Homemade hot chocolate mix

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

There is little my baby girl loves more than chocolate, and as soon as the cold weather hits, she starts asking for her mama’s special hot chocolate.  By special, she means hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles.  We have this “special hot chocolate” most often in December and it’s sprinkled with red and green sugars.  Very festive and fun, but not necessarily something I want to do on a daily basis.

Lately, Claudia’s been requesting hot chocolate so often that I wanted to find a homemade mix that I could keep in the pantry.  I usually like to follow the recipe on the side of the Hershey unsweetened cocoa canister, but I wanted something a little faster.  And something she could make on her own using the microwave would be a plus too.

This hot chocolate mix definitely fits the bill quite nicely.  With just a few pulses in a food processor, you get enough hot chocolate mix to last you a while.  I love that I had control over how much sugar I used and what kinds of chocolates I included.  The end result is quite tasty and has been perfect for our suddenly cold and snowy weather.

(Feel free to play with the chocolates you use.  I used more milk chocolate to suit my kids’ tastes, but I think it’d be delicious with darker chocolate too.)

{one year ago:  root beer pulled pork sliders}
{two years ago:  kale, white bean, and pasta soup}

Recipe:  Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

(very slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour)

2 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. milk chocolate
3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate
1 c. Dutch process cocoa
1 tsp. kosher salt

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sugar and vanilla and pulse until well combined.  Coarsely chop the semi-sweet and milk chocolates and add them to the bowl.  Pulse in 10 second intervals until until finely ground and combined with the vanilla sugar.  Add the dry cocoa and salt, pulsing again until everything is well mixed.  The mix will be slightly coarse, like brown sugar.  Pour into a large glass or plastic jar for storing.

For each cup of hot chocolate, combine 1/4 cup of mix* with 8 ounces of hot milk. Stir until all of the chocolate is melted. Top with whipped cream, marshmallows or your favorite topping.

* You may find that using less hot chocolate mix suits your liking too.  Adjust to your tastes.

Makes 24 8-ounce servings.

Store airtight for 6 to 9 months.