Cold Winter nights call for a cup of cozy delicious hot chocolate. Instead of store bought packets use my easy to make homemade mix. Let me show you how to make delicious Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix from scratch.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE HOT CHOCOLATE MIX
- TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Prepare Hot Chocolate Mix
- Effective way to finely chop chocolate
- How to store hot chocolate mix?
- Chocolate Snowflakes snowflakes
- Prepare hot chocolate using homemade mix
- Make homemade hot cocoa gifts
- Should I use milk or water?
- How long does homemade hot cocoa mix last?

HOT CHOCOLATE MIX INGREDIENTS
- HOT COCOA DRY MIX
- Powdered Sugar
- Dry Nonfat Milk (I use Carnation)
- Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
- Corn Starch
- Salt
- Vanilla Bean Sugar
- White and Dark Chocolate
- Ground Ginger or Cayenne Pepper (for heat, optional)
- TOPPINGS
- Candy Canes (whole to stir or crushed to use as topping)
- Marshmallows
- Chocolate Decorations

DIY HOT COCOA MIX
Making mix if pretty simple.
In a large bowl combine all of the dry powdered ingredients : powdered sugar, dry milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, corn starch, salt, vanilla sugar. And you can also add ground ginger/cayenne pepper(optional to make it slightly spicy). Stir well.

In the next step processed the mix in the food processor. I worked in batches as I couldn’t fit all of the mix in my food processor all at once. Processing the mix for 30 seconds helps to blend the dry ingredients well together. And it makes super fine powdered hot chocolate mix. You can of course just sift it. But I like to use food processor. At this point basic hot cocoa mix is ready.

Looking for more hot chocolate treat ideas? Check out my fun Giant Hot Cocoa Mug Cake with knitted buttercream and concrete buttercream cup.

HOW TO CHOP CHOCOLATE
Hot chocolate is not really hot chocolate without chocolate. Or at least that’s what I think. Addition of chocolate also adds extra creaminess and delicious flavor to hot cocoa. In my hot chocolate mix I used both, white chocolate and dark chocolate.
I used Bakers’s Chocolate Bars( 4oz. per bar). I used 2 Baker’s White Chocolate Bars and 2 Baker’s Semi-Sweet (56% cocoa) Bars.
Instead of using food processor or a grater I used serrated knife to finely chop the chocolate. It worked like a charm. First I sliced the whole bar in rows and then I chopped the rows. Kind of like when you dice an onion. Be sure chocolate is chopped into small pieces before adding it to the dry mix. Stir finely chopped chocolate into the mix.

STORAGE
Store homemade chocolate mix in an airtight container, in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight. Mix keeps for up to a year and even longer.
CHOCOLATE SNOWFLAKES
As if homemade hot cocoa mix wasn’t enough to make a cozy drink?! I decided to make make experience of sipping of hot chocolate even more special with adorable chocolate snowflakes.
I’ve made pretty Piped Chocolate Snowflakes before. Today I’m using a different technique to create these fun chocolate decorations.
- 1.Step – Trace the snowflake outline onto a piece of paper.
- 2.Step – Layer a piece of wax paper over the template.
- 3.Step – Place white chocolate melting disks (I used Ghirardelli White Melting Disks) into a heat proof, microwave safe bowl.
- 4.Step – Melt chocolate in 30 second intervals at 50% power stirring well after each interval. Be sure to agitate the chocolate disks. Often disks will look solid but in fact they are partly melted. It’s important to stir them well before microwaving again to prevent chocolate from seizing.
- 5.Step – Place a piping bag into a tall drinking glass, leaving the ends of piping bag hanging over the rim of the glass.
- 6.Step – Pour melted chocolate into a piping bag.
- 7.Step – Carefully lift the piping bag from the drinking glass.
- 8.Step – Tie the bag.

HOW TO PIPE CHOCOLATE SNOWFLAKES
- 1.Step – To cut the tip of the piping bag first flatten the tip with your fingers.
- 2.Step – With sharp scissors cut a small piece of piping bag tip.
- 3.Step – Place a snowflake template on a flat tray. Layer a piece of wax paper over snowflake template. First pipe the snowflake outline.
- 4.Step – Then start piping chocolate on the inside. Pipe chocolate around the inner perimeter.
- 5.Step – Finish flooding snowflake with chocolate.
- 6-8.Step – To smooth chocolate gently shift wax paper back and forth until chocolate is smooth. To accentuate points you can also use a toothpick.

- 1.Step – Crush couple of candy canes.
- 2-3. Step – As soon as you pipe the snowflakes dust them with crushed peppermint candies.
- 4.Step – Or you can also use marshmallows. Repeat making chocolate snowflakes.
- 5.Step – Transfer tray with chocolate snowflakes into the fridge and let harden for 15 minutes.
- 6-8.Step – Once chocolate is set peel off the wax paper. Store chocolate snowflakes in a cool dry place until ready to use.

PREPARE HOT CHOCOLATE WITH HOMEMADE MIX
Depending on the size of the mug you are using you may use more or less hot cocoa mix. Ratio I use is ¼ cup per 1 cup of liquid.
Into a mug add the mix. Pour hot milk or water over the mix. Stir well. Add toppings : marshmallows, candy cane, chocolate snowflakes. Enjoy.

