You’ll love this super easy hot chocolate recipe! In just five minutes, you’ll have warm, delicious, homemade hot chocolate. So much better than a mix!
Easy Hot Chocolate Recipe
I love hot chocolate. Given the opportunity, I will drink very great quantities of the stuff. This afternoon, as I was about to head out on my run of errands, I felt in need of a pick-me-up. I had exactly seven minutes before I had to leave, so I decided to make my quick and easy hot chocolate recipe.
Until I started writing the title of this post, I never thought about whether there was a difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa. It turns out that, technically speaking, hot chocolate is made with melted chocolate, whereas hot cocoa is made with (you guessed it) cocoa.
However, I must admit that I’ve called those little cocoa mix packets “hot chocolate” all my life, and I’ve always referred to my own recipe as hot chocolate, so it’s too late to start calling it something else now. Plus, I’ve seen fancy packages of cocoa calling themselves “drinking chocolate,” so I’ve concluded that the whole issue is hopelessly confused and thus unworthy of debate.
So there. I imagine it’s similar to when you grew up calling it “soda,” you’ll never start calling it “pop.”
Anyhow, here’s my own personal recipe for hot chocolate, hot cocoa, or whatever you want to call it. Perhaps “Magical Beverage of Warmth and Happiness”?
You’ll notice that I don’t add vanilla. I don’t add vanilla because to my taste it doesn’t need it, and because (to me) it masks the chocolate flavor too much. You can use natural or Dutch-process cocoa. (Learn about the difference between natural and Dutch-process cocoa if you like.) Also, I usually use whole milk because I’m just decadent that way, but any kind will work.
Enjoy this easy hot chocolate recipe!
Easy Hot Chocolate Recipe with Cocoa
You'll love this super easy hot chocolate recipe! In just five minutes, you'll have warm, delicious, homemade hot chocolate. So much better than a mix!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups milk or more
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the water, cocoa powder, sugar, and a tiny pinch of sea salt. Whisk briskly to combine.
- Bring almost to a boil over medium heat and whiskly briskly for a minute or two until smooth, glossy, and dark in color.
Pour in 1 1/2 cups of milk and whisk until frothy and slightly steamy, but do not boil. Taste, and add more milk if the hot chocolate is too strong for you.
- Pour into mugs and enjoy!
Also try this version made with cinnamon!
Keisha | The Girl Next Door is Blaack
So easy! I didn’t think about the difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate. Thanks for explaining!
Katie
Thanks! And thank you for stopping by! 🙂
CakeSpy
Both cocoa and hot chocolate have a place in my life. And this recipe is the newest addition to that world.
Katie
For a while I was crazy about this spiced “drinking chocolate” someone got for me at Whole Foods. It was actually cocoa, not chocolate. I wish I could remember the name, because I’ve always wanted to try to replicate it (it was rather expensive, or I would have bought more).
naomi aelanah
wow thankyou for the recipe im amazed
Sharon
Just tried your easy hot chocolate recipe. So simple and so good. Made a couple of alterations to fit my taste and really enjoyed it. I added about a 1/2 teaspoon of instant espresso powder, a light sprinkle of cinnamon, and a few drops of vanilla. I also increased the cocoa to just less than 1/2 cup to preserve the chocolatey goodness. I also used heavy cream as half my liquid. Topped it with a little whipped cream. Oh my!
Katie Moseman
Oh wow! Those additions sound marvelous. I need to treat myself to a cup soon… 😉
Marlyse
I substituted my homemade cashew milk/cream instead of dairy & used coconut sugar instead of white sugar & it was easy & delicious.
Katie Moseman
Awesome! I like to use refrigerated coconut milk beverage for my dairy-free version.