Copycat Instant Hot Cocoa Mix
‘Tis the season for homemade gifts and for hot chocolate! Our Copycat Instant Hot Cocoa Mix makes a great holiday treat and a delicious alternative to store-bought mix, and it can be easily adjusted to taste!
Happy December! It’s gifting season and it’s hot cocoa season! If you’re looking for ways to cut out store-bought items, want to control the amount of sugar in your hot cocoa, or are looking for a fun, affordable homemade gift, then our Copycat Instant Hot Cocoa Mix can help check off a few of those boxes! It’s ready in minutes, made with just a couple of ingredients, and can easily be adjusted to your own taste and needs. It’s one that we keep on hand and that my girls love to help make to have on hand whenever the hot chocolate need hits – and I love that I know exactly what’s in it!
Ingredients Needed
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Use your preferred unsweetened dutched cocoa powder. For this Copycat Hot Cocoa Mix, this is where we splurge for a higher-quality cocoa powder, like Ghirardelli’s or this really high-quality cocoa powder!
- Dry Milk – This is a shelf-stable way to create reconstituted milk to add the creaminess and richness you want from a hot chocolate when you don’t have milk!
- Sugar – This is the best part of this homemade mix, in my opinion! Here, you get to control exactly how much sugar is being added to the mix. The way our recipe is written, it is less sweet, but that’s to be able to allow for the added sweetness that will come from the inevitable mini marshmallows that my kids will want to add!
- Salt – Just a touch to really tie it all together.
Granulated vs Confectioner’s Sugar
A lot of homemade cocoa mix recipes use Confectioner’s Sugar and Cornstarch, but we find the taste of granulated sugar is much better, plus there’s no need for the added cornstarch. It just means you have to be sure to add very hot water and stir really well to dissolve all of the sugar.
Ready in No Time
Recipes really don’t get much easier than this! To make, just add it all to a bowl and mix. DONE!
Your very own Copycat Instant Hot Cocoa Mix is now ready to store on your pantry shelf or to package and share with friends or family this holiday season!
Wrap it up in mason jars or in adorable little bags to make a quick and easy gift that’s affordable but that can also be personalized to the recipient!
Ways to Personalize
- Add a pinch of cayenne for the person who loves a little kick!
- Add some marshmallows and a cute mug for the full cocoa experience.
- Swap out the sugar for stevia for the diabetic hot cocoa lover in your life.
- Use dark cocoa powder for the dark chocolate lover in your life!
- Add a couple of teaspoons of other spices like cinnamon, chai spice, or even pumpkin pie spice for a little variation to the classic for your adventurous hot cocoa drinker!
So whether it’s for a friend, a loved one, a coworker, or for yourself, stock your pantry for the winter so you can have homemade, Copycat Instant Hot Cocoa Mix from scratch, with exactly the ingredients and sugar, and sweetness level you want!
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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Copycat Instant Hot Cocoa Mix
Ingredients
- 3 cups dry milk 14 oz
- 3/4 cup unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder 2.75 oz
- 1/2 cup sugar 3.75 oz
- 1/2 teaspoon fine ground salt .10 oz
Instructions
- Mix: Add everything to a large bowl and mix well.
- Store: Store in an airtight container, jars, tupperware, or ziplock bag.
To Make Hot Cocoa
- Add 1/4 cup of cocoa mix to an 8-12 oz mug and add very hot or boiling water or milk. Mix really well to ensure all of the sugar has dissolved and serve with mini marshmallows.
Delicious! I’ve never seen a cocoa mix call for dry milk but it really made things more delicious. I’ll be using this recipe from now on.
I love to hear it, Jen! Thanks so much for sharing!
This copycat hot cocoa mix recipe seems perfect for homemade gifts and cozy nights. I appreciate how simple and customizable it is compared to store-bought mixes.
This is such a lovely homemade gifting choice – sure, who doesn’t love a festive hot chocolate in the cold wintery months?