How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate is the perfect beverage for a snowy winter’s day, or a wonderful treat that can fill your mouth with chocolaty goodness during any time of the year. There are a variety of ways to make hot chocolate, whether you want it to be simple, spicy, or a bit sweeter. If you want to know how to make hot chocolate in no time at all, just follow these steps.

Ingredients

Simple Hot Cocoa

1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup skim evaporated milk
3/4 tsp. vanilla flavoring
A handful of miniature marshmallows

Mocha Hot Chocolate

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant espresso powder
1 tbsp. vanilla
6 cups milk
2 cups half and half

Spicy Hot Chocolate

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground chili pepper
1 seeded and sliced red bell pepper

Mexican Hot Chocolate

6 (12 oz.) cans of evaporated milk
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 (12 oz.) bags semisweet chocolate chips
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch cocoa powder

Two Minute Hot Chocolate

milk
chocolate chips

Method 1
Simple Hot Cocoa

1

Make the cocoa mixture. Combine 1 tbsp. of cocoa powder and 1 tbsp. of granulated sugar in a bowl. Stir the ingredients a bit to combine them.
2

Pour ¾ cups of water into another bowl or cup. Make sure it's microwave-safe.
3

Microwave the water on high for 1 ½ minutes or until the water boils.
4

Pour the hot water over the cocoa mixture. Stir the mixture until it’s smooth.
5

Pour 2/3 cup skim evaporated milk into another cup. Microwave it on high for 1 minute. Then, pour the warm milk into the mug with the water and cocoa mixture.
6

Add ¾ tsp. of vanilla flavoring. Stir well to combine the ingredients. Then, place a few mini marshmallows in the cup.
7

Serve. Enjoy the taste of this cup of delicious hot chocolate with mini marshmallows -- if you'd like to treat a friend, just double the ingredients when you start making your hot chocolate, or repeat the process.

Method 2
Mocha Hot Chocolate

1

Combine the first four ingredients together in a heavy saucepan. Combine 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 cup of sugar, ¼ cup of instant espresso powder, 1 tbsp. vanilla, 1 pinch of salt, and 1 cup of cold water in a heavy saucepan and heat the mixture over low heat.^[1]
2

Whisk the ingredients. Continue to whisk them until the cocoa powder is dissolved and the mixture is smooth and creamy.
3

Gradually add the milk and half and half to the mixture. Add 6 cups of scalded milk and 2 cups of scalded half and half to the mixture over low heat, whisking the ingredients together until they’re hot but not boiling. Add 1 cup of milk and ¼ cup of half and half at a time and continue to add the rest of the milk and half and half in small portions until all of the ingredients are thoroughly blended.
4

Serve. Enjoy this tasty mocha hot chocolate as a breakfast treat or during any time of day.

Method 3
Spicy Hot Chocolate

1

Heat 2 ½ cups of milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat it until the milk is hot, but not boiling. ^[2]
2

Add 4 oz. of chopped unsweetened chocolate and ½ cup of sugar to the milk. Stir the ingredients together until they’re blended.
3

Add ¾ tsp. of cinnamon, ¼ tsp. of chili powder, and 1 seeded and sliced red bell pepper to the mixture. Bring the ingredients to a simmer.
4

Remove the red pepper strips. Their flavor will remain in the hot chocolate.
5

Serve. Enjoy this spicy hot chocolate at any time.

Method 4
Mexican Hot Chocolate

1

Whisk together the milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and nutmeg in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk together 6 (12 oz.) cans of evaporated milk, 4 tsp. of ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp. of vanilla extract, and 1 tsp. of ground nutmeg together in a large pot over medium heat.^[3]
2

Add chocolate chips to the mixture. Add 2 (12 oz.) bags of semisweet chocolate chips to the mixture. Stir the hot chocolate until the chocolate is melted.
3

Cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. This will blend the ingredients even more. Then remove the hot cocoa from the stove.
4

Serve. Sprinkle this hot chocolate with a pinch of cocoa powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper and enjoy it any time.
5

Finished.