Ready for a creamy, satisfying of hot chocolate but you don’t have any mixes on hand? No worries! Our homemade hot cocoa recipe is quick to make! After you see how simple it is to make easy homemade hot chocolate you won’t go back to a pre-packaged mix with all the fillers and preservatives. Just realy ingredients in this hot chocolate from scratch!
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Homemade Hot Cocoa
You wil love how quick and easy it is to make your own homemade hot chocolate from scratch! This simple hot chocolate recipe uses common ingredients you probably already have on hand in your kitchen! My kids love our best homemade hot chocolate because it is creamier, tastes better, and I never have to say I am out of hot chocolate mixes! We whip up this easy homemade hot cocoa every time it snows, we are hanging out around the campfire, or we need to warm up while watching a movie or playing games. I am sure your family will love this recipe too!
Easy Homemade Hot Chocolate
Start out by grabbing your ingredients:
- white sugar – I love starting with extra fine (I started cooking with this after making macrons!)
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- water
- salt
- milk – I use organic whole milk, but you can use whatever you have on hand
- vanilla extract
- half and half – makes it extra creamy!
- mini marshmallows (optional)
- optional: chocolate shavings, peppermint extract, whip cream, sprinkles, raspberries
Homemade Hot Chocolate
Start by adding your water, white sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt to a medium saucepan. Whisk the mixture until well combined as it heats for 2 minutes over medium high heat.
Best Homemade Hot Chocolate
Now add 3 1/2 cups whole milk until very hot, but not boiling.
Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe
Remove the pan from the heat and add vanilla extract along with half and half cream.
Simple Hot Chocolate Recipe
Pour your mixture into 4 mugs and enjoy your hot cocoa with marshmallows! Yum!
Homemade Hot Cocoa Recipe
Hint, for younger kids add extra cool milk or cream at the end to cool it down quickly.
Hot Chocolate from Scratch
You can make it flavored cocoa by:
- Peppermint Cocoa – add in peppermint extract instead of vanilla extract
- Raspberry Cocoa – when you add in the milk, add in 1/4 cup pureed raspberries or raspberry extract
- Orange Cocoa – add in orange extract instead of vanilla extract
- Rum Cocoa – add in rum extract instead of vanilla extract
Hot cocoa from scratch
Warm up with this creamy, homemade hot chocolate! This easy hot cocoa recipe is the best for a quick winter drink with quality ingredients!
Breakfast Recipes
- Amazing Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls
- The BEST Monkey Bread Recipe
- Homemade Oatmeal: Crockpot Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, Slow Cooker Blueberry Oatmeal. Bannana Oatmeal, Chocolate Berry Overnight Oats, or Butterscotch Oats – a really good oatmeal !
- Flavorful Peach Bread with pecans
- Easy Banana Walnut Bread
- Cheesey Hashbrown Casserole
- Cinnamon Zucchini Coffee Cake
- Delicious Cinnamon Coffee Cake with cinnamon streussal filling and crumb topping
- Family Favorite Blueberry Muffins with a streusal topping
- Blueberry Breakfast Casserole
- Fall favorite, Breakfast Apple Cake
- Breakfast Pizza is such a yummy, Easy Breakfast Ideas
- Overnight French Toast Casserole
- Dad’s Healthy Egg McMuffin
- Heavenly Orange Rolls
- Super Easy Egg Casserole you can make ahead
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
- No Fail Pancake Recipe or our Yummy Banana Pancakes
- Sourdough Crepes with Bananas Foster
- Homemade, Bread Machine English Muffins – way better than the store bought and easier than you’d think
- Pumpkin Waffles are so flavorful and taste like fall
- Easy Breakfast Casserole with Croutons
- Yummy Gingerbread Waffles
 
Soup Recipes
- BEST Sweet Chili Recipe
- Hambone Soup Recipe
- Easy Pumpkin Chili
- Instapot Corn Chowder Soup
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Best ever Tomato Soup with bacon
- Leftover Thanksgiving Soup
- Green Chicken Taco Soup
- Early Autumn Fall Soup Recipes with sausage and apple
- Easy Black Bean Soup Recipe
Recipes for Salads and Sandwiches
- Outrageously good Strawberry Pretzel Salad
- Creamy Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich
- Shredded Chicken Sandwich Recipe that is perfect for company
- Grilled Brie and Pear Sandwich
- Kid Favorite Quesadilla Pizza School Lunch
- Best Oriental Coleslaw with Soy Sauce
- Beet Pear and Goat Cheese Salad
- Easy Chicken Salad Recipe
- Ground Beef Taco Salad
- Easy Spinach and Berry Salad
- Best Potato Salad loaded up with bacon, eggs, cheese, and more!
- Snicker Apple Salad Recipe – my kids favorite Thanksgiving dish!
- Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad with Cashews, Bacon, and tangy dressing!
