Homemade Hot Cocoa + DIY Gift Mix

This homemade hot cocoa recipe is simply delicious and made with real food ingredients. You can also make a DIY hot cocoa mix to gift to friends and family. I’ll share how to customize with your favorite flavors too – like peppermint hot cocoa and cinnamon hot cocoa.

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Two blue mugs with homemade hot cocoa

Need an inexpensive DIY gift idea or just want a homemade hot cocoa mix on hand to make for your family?

Try this homemade hot cocoa mix. It’s made with real food ingredients – including unsweetened cocoa powder, sea salt and organic sugar. You can even omit the sugar, and add raw honey, organic maple syrup, or coconut sugar as a sweetener. This homemade hot cocoa recipe is gluten free and free of artificial colors.

How to Make this Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix – Step By Step

  1. Add entire contents to a bowl and mix well.

  2. Store in a quart-sized Mason jar.

  3. For each serving, use 1/3 cup of hot cocoa mix and stir in 1 cup of hot milk.

  4. OPTIONAL: Top with whipped cream, and add a dash of cinnamon or a drop of Peppermint essential oil.

An Easy Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

I love this make-ahead homemade hot cocoa mix to keep in the pantry and have my kids just scoop out a serving (1/3 cup) in a mug and add hot milk. It’s so easy and so much better than those hot cocoa packets from the store.

Simply layer the dry ingredients in a 1-quart Mason jar. If you choose to use raw honey or maple syrup, omit from the dry mix. Add it in at the time you’re making a serving of hot cocoa. I suggest just add in 1-2 tsp of honey or maple syrup in a mug and add more as needed to your taste.

Peppermint Hot Cocoa

If you want to flavor your hot cocoa mix, you can add peppermint or cinnamon. Both taste delicious. I like to use them when I make a single serving of hot cocoa. I top it off with some whipped cream and then add either peppermint or cinnamon.

Hot Cocoa Options

One of the great things about making hot chocolate from scratch is that you can vary it to your tastes and mood!

  • If you want the cocoa extra rich, add some half and half.
  • If you want the drink less sweet, add bittersweet/dark chocolate