This homemade hot chocolate mix recipe makes the best creamy warm cup of hot cocoa mixed with milk or water! It's easy to make in bulk for gifts for the holidays.
Put this hot cocoa mix in a har and add in fun items like peppermints, spice, chocolate chips and marshmallows for the cutest gift to give to others!
This recipe was originally published on 12/17/2013
We love drinking dairy free hot chocolate over the cool months, and while it's delicious to make on the spot it's also great to have this hot chocolate mix on hand to quickly get a cup when you don't have the time to make it from scratch!
Ingredients
Traditionally many people use some sort of sugar, cocoa and milk powder as the base to their hot chocolate mix. But because I wanted to make vegan hot cocoa, I created it without the dry milk powder (which in my opinion isn't necessary if you are mixing with milk anyway!).
Here are the main ingredients I use in my homemade hot cocoa mix to get the flavor we love:
- Sugar - this is not the time to skip refined sugar, it's unbeatable for the best flavor.
- Cocoa powder - this is how the hot chocolate gets its chocolate flavor, so definitely pick a good one!
- Spices - both cinnamon and allspice give extra flavor to the mix, feel free to use more or less to fit your taste.
- Vanilla bean powder - because we are making a hot cocoa mix and not the full on drink, we can't use vanilla extract, it would just clump up the mixture.
- Sea salt - salt helps to bring out all of the amazing flavors included in the mix.
I also give a spicy option by adding some cayenne pepper! It is a fun way to change it up!
How To Make Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
This recipe is so easy to make and fun for the kids too! Make it an activity that all can participate in and give as gifts to others. This helps kids feel like part of the gifting process!
- Put all hot cocoa mix ingredients in a bowl and stir with a whisk to combine.
- Put it in jars and add garnishes and toppings.
- To use, combine the hot chocolate mix with milk and heat to enjoy.
Toppings for Hot Cocoa
Here are some of my favorite treats to top this homemade hot chocolate with:
- Peppermint candy or a dash of peppermint extract
- Candy canes
- Caramels
- Chocolate chips
- Mini marshmallows (these vegan marshmallows are my favorite)
- Hard candy
- Vanilla bean
- Cinnamon sticks
- Sea salt
- Other spices like nutmeg, cloves, etc.
- Sprinkles
- Vegan Whipped Cream
- A dusting of powdered sugar
- Basically anything yummy!
Preparation Tips
This homemade hot cocoa mix recipe makes a delicious cozy treat, here are some tips to get the best results:
- Make sure to heat slowly and mix well after heating to get the cocoa to dissolve.
- Add in all the toppings while warm so you can get some of them to melt a little.
- You can blend the milk with the mix to get it nice and frothy.
- Add as little or as much of the mix you want, the recipe is simply a guide.
- The mix is already dairy free, so to make vegan hot chocolate simply use your favorite plant based milk!
- The creamier the milk the better.
- Try coconut milk, cashew milk, oat milk, almond milk, etc.
- Hot water can also be used, but it won't be as flavorful and creamy!
Tips for Gifting and Storage
Making this easy treat into holiday gifts is not only easy, but it's the way to a food lover's heart! Make up an extra big batch to share with friends and family.
Definitely store this homemade hot chocolate mix in an airtight container, I like to put it into a jar for a cute presentation. There are loads of options when it comes to jars, here are a few of my favorite:
You can also wrap a ribbon, rafia or twine around it for even more of a presentation!
Recipes to Serve With Hot Chocolate
Sipping on hot chocolate is such a treat, but sometimes you want just a little something extra to go alongside it, try these out:
- Vegan Gluten Free Snickerdoodles
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Easy Vegan Chocolate Truffles
- Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chickpea Blondies
- Vegan Cookie Dough
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
Common Questions
Chocolate in and of itself has both vegan and non vegan varieties. As long as it does not have added dairy then it's vegan! When looking for a vegan hot chocolate mix, make sure to read the label and see if the ingredient list uses any animal products.
Because I do not use milk powder in my mix, it lasts longer in your pantry than others out there. I would say that after a year or two, the flavor will not be as strong or rich. But I guarantee it won't last that long in your kitchen!
Traditionally many people use some sort of sugar, cocoa and milk powder. This vegan version uses sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla bean powder, and sea salt.
Put all your dry ingredients for hot chocolate in a cute jar, seal, and decorate with a ribbon! See above for detailed instructions.
More Vegan Chocolate Recipes
After you're done slurping up every last drop of this vegan hot chocolate recipe, try one of these treats:
Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe (Vegan Option)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean powder , or half a vanilla bean sliced into two pieces (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper , optional for spice
Garnish (optional, pick and choose what you want)
Instructions
- Place sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, all spice and cayenne pepper if using into a bowl and mix well to get rid of clumps.
- Take vanilla bean specs out of half of the vanilla bean piece and combine into the mixture.
- Place the mixture into a mason jar and top with the other half of the vanilla bean piece for decor. Add garnish of choice.
To drink:
- Add 3 tablespoons of cocoa mix and 1 cup milk of choice (or water) for each serving into a mug or pot.
- Heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in a pot over the stove until the mix dissolves and is smooth, about 3-5 minutes.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are for mix only, not garnish or milk.
- You can add in any other flavors you like.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Chelsee Lee
This is perfect for the chilly days we have been having lately.
Estefanick
These are gorgeous... and sound AMAZING! Sweet, salty AND spicy?? YUM!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Erin!! Yup, it has a fun little hint of spice, which I love. But not too much. You could add more chili powder if you wanted 😉
everybodylovespretty
Such a fab christmas gift idea!!!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you!! They were super fun to put together too.