mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 1mg