MAKE HOMEMADE HOT COCOA GIFTS
I love making homemade edible gifts. This year I decided to make cute little hot cocoa gifts. They are super simple to make.
- 1-2.Step – Scoop out hot cocoa mix and pour it into a piping bag. I poured in 2 servings (1/2 cup) of hot chocolate mix.
- 3-6.Step – Then twist the end of the piping fold and it over.
- 7-8.Step – Take the hot cocoa pouch and slide it inside of another piping bag.

- 1-4.Step – Pour marshmallows into the bag.
- 5-8.Step -Tie the bag with a pretty ribbon.

SHOULD I USE WATER OR MILK?
You can use water if you don’t have any milk. But I have to say it’s much creamier with milk. You can use regular cow’s milk, almond, soy or grain milk.
HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE HOT COCOA LAST ?
Homemade mix will last for at least a year stored in an airtight container, in a cool dry place.

TO MAKE HOT CHOCOLATE MIX YOU NEED
- RECIPE (below)
- TOOLS
- Find all tool at my Amazon Shop
- Micro Marshmallows
- Piping Bags (use thicker, clear bags to make the gifts, they look nicer than disposable tipless bags)
- Whisk
- Bowl
- Food Processor
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Festive Ribbon
- Scissors
EDIBLE GIFTS IDEAS :
- Re-purposing containers for edible gift packaging
- S’mores Cookie Swizzle Sticks for Hot Cocoa
- Homemade Edible Gifts
- Cranberry Nut Granola

Make delicious gourmet Hot Chocolate Mix. Also perfect for making homemade hot cocoa gifts.
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 3 cup powdered milk/dry nonfat milk
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp Vanilla Bean Sugar
- 8 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped (226grams) (I used 2 bars of Baker's Semi Sweet Chocolate -56%cacao)
- 8 oz white chocolate, finely chopped(226grams) (I used 2 bars of Baker's White Chocolate)
- 1-2 tbsp ground ginger(optional)
- pinch cayenne pepper(optional)
- 10 oz Ghirardelli White Chocolate Disks (1bag)
- Toppings : crushed candy canes, marshmallows
- 1 cup hot milk (cow, almond, soy)
- 1/4 cup Hot Chocolate Mix
In a large bowl whisk together powdered sugar(2 cups), dry powdered milk(3 cups), unsweetened natural cocoa powder(1 cup and 1/2 cup), corn starch(2 tbsp), salt(1/4 tsp) and vanilla bean sugar(2 tbsp). Stir till well combined.
If using ground ginger (2 tbsp) or cayenne pepper(1/4 to 1/2 tsp) add it to the bowl.
Process dry mix in a food processor for 30 seconds until powdered. Alternatively sift mixture and stir well one more time to make sure all is combined well.
Finely chop dark chocolate(8oz/226grams) and white chocolate(8oz/226grams) using a serrated knife.
Pour finely chopped chocolate into the dry mix and stir well till combined.
Store homemade hot chocolate mix in an airtight container in a pantry, away from a direct sunlight for up to a year.
Trace a snowflake shape onto a piece of paper. You can either use cookie cutter or print a shape, or draw it. Be sure to make snowflakes slightly smaller than the mouth on the mugs you are using. Place a piece of wax paper over the template. And have more wax paper squares handy.
Pour about 1 cup and 1 /2 cup of White Chocolate Disk into a microwave safe bowl. Melt chocolate following instructions on the packaging. Pour melted chocolate into a piping bag. Tie the bag.
Cut a tip of the piping bag with scissors. Outline and flood the snowflake with chocolate. Gently shift the wax paper to smooth out the chocolate. Carefully slide the wax paper with freshly piped snowflakes onto a flat tray. Sprinkle crushed candy canes and/or micro marshmallows over the chocolate snowflakes. Transfer to a fridge and let chocolate harden, for about 15 minutes.
Once chocolate is set peel off the wax paper. Store chocolate snowflakes layered between pieces of parchment, flat in an airtight container in a cool dry place until ready to use.
In a mug measure Hot Chocolate Mix (1/4cup), pour over hot milk(1 cup). Stir well. Add toppings : mini marshmallows, crushed candy canes, snowflake chocolate decorations.
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE MINT HOT CHOCOLATE MIX?
- You can use mint chocolate instead of dark and add it to the dry mix just like you would dark chocolate
- Use pulverized peppermint candies as topping for your hot chocolate.
- Or if you want to get super fancy process about 1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves with 3/4 cup granulated sugar in a small chopper until well mixed together. Sugar will be slightly damp. Sprinkle over hot chocolate
HOW LONG WILL THIS HOT CHOCOLATE MIX LAST?
This mix will last for at least a year.
WHAT KIND OF DRY MILK DID YOU USE?
I used Carnation Non Fat Dry Milk.
WHAT KIND OF CHOCOLATE DID YOU USE?
Use a good quality white and dark chocolate. I used 2 bars or Baker’s White Chocolate and 2 bars Semi Sweet Chocolate (56%cacao). Each bar is 4oz.(113grams)
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This sounds heavenly! if I don’t have Vanilla Bean Sugar, what can I use? Or should I just omit it?
Thanks!
Hi Rocio,
you can just omit it.
This looks amazing! The addition of chopped chocolate has me drooling! Such a great gift to give!
Thank you June!