I can’t tell you (because I can’t remember) how many requests I’ve received through the years for a healthier hot chocolate mix. Non-dairy creamer and powdered milk are two ingredients in every homemade hot chocolate mix recipe I’ve ever found – and those are two ingredients I try to avoid if possible. I’ve had to keep telling people through the years that, sorry, I have no idea how to make a hot chocolate mix without those ingredients. I worried, fretted, and lost sleep over the fact that I was failing to provide a healthy hot chocolate mix recipe. (Not really, but shucks if I didn’t want one for myself too.)
Then I realized that I was making this way too hard. After all, what we’re all going for in this real food realm is simple, back to basics, whole food ingredients – right? Then why not mix together the basic, real food ingredients needed to make homemade hot cocoa – and keep the mixture on hand as a quick mix to stir into hot milk? Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls – we now have a real food, real good, real easy Hot Chocolate Mix! And it’s here just in time for Christmas!
You’ll probably look at the simple recipe below and ask, “Really Laura? It took you six years to come up with this?” And I would have to shrug and say, “Uh-huh.”
Homemade Healthier Hot Chocolate Mix
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups sucanat or brown sugar
Place ingredients in a pint-sized jar and shake well. When you are ready for a cup of hot chocolate, here is what you’ll do:
In a small saucepan, whisk 2 1/2 Tablespoons of Hot Chocolate Mix with 1 cup of milk. Heat and stir on medium heat until warm and ready to serve.
This recipe makes about 12-15 one-cup servings, depending on how “heaping” your Tablespoons are when you stir it into the milk.
Want to make this dairy free? Simply add the mixture to a cup of coconut milk. It’s super delicious!
Malachi had a buddy over the day I was playing with this recipe idea. They were sweet enough to be my taste testers, and they both gave it a thumb’s up. Or at least I believe they would have if they weren’t so busy saying “yum” and guzzling it down.
Want to package this Hot Chocolate Mix up for a gift? Simply place a gallon-sized twist tie bag (like this one) down into a mug. Funnel the mix into the bag and tie it up with a bow. Attach a gift tag to the handle of the mug, describing how to make the mix into Hot Chocolate. You’ll find free printable gift tags below!
Download and print Hot Chocolate Mix Tags Here
Now you tell me – is this exciting or what? How fun to have a real food Hot Chocolate Mix to have on hand and to give as gifts! Sometime within in the next six years, I hope to provide you with another recipe idea as simple as this one.
Hey, check out my friend, Cooking Guy making this hot chocolate!
Thank you for this! I’ve been searching for a good hot chocolate mix for awhile now. And it also solves a gift problem of mine.
What is sucanat and where does one purchase it?
Sucanat is dehydrated cane sugar – so it is sugar that still has vitamins and minerals! Here’s my favorite brand: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E5DZIO?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B001E5DZIO&linkCode=xm2&tag=wwwheavenlyho-20
Brown sugar will work in this recipe as well!
Ha — That’s actually not too far away from real “hot chocolate.” The dry mix you put in water is really hot cocoa mix; hot chocolate is technically solid chocolate melted into warm milk. Homemade chocolate is cocoa, sugar, and an oil or other fat, anyway, so you’re just using chocolate in an earlier form. :-)
I wasn’t sure if posting a link to another recipe site would be allowed, but you can look up “chocolat chaud” for examples.
Thank you I was searching for not only a recipe that didn’t have things in it I didn’t want in it but one I could use for my husband now that he is dairy free.
That is how we make our hot chocokate around here but we add two “secret ingredients.” A pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla. It really does make a big difference!
We make a recipe similar to this except I use some sea salt as well–adds something a little extra :) Thanks for sharing this!
Wonderful! I have just one suggestion for you. Add a pinch of salt (maybe a teaspoon or so for a large batch) to your hot chocolate mix. It REALLY ups the flavor. It sounds weird, but if you think about it, you put salt in brownies so why not hot cocoa? Thanks for taking the time to share this with us!
Very nice , but I have one suggestion. (if you like unique flavors that is!)
Try a dash of Cayenne Pepper to your mixture it adds a delicious flavor.
A type of sugar, spice, and everything nice kind of Hot Chocolate.
I would add a tiny bit if salt. I was also excited to find powdered vanilla extract. Maybe not the purest ingredient, but perfect for something like this. I’d have to add a touch of that as well. Very neat recipe. That is a very cute mug.
Thank you very much for posting this easy recipe!! My oldest son is allergic to dairy and was disappointed he couldn’t have hot chocolate with his siblings. He will be very happy that I found a recipe he can have. :-)
Yeah for you! I was one of those who requested this last year…I did come up with using organic cane sugar and cocoa with a dash of vanilla and sprinkle of salt! It is a hit around here. Only thing is I never made a large batch of it and put in a jar – that is on my list to do!
This sounds awesome! Thanks so much! Would you possibly be able to come up with one that tastes and feels just like Pacific Spiced Chai Latte tea? Sam’s Cllub used to carry it, but now I can get it through either Amazon or Allison’s pantry. It is so creamy with just the right amount of sweetness and spices. Unfortunately it has bad ingredients in it. :/ I would LOVE to be able to make up a healthy version. Next to hot chocolate that’s my favorite hot drink! :)
What could be used in place of succanat for we diabetics?
I’m not sure. I don’t believe artificial sweeteners are good to put in the body…maybe stevia would work. :)
Made this today – loved it and it was so easy! I am so happy to have this on hand! Thanks!
We made this today, too. It was very good. My mix was a bit lumpy, and since I wanted to give it as gifts, I put the mixture in a blender and whirred it for a few seconds. This did the trick!
Do you ever tell the recipient that it is a healthier version? I was thinking of doing that on the tag w/ingredients.
I do not believe Laura lists it as healthier ingredients but you could list is as a dairy free mix. If someone has an allergy they would be able to mix it with the milk of their choice and enjoy it allergy free. :)
Wow this was soooo good! We just finished a can of Starbucks hot chocolate mix (not healthy but so good) and I wanted something for my boys that was healthier. I was skeptical at first but really is just as good if not better than the processed Starbucks hot chocolate!
Where do you find powdered vanilla?
Would be possible to just heat the milk in the microwave and then stir in the mix? Or would it not dissolve completely? I’m thinking for gifts for people are not interested in ditching the microwave or doing things the “harder” way.
I am thinking that would work out just fine. :)
Can you use hot water instead of milk?
Yes, but it won’t be quite as rich and yummy. :)
I really enjoyed this video of your precious family and how mommy was so calm while your son mixed the cocoa up and warmed it in the microwave. It made me smile today.
Thank you so much for this receipe…..lucious….just the receipe I have been looking for….think I will give this as gifts this Christmas….Happy Holidays
Love it! Thanks for the dry mix recipe! That’s kind of how i make it at home except with some oil added in to the cocoa in the saucepan. Glad to know this recipe works without the oil. Just in time–my 12 year old daughter has invited friends from school over for a Christmas Cocoa on Thursday to decorate cookies, discuss favorite Christmas Traditions and the real meaning of Christmas and do a white elephant gift exchange. Maybe they could each make their own cocoa gift to take home!
Thank you very much for sharing this. Just tried it out this morning with a bunch of kids and a few adults. Very easy to mix up and it was enjoyed! I like being in charge of the ingredients. I hope to buy free trade cocoa powder once my current supply runs out. I like supporting free trade products, but the price can be challenging. I can make a lot more free trade hot chocolate by mixing the individual free trade ingredients than buying pre-mixed versions.