How to Make Hot Cocoa

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: January 18, 2023 References Tested

There's something very comforting about wrapping your hands around a mug of homemade hot cocoa. You can personalize it easily. Change the milk for something creamier or non-dairy, for instance, or include a flavor extract, such as peppermint or almond, to give your drink a unique taste. Try dolloping a little whipped cream on top and then enjoy your own cup of chocolaty comfort.

Ingredients

Classic Hot Cocoa

4 cups (950 ml) of milk, half-and-half, or cream
1/2 cup (100 g) of granulated sugar
1/4 cup (25 g) of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of vanilla extract
Marshmallows for serving

Makes 4 cups (950 ml) of cocoa

Rich Hot Chocolate

2 cups (470 ml) of milk, half-and-half, or cream
2 pinches of salt
4 ounces (112 g) of bittersweet or semisweet (50 to 60% cocoa) chocolate
¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 ml) of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (14 g) of unsweetened cocoa powder, optional

Makes 2 cups (470 ml) of cocoa

Single-Serving Microwave Cocoa

2 tablespoons (14 g) of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 to 2 tablespoons (12.5 to 25 g) of sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 cup (240 ml) of milk, half-and-half, or cream
¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 ml) of vanilla extract

Makes 1 cup (240 ml) of cocoa

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Classic Hot Cocoa

1
Put the milk, sugar, and cocoa powder in a saucepan. Pour 4 cups (950 ml) of milk into a medium saucepan and stir in 1/2 cup (100 g) of granulated sugar with 1/4 cup (25 g) of unsweetened cocoa powder.^{[1]
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- If you don't have granulated sugar, you can substitute brown sugar, honey, or agave. Keep in mind that since these will add flavor to the hot cocoa, you'll need to add them according to your taste.
Variation: If you don't want to use milk, try using half-and-half, cream, water, or alternative milk, such as soy, coconut, hemp, or almond milk.
2
Simmer the hot cocoa over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes. Whisk the milk occasionally as it begins to bubble very gently. If it starts to boil, turn the burner down to medium-low. Then, heat the hot cocoa until the cocoa powder and sugar dissolve completely.^{[2]
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- Whisking the hot cocoa will help break up the cocoa powder and can make the cocoa a little frothy.
- It's important to watch the heat as you make hot cocoa. You don't want the milk to boil or it will burn on the bottom of the saucepan.
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3
Stir in the vanilla and pour the cocoa into mugs. Turn off the burner and stir in 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of vanilla extract or any flavor extract you'd like. For example, try peppermint, almond, or coffee extract. Then, divide the hot cocoa into serving mugs.^{[3]
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- To make it easier to pour the cocoa, consider using a ladle to spoon the hot cocoa into the mugs.
4
Top the hot cocoa with marshmallows or whipped cream before serving. Although you can enjoy your hot cocoa right away, sprinkle a few mini-marshmallows or dollop some freshly whipped cream on your cocoa for an even sweeter treat.^{[4]
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- You can also sprinkle a little ground cinnamon over the hot cocoa or hook a candy cane over the side of the mug.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Rich Hot Chocolate

