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Home » Recipes » Drinks and Cocktails

By Kaleigh McMordie - February 3, 2017, Updated July 15, 2022

Homemade Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix

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overhead view of dark chocolate hot cocoa mix in a jar with a gold spoon in it with text overlay.

Rich and creamy 4-ingredient homemade dark chocolate hot cocoa mix is perfect for warming you up this winter! This easy mix also makes a great homemade gift! (gluten-free, nut-free)

overhead view of homemade dark hot cocoa mix in a glass jar with a gold spoon in it.

Who doesn't love a warm mug of hot chocolate on a cold day? Even better when it's extra dark and super smooth. Making your own hot cocoa mix is a great way to have a delicious cup of cocoa at your fingertips any time the craving strikes, and it's also perfect for gifting to friends, family, or coworkers for Christmas or Valentine's Day.

Why You'll Love This Hot Cocoa Mix

This homemade hot cocoa mix is extra special because it's made with luxurious dark chocolate, perfect for the dark chocolate lover in your life! Dark is always my go-to chocolate, because I love the rich intensity - now I can drink it in a delicious cup of hot chocolate any time I please with homemade hot chocolate mix. With just 4 ingredients, making your own mix is super easy, and it's great because you can control the ingredients and how much sugar goes into it. Plus, it makes a great gift in a cute jar!

The Ingredients

overhead view of ingredients needed to make homemade dark chocolate hot cocoa mix.
  • Dry milk powder - Usually found near the evaporated milk in the baking aisle.
  • Dark unsweetened cocoa powder - I typically use Hershey's extra dark because it's widely available, but use what you like!
  • Powdered sugar
  • Dark chocolate - The darker the chocolate (i.e. the higher percentage of cocoa) , the darker the hot cocoa will be.
  • Salt - Optional, but a nice offset to the sweetness.

How To Make Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

3 images collage showing steps for making dark hot cocoa mix.

Add all of the ingredients to a high speed blender (such as a Vitamix) and blend it until it's powdery and well mixed. Then scoop into jars!

To Make The Hot Chocolate

Add 2-3 tablespoons of mix to a mug. Pour in hot water or milk and mix until it's smooth and creamy. (A milk frother is great for this!)

mug of homemade dark hot cocoa topped with marshmallows with a gold spoon of cocoa mix, dark chocolate chunks, and a jar of the mix surrounding it.

More Hot Cocoa To Love

  • 3 Ingredient Coconut Hot Cocoa
  • Tequila Spiked Mexican Hot Chocolate

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Print

Homemade Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix

overhead view of dark chocolate hot cocoa mix in a jar with a gold spoon in it.
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

Rich and creamy 4-ingredient homemade dark chocolate hot cocoa mix is perfect for warming you up this winter! This easy mix also makes a great homemade gift! (gluten-free, nut-free)

  • Author: Kaleigh
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: about 4 cups of mix 1x
  • Category: drink
  • Method: no cook
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup nonfat dry milk powder
  • 1 cup dutch processed or dark unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup chopped dark chocolate

Instructions

  1. Combine dry milk, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, salt and chopped chocolate in a high-powered blender or food processor and blend until chocolate is ground and incorporated into the powder mix.
  2. Scoop mix into jars.

To make hot cocoa:

  1. Pour 2-3 tablespoon of mix into a mug and fill with 6-8 oz hot water or milk.
  2. Stir until smooth and creamy.

Notes

  • Store hot cocoa mix in a sealed container for up to 3 months.

Keywords: dark chocolate hot chocolate mix, homemade hot chocolate mix, dark hot cocoa mix

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @livelytable on Instagram and hashtag it #livelytable

« Decadent, Delicious Chocolate Desserts for Valentine's Day
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie Bowl »

About Kaleigh McMordie

Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN, LD, is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian in Abilene, Texas, as well as a member of the Baby Led Weaning Dietitians Network. Kaleigh can be found at kaleighmcmordie.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Diana rosier says

    October 18, 2024 at 11:23 pm

    I have been wanting to make a low sugar hot cocoa sugar and this recipe worked great. I substituted powdered sugar with 1 cup of lakanto sugar free powdered monkfruit sweetener. This was so delicious. Now I can enjoy my hot cocoa with a lot less sugar

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Andrea says

    July 30, 2023 at 12:25 pm

    Really nice 😊

    Andrea
    From all the way down under in New Zealand.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Star says

    April 26, 2023 at 6:11 am

    I haven't made this yet but plan on it!!
    What is the dry milk for exactly??

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Cynthia K Pagiatakis says

    March 07, 2023 at 7:08 am

    Very good! I made not for mugs of hot chocolate, but to add a teaspoon to our cups of coffee ... decadent! Cindy

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Crystle says

    December 04, 2022 at 5:35 pm

    What size jar would you recommend for a single batch? I was thinking of making this recipe as a gift.

    Reply
  6. Angela says

    November 13, 2021 at 3:18 pm

    I even made sugar free with the measurable Stevia and added a little cinnamon because I have always liked mine that way and it turned out perfect!!

    Reply
    • Kaleigh says

      November 14, 2021 at 9:12 am

      Awesome, thanks for sharing your tip!

      Reply
  7. NICOLE BURRISS says

    January 02, 2021 at 9:08 pm

    When you say "dark unsweetened cocoa" do you have a recommended brand? I've used black cocoa powder in baking but it doesn't seem to taste any darker than others, it just looks darker.

    Reply
    • Kaleigh says

      January 03, 2021 at 10:57 am

      You can use any! I typically just use Hershey's special dark!

      Reply
  8. Aubrey Tillman says

    December 14, 2020 at 11:02 am

    My husband loves the starbucks DARK hot chocolate mix, but this year I have had a hard time finding it in the grocery stores. I made this recipe and my husband prefers it over the starbuck's brand. I'm so glad I found a dark hot chocolate recipe mix! Thank you so much! My husband is also very grateful.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Kaleigh says

      December 15, 2020 at 7:33 am

      That makes me so happy to hear!

      Reply

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