Gourmet Hot Chocolate Mix

Learn how to make the best hot chocolate mix in just fifteen minutes! This gourmet hot chocolate mix is made with three kinds of chocolate for the best flavor. Plus, it keeps for up to six months making it a great gift for the holiday season. Or, keep it all to yourself – I won’t tell.

Even now, as a certified grown-up, I love a mug of hot chocolate when it’s cold. It summons all the childhood nostalgia and memories of snowy, cold Wyoming winters, red plastic sleds, and afternoons sliding down a hill blanketed in powdery white snow.

For the holidays, I like to make a big batch of this gourmet hot chocolate mix. What makes it so fancy? It’s all about the chocolate—it’s made with three kinds, two of which are chopped chocolate bars. So, it’s not the bland, powdery stuff you get from a hot cocoa packet. It’s the real deal, friends.

You can also store it at room temperature for up to six months. Portion it into containers adorned with holiday bows, and this hot chocolate mix makes a sweet (and easy!) gift for friends and family. Or save it for yourself to sip on all winter long.

Ingredients

• Bittersweet chocolate bar
• Milk chocolate bar
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Granulated sugar

Because there are so few ingredients, I recommend buying high-quality chocolate bars for the best experience. I use Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder for the cocoa powder.

How to Make It

A food processor makes chopping the chocolate very easy. Technically, you could chop the chocolate with a knife, but it might take a while. The chocolate needs to be finely chopped.

Once you’ve chopped the chocolate, transfer it to a large resealable storage bag. Add the baking cocoa and sugar, seal the bag, and shake it until all of the ingredients are well mixed.

How to Store the Mix

Store the hot chocolate mix in an airtight container in a cool, dark place like a cabinet or pantry. It will keep well for up to six months at room temperature.

If you are gifting the mix, divide it into airtight containers (mason jars work great). I like to add a little card with the storage instructions and steps for making a mug of hot chocolate.

How to Make a Mug of Hot Chocolate

• Warm eight ounces of milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. I like to use whole milk, but 2% is good, too. Don’t boil the milk; just slowly warm it up. Once it’s steaming, it’s ready.
• I like to add two tablespoons of the mix for every eight ounces of milk, but you can adjust the amount to your taste. Whisk the hot chocolate mix into the hot milk until it’s melted.
• Garnish with whipped cream, frothed milk, marshmallows or just enjoy it as is!

More Christmas Food Gift Ideas

• Slow Cooker Chocolate Peanut Clusters
• Homemade Granola
• Peppermint Snowcaps Candy
• Butterscotch Nut Clusters

More Christmas Drink Recipes

• 5-Minute Hot Cocoa for One
• Christmas Cranberry Lemonade
• Grapefruit Ginger Fizz
• Peppermint White Mocha

I hope you enjoy this hot chocolate mix! It’s rich and chocolatey—the perfect treat for a cold winter’s night.

Happy sipping,

This post has been updated from the archives. It was first published in December 2012.