1
Chop 4 ounces (112 g) of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. Put the chocolate bar on a cutting board and carefully chop it into chunks that are no larger than ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm). The finer the pieces, the faster the chocolate will melt.^{[5]
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- You can use any type of chocolate bar you like to customize your hot chocolate. For example, try making hot chocolate with white chocolate or milk chocolate.
- If you'd like to use a bar of unsweetened chocolate, you will need to add granulated sugar according to your taste.
2
Heat the milk and salt to a simmer over medium heat. Pour 2 cups (470 ml) of milk, half-and-half, or cream into a saucepan and turn on the burner. Stir in 2 pinches of salt and heat the milk until small bubbles form on the surface of the milk.^{[6]
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- Stir the milk occasionally so it doesn't cook on the bottom of the pan.
- If the milk begins to bubble too much, turn the burner down to medium-low.
3
Whisk in the chopped chocolate. Keep whisking so the hot milk melts the bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. The hot chocolate will be a little lumpy at first but should become smooth once the chocolate melts completely. You can leave the burner on medium until the chocolate melts.^{[7]
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- Whisking the hot chocolate will make it a little foamy. If you prefer completely smooth hot chocolate, use a wooden spoon to stir the liquid.
- The amount of time it will take to melt the chocolate will depend on how large you chopped the pieces.
Variation: If you'd like thick, European-style hot chocolate, whisk 1 teaspoon (2.5 g) of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of cold milk until it dissolves. Then, add this to the saucepan and cook the hot chocolate until it thickens slightly.
4
Turn off the burner and stir in vanilla. Mix ¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 ml) of vanilla extract into the hot chocolate and taste it. If you'd like an even stronger chocolate flavor, you can whisk in 2 tablespoons (14 g) of unsweetened cocoa powder until it's dissolved.^{[8]
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- For a slight coffee flavor, mix in 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of espresso powder along with the vanilla extract.
- You can also adjust the sweetness at this point, stirring in more sugar if the hot chocolate is too bitter for you.
5
Pour the hot chocolate into mugs and serve them with whipped cream. You can also garnish the whipped cream with chocolate shavings, more cocoa powder, or a dusting of powdered sugar.^{[9]
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- If you prefer, scatter mini-marshmallows over the hot chocolate instead of whipped cream.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Single-Serving Microwave Cocoa

1
Mix the cocoa, sugar, and salt together in a mug. Put 2 tablespoons (14 g) of unsweetened cocoa powder into a microwave-safe bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon (12.5 g) of sugar with a pinch of salt.^{[10]
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- If you like your hot cocoa sweeter, add the extra 1 tablespoon (12.5 g) of sugar.
2
Stir in 1 cup (240 ml) of milk. Slowly pour in just a few spoonfuls of the milk and stir until it mixes with the cocoa to form a smooth paste. Then, gradually stir in the rest of the milk so there aren't any lumps.^{[11]
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- For creamier hot cocoa, use cream or half-and-half instead of milk.
Tip: If you prefer, substitute alternative milk, such as almond, soy, or hemp, for the cow's milk.
3
Microwave the mixture for 1 minute. Put the mug in the microwave and heat it until the milk becomes hot and the cocoa starts to dissolve. This should take about 1 minute.^{[12]
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- If the milk isn't hot enough, heat it for another 20 to 30 seconds.
4
Stir vanilla into the cocoa before drinking it. Carefully remove the hot mug from the microwave and stir the hot cocoa gently. You shouldn't see any lumps of cocoa. Then, stir in ¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 ml) of vanilla extract and begin sipping your hot cocoa.^{[13]
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- You can add a handful of mini-marshmallows to the mug just before you're ready to drink the cocoa.

Community Q&A
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Question

What can I put on top of my hot chocolate?

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There are lots of delicious toppings you can add to hot chocolate! For example, you can add toppings such as whipped cream, marshmallows, cinnamon, chocolate shavings, dusted cocoa powder (in a design if wished), sprinkles, vanilla sugar, maple sugar, etc.
Question

Is it bad to drink hot chocolate every day?

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In small amounts, good quality hot chocolate can be beneficial because of the flavonoids (powerful antioxidants) it contains, which scientific studies have shown can help improve blood flow, boost your energy, aid digestion, heighten your thinking skills (including helping your memory), contribute to heart health, etc. However, enjoying this drink must form part of a healthy, balanced diet and it is recommended that you have no more than 2 cups of hot chocolate a day. Also, remember that some chocolate mixes contain sugar and artificial additives that are not healthy in big doses.
Question

How do I make hot chocolate taste good with water?

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You can either train yourself to get used to the flavor of hot chocolate or cocoa powder added to hot water (which is hard to do), or you can add some additional ingredients to make it taste better. Many people like to add sugar or some other sweetener (honey, rice syrup, etc.) to make the hot chocolate taste sweeter and less bitter, and this is the best thing to try first. And if you’re not keen on adding full milk, try adding just a dash of milk to the hot water, enough to add flavor and change the color to a lighter shade (you can use dairy or plant milks).