Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

By Sophia DeSantis, Reviewed by Anjali Shah on May 15, 2025

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This 2-minute Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix is one of my family’s favorites. I make it with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and allspice for a sweet and gently spiced flavor that turns creamy and delicious when mixed with milk. It’s perfect for gifting and a fun recipe to make with the kids.

Copper mug with hot chocolate topped with marshmallows.

Tell me I’m not the only one who thinks hot chocolate makes the best sweet treat before bed. Whether it’s a healthy hot chocolate or this extra creamy oat milk hot chocolate, I just love ending the day with a warm mug of chocolate after a long day of chasing after my boys and their activities.

Table of Contents hide

👩🏽‍🍳 Why I Love This Recipe

🍽 Serving Suggestions

🧊 Storage Directions

❓Recipe FAQs

🥣 More Healthy Chocolate Recipes!

📋 Recipe Card

The thing is, most store-bought hot chocolate mixes have all kinds of extras I don’t want, or they’re packed with milk powders, which makes them not so vegan-friendly. Some are way too sweet, and others are just plain bitter. So, I came up with my own version that’s vegan, has just enough sweetness, and a little cozy spice.

👩🏽‍🍳 Why I Love This Recipe

I mean, who can say no to a thick and creamy cup of spiced hot chocolate with a few peppermints and a little something extra for the grown-ups, that’s how my husband likes his. Once you make my homemade hot chocolate mix, I promise you’ll be making it on repeat all season. It’s super easy and makes such a fun little gift for friends and family, especially when you pair it with some caramels, peppermints, or marshmallows.

I love getting my kids involved by letting them scoop the hot chocolate mix into jars and add in their favorite candies. It gets a little messy, but we always have a blast. For this easy recipe, I just mix together unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla bean powder, and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then we add hot dairy-free milk and enjoy this delicious treat together.

Every year when the weather cools down, our kitchen turns into hot chocolate central. The boys start begging for it as soon as they see the first pumpkin at the store, and honestly, I’m right there with them. I started making this homemade mix because I got tired of the store-bought versions that never tasted quite right or had a bunch of extras we didn’t need. Now, I keep jars of it in the pantry. So if your family has a sweet tooth like ours, you’ve got to give this recipe a try.

🥘 Ingredients

These are the easy-to-find ingredients I always use for when I make this homemade hot cocoa mix.

Sugar: I stick with regular sugar for this one. It gives the mix that classic sweetness my kids expect, and honestly, nothing else quite does the job the same way. Feel free to replace with brown or coconut sugar.

Cocoa powder: This is the heart of the mix. I always grab a good quality unsweetened cocoa powder because it’s where all that rich chocolate flavor comes from.

Spices: I like adding a little cinnamon and allspice to give the cocoa a cozy and spiced flavor.

Vanilla bean powder: Since this is a dry mix, I use vanilla bean powder instead of extract.

Sea salt: I always toss in a pinch of sea salt.

🔪 How To Make

This recipe is such a fun one to make with the kids. I turn it into an activity where they help mix it up and fill the jars for gifts. It’s messy, but totally worth it. 😉

Mix the ingredients: I add all the hot cocoa mix ingredients to a big bowl. Then, I grab my whisk and give everything a good stir until it’s all mixed together.

Whisk mixing hot cocoa mix ingredients in a bowl.

Fill the jars: I scoop the hot cocoa mix into mason jars, making sure they’re filled to the top. Then, I like to toss in some fun extras like marshmallows, peppermints, or caramels.

Top view of glass jars filled with hot cocoa mix and candies.

Make the hot chocolate: I add 3 tablespoon of the mix to a 1 cup of hot dairy-free milk. Then I stir it up until it’s all creamy and ready to sip.

Collage of boy in a blue shirt drinking hot chocolate from a mug.

💭 Expert Tips

My #1 Secret Tip for making this homemade hot chocolate mix is to always stir it into hot milk. I’ve tried mixing it into cold milk before, but it got clumpy and never really blended right. Now I always heat the milk first, and the cocoa melts in smooth and creamy every time, which makes it so much more fun for my kids to sip without those sneaky lumps.

Other Tips To Keep In Mind:

Sift the cocoa: I like to sift the cocoa powder before mixing. It keeps the hot chocolate smooth and stops any lumps from sneaking in.
Jar it pretty: When I make this mix for gifts, I layer it in clear jars and top with marshmallows or crushed peppermint. It looks so festive and makes everyone smile.
Use creamy milk: I love using oat or coconut milk when I want the hot chocolate extra creamy.
Use hot water if needed: If I don’t have milk, I use hot water. It works, but the hot chocolate will taste lighter and not as creamy.
Adjust the mix: I tell everyone to add as much or as little of the mix as they like. This recipe is a starting point, so I let the kids make it their own.

📖 Variations

This homemade hot chocolate mix is my family’s favorite cozy treat, and I love how easy it is to make it your own. I suggest trying these favorites:

Peppermint hot chocolate: I like to crush a few peppermints and mix them right in. It gives the hot chocolate a sweet and minty flavor that my kids love around the holidays.

Make it Spicy: When I want to change things up, I add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder.

Mocha hot chocolate: Since I love coffee, I stir a little instant coffee or espresso powder into the mix. It turns the hot chocolate into a fun mocha that my husband and I enjoy after the kids go to bed.

Salted caramel: For a treat, I drizzle in some dairy-free caramel sauce and sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt on top.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

The best way to enjoy a hot chocolate, in my opinion, is with more chocolate treats! Yes, I have a sweet tooth. But seriously, pairing one of these sweet treats with a hot chocolate for when friends come over or for the kids’ PJ party makes life even sweeter.

Truffles: I like to make these vegan chocolate truffles when I want something rich to go with our hot chocolate. My family also loves this vegan Ferrero Rocher recipe made with just 10 simple ingredients. Yum!

Cookies: Cookies and hot chocolate are always a favorite in my house. We love baking peanut butter cookies or my kids’ favorite soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies for a fun treat.

Cupcakes: Cupcakes are such a cute and tasty addition to hot chocolate nights. I like to make these healthy chocolate cupcakes with avocado and Greek yogurt for a little extra goodness.

🧊 Storage Directions

Refrigeration: I don’t refrigerate the dry mix. I just keep it in an airtight jar in the pantry, and it stays fresh for weeks.

Freezing: I have never needed to freeze this hot chocolate mix since it lasts so long in the pantry.

❓Recipe FAQs

Can I make this mix sugar-free?

Yes, I do it sometimes when I want a lighter option. I swap the regular sugar for coconut sugar or monk fruit sweetener, and it still tastes sweet and yummy.

Does this recipe make a thick hot chocolate?

This makes a creamy hot chocolate, but if we want it thicker, I just add more mix to the milk. Using oat or coconut milk also makes it feel a little richer and creamier.

What is the best way to gift this mix?

I like to scoop the mix into cute jars and let my kids add marshmallows or peppermints on top. Then we tie a little ribbon around the jar, and it makes the sweetest homemade gift.

Two glass jars on a wooden tray filled with hot chocolate mix.

🥣 More Healthy Chocolate Recipes!

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