This hot chocolate with cocoa powder recipe is smooth, rich, and ready in just 5 minutes using simple pantry ingredients (no pre-made mix required!). If you're looking for an easy hot chocolate recipe with ingredients you probably already have on hand, this is the recipe for you!
Love hot chocolate? This warm vanilla milk recipe is another easy, cozy drink to try!
🔍 Quick Look: Hot Chocolate With Cocoa Powder
🕒 Total Time: About 10 minutes
☕ Yield: About 2 servings (easily scaled up or down)
🥄 Tools: Saucepan or microwave-safe mug, whisk or spoon, and optional milk frother
🎉 Perfect For: Cozy nights at home, movie nights, quick warm drinks, holiday gatherings, hot chocolate bars, and serving alongside party desserts
⭐ Difficulty: Very Easy (perfect for beginners!)
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❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No hot cocoa mix needed: this hot chocolate is made from scratch with cocoa powder, sugar, and your milk of choice!
- Quick and easy: ready in about 10 minutes with minimal prep and cleanup.
- Fully customizable: use your favorite milk and finish with whipped cream, marshmallows, or fun toppings like crushed candy canes!
Key Ingredients
- Milk: you can use any type of milk in this recipe, or a combination of milk, half and half, or heavy whipping cream. You can also use milk substitutes like soy milk, oatmilk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: You can use either Dutch Process cocoa powder such as Hershey’s Dark or Natural Cocoa Powder such as Ghirardelli. You can read more about the differences in cocoa powder in this chocolate whipped cream recipe.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Hot Chocolate with Cocoa Powder
- Add Ingredients to a Saucepan: Add the milk, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch salt to a medium or large saucepan.
- Cook: Heat the mixture over medium heat until simmering and fully combined, whisking to fully incorporate all the ingredients and ensure it doesn’t scortch. Be sure to watch the milk carefully, as it can get too hot and over-boil very quickly.
- Froth (Optional): Once it’s done, I personally like to use a milk frother to froth it up, but that is totally optional!
- Add to Mug and Enjoy: Pour into a mug, add any optional marshmallows or whipped cream on top, then, enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Both dutch-processed and natural cocoa powder work in this recipe.
- Any type of milk works in this recipe, including non-fat, whole milk, half and half, and milk substitutes like oat milk and soy milk.
- This is super customizable and you can add more or less sugar to taste.
- Heat very gently and don’t boil. Warm the hot chocolate just until simmering and steaming to avoid scorching the milk or having it overflow the pan.
Homemade Hot Chocolate FAQ
Yes! Just mix it in a mug until totally combined, and then warm it in the microwave for an even easier microwave version. But again, watch closely so the milk doesn’t boil over.
Classic toppings like whipped cream and marshmallows are always a hit. Some more unique ideas are homemade marshmallow cream, chocolate whipped cream, mascarpone whipped cream, chocolate shavings, cocoa powder, cinnamon, crushed candy canes, or festive sprinkles. You can even add a shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream or Kahlua for an adult version.
Yes. This recipe is super easy to double, triple, or scale up for more servings. Simply increase all ingredients evenly and warm the hot chocolate gently in a larger saucepan, stirring often to keep it smooth.
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Easy Hot Chocolate Recipe with Cocoa Powder
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbs sugar more or less to taste
- 2 cups milk of choice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add ingredients to a medium or large saucepan and heat over medium heat, mixing or whisking until combined. Be sure to watch the milk carefully, as it can very quickly get too hot and over boil.
- Once it's simmering and all the ingredients are combined, pour into a mug and, add any optional marshmallows or whipped cream on top. Then, enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Both dutch processed and natural cocoa powder work in this recipe.
- Any type of milk works in this recipe, including non-fat, whole milk, half and half, and milk substitutes like oat milk and soy milk.
- If you have a milk frother, this recipe is great frothed up.
- This recipe makes 2 small hot chocolates or 1 large hot chocolate and can easily be doubled or tripped to make a large batch.
Victoria says
I like this a lot! I made some alterations since I didn’t have enough cocoa powder. I had a little short of 1/4 cup. I supplemented the rest with coca chips.
Since all of mines were 80 – 90% cacao, I used 2 Tbsps of Monk fruit sweetener.
Adding the chips with the vanilla last was so nice! It made it silky and smooth. I paired it with my homemade whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon. 😌✨🙏 Divine! Great recipe!
Sophia Assunta says
so glad you liked it!