There is something about a warm cup of creamy, slightly sweet hot chocolate, that just brings a smile to anyone’s face. We drink this homemade hot cocoa recipe year-round!
You can drink it cooler in the summer months and drink it hotter in the winter months. Using real ingredients instead of packaged powder is so much better for you and I honestly think this taste way better.
Nothing can beat a mug of hot chocolate on a cold winter day. I have a video a little farther down on how to easily make this delicious hot beverage!
You just need a few simple ingredients for this recipe to all come together nicely. You won’t ever bother buying that packaged sugary stuff on the shelf again.
Hot Cocoa Video
Difference Between Cocoa Powder And Cacao Powder
Not many people know what the actual difference is between cocoa powder and cacao powder.
Cocoa powder is processed at a much higher temperature than cacao powder. The packaged cocoa powder is also normally filled with lots of sugar as well.
Cacao powder is not processed nearly as much, has a richer flavour and is filled with antioxidants and minerals.
What You Need To Make Homemade Hot Cocoa
Ingredients
Seriously homemade hot chocolate is so easy to make, here’s what you need.
Milk: Any milk of your choice is fine, but we do love our raw full cream milk over here.
Cream: Highly recommend adding some cream to the recipe. It really just ups the taste factor and well makes it creamy and rich. You won’t regret adding it!
Cacao powder: Pure dark cacao powder, you won’t need a lot of it.
Sweetener: You will need to have some sort of sweetener to make it tasty and sweet. I love rapadura sugar, it’s similar to brown sugar in taste but a lot healthier. Maple syrup and raw sugar are very nice as well!
Salt: I had heard once that salt enhances the chocolate flavour and ever since I always add just a little to my chocolate recipes.
Vanilla extract: Just to round it up and give it that delicious vanilla taste. This one is optional but very lovely to add!
Supplies
Pot: You will need a pot to pour your ingredients into. I personally use and enjoy stainless steel but any pot that can be placed on the stove top will do.
Whisk: A whisk is ideal for mixing the ingredients together.
Measuring spoons: Are handy to measure out the ingredients.
Mugs or Cups: Don’t forget you want something to pour your delicious homemade hot chocolate into, so you can drink it up!
How To Make Creamy Homemade Hot Cocoa
- In a pot add milk, cream and vanilla and heat on medium.
- Mix the sugar, cacao powder and salt in a bowl, add about 1/4 cup of the warmed milk in it to form a paste. This stop clumps from forming, highly recommend.
- Add the chocolate paste into your pot of warmed milk and whisk.
- Once it reaches your desired temperature, turn it off the heat and carefully pour into cups or mugs.
- Drink as it or add marshmallows (Homemade marshmallows are the best recipe here) or whipped cream on top.
- That’s it that’s how easy it is to make hot chocolate!
What Is The Difference Between Hot Chocolate And Hot Cocoa?
It’s a very simple difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa. Hot chocolate has pieces of chocolate melted into the mix leaving a rich and creamy chocolatey drink.
Hot Cocoa is made using powder instead of chocolate pieces. They both taste amazing, but it just depends what your preference is and what you have on hand. Making a cup of hot cocoa is cheaper and I always have cocoa powder on hand!
Hot Chocolate Variations
You can easily switch things up by adding a few variations to your hot chocolate!
- Add a drop of peppermint oil at the end to your hot chocolate for a delicious pepper minty flavour.
- Wild orange oil: I love orange and chocolate and would only add 1 drop at the end and mix it in. Taste beautiful.
- Add caramel sauce for a buttery and creamy caramel taste! Either homemade or storebought.
- Coffee and hot taste pretty good together as well.
- Add a nut butter for that slightly nutty taste think of a picnic in your mouth! Yum!
- Cinnamon pairs really nicely with hot chocolate add a pinch in and see what you think!
Creamy Hot Cocoa Recipe
An easy, creamy, delicious hot cocoa recipe that will satisfy your taste buds and warm up your insides. Enjoy this beverage year-round!
Ingredients
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup cream
- 3 tbsp rapadura sugar or any sweetener of choice
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a pot add milk, cream and vanilla and heat on medium.
- Mix the sugar, cacao powder and salt in a bowl, add about 1/4 cup of the warmed milk in it to form a paste. This stops clumps from forming, highly recommend.
- Add the chocolate paste into your pot of warmed milk and whisk.
- Once it reaches your desired temperature, turn it off the heat and carefully pour into cups or mugs.
- Drink as it or add marshmallows or whipped cream on top.
- That's it that's how easy it is to make hot chocolate!