Main Dishes
- Maple Orange Glazed Ham
- Mom’s Easy Lasagna Recipe
- Quick and Easy Orange Couscous Chicken
- General Tso Chicken Recipe
- Yummy Orange Chicken Pasta is perfect for a quick weekday supper
- Easy Cashew Chicken Recipe
- Delicious Homemade Tortilla Recipe
- Rich Mac and Cheese Pies
- Sausage Make Ahead Foil Packet Dinners
- Easy Barbecue Chicken Recipe
- Juicy Lemon Chicken Pasta Instant pot
- Quick and Easy Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Jazzed up Creamed Chicken over Biscuits
- Best Ever Mac and Cheese
- Copycat Dave’s Gourmet Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
- Easy Cheese Souffle
- Super Tender BBQ Roast
- Homemade Copycat Godfathers Taco Pizza Recipe
- Easy Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
- Leftover Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
- How to make homemade pasta
- Super Flavorful Grilled Pork Loin
- Healthy Pineapple Fried Rice
- Easy Pasta Recipe with Ham, Walnuts, and Parmesan Cheese
Breads and Side Dishes
- Angel Rolls – The BEST Homemade Crescent Rolls
- Super Moist Southern Cornbread recipe with creamed corn
- Easy Bread Machine Hamurger Buns
- Super Yummy Quick Yeast Rolls
- Southern Corn Spoon Bread
- Rosemary Crock pot Bread
- Sweet Potato Sourdough Buns
- Delicious Yeastless Bread – quick bread recipe no yeast
- Holiday Green Bean Casserole
- Smoked Green Beans – cook in the oven or smoker
- Best Sweet Potato Casserole
- Family Favorite Cornbread Stuffing
- Seriously the Best, Make Ahead Twice Baked Potatoes
Desserts
- Homemade Butterscotch Pudidng Recipe
- This Easy Oreo Cheeseball can be served as an appetizer or dessert!
- Easy Pecan Pie Bars
- Refreshing Lemonade Cake
- Easy Fall Dessert – a mix and dump pumpkin cake that EVERYONE will love!
- Super Easy Date Bars with nuts
- Scrumptious Homemade Cherry Pie
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- Perfect for summer, Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Crumb Bars
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- Creamy Peaches and Cream Ice Cream recipe
- This sandcastle ice cream is so clever and EASY to make! You are sure to be the coolest mom on the block!
- You don’t need a fancy ice cream maker; here is how to make ice cream in a bag
- These homemade cinnamon sugar tortilla chips are the perfect dessert to go along with your Mexican dinner
- If you’ve never tried our melt in your mouth sugar cookies, you are missing out!
- Whip up a batch of this carmel chex mix for your next game night or potluck!
- These snicker cookies are so decadent with a delightful melty middle!
- Easy, frozen Summer Strawberry Dessert
- This soft Gingerbread Man Recipe for kids is my most requested for every cookie swap!
- Leftover Pie Crust Pinwheels
- I can almost smell this cooking, my perfect every time, best pumpkin pie recipe
- My kids favorite cookies – Monster Cookie Recipe
- Or make these classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- So good their gone, easy homemade brownies recipe
- Perfect for summer, Lemon Bars with vanilla wafer crust
- Homemade Ice Cream Cake – this is what I request for my birthday cake every year! YUM!
- Classic Vanilla Ice Cream in a homemade ice cream maker
- Our favorite cake ball recipes
- So good you just can’t stop eating it Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge
- Mom’s Homemade Apple Pie
- Oh-so-Delicious Tres Leches Cake is quick and easy to make!
- Buttery Spritz Cookies
Appetizers
- Pepperoni Cheeseball Game Day Appetizers
- Easy, Homemade Oven Baked Caramel Popcorn
- My famous pineapple cream cheese dip
- Zesty Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Our GO TO Salsa Recipe with gardne fresh tomatoes
- Grab your veggies, they are going to want to take a dunk in this Southwestern Dip
- Family Favorite appetizer meatballs with super quick secret sauce!
- Quick Pineapple Salsa made from scratch
- Sweet and Sour Bacon and Water Chestnut Appetizer
- Go to Peanut Butter Dip for Apples
- Quick and EASY Bagel Dip
- Homemade Apple Hand Pies with carmel dipping sauce
Drinks
- Creamy, Homemade White Hot Chocolate Recipe
- It wouldn’t be Christmas without serving up this family traditional Wassail Recipe
- Easy Homemade Hot Cocoa
- You’ve got to try this incredible Homemade Eggnog recipe
EASY Homemade Hot Cocoa Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup white sugar I use extra fine
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup water
- pinch salt
- 3 1/2 cups milk whole is the creamiest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup half and half
Instructions
- Combine water, sugar, cocoa powder, and pinch of salt. Heat for 2 minutes over medium high heat. Add milk heat until very hot, but not boiling. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract and half and half cream.
- Optional: You can make it flavored by adding pureed raspberries OR peppermint extract OR candy cane stirrer OR orange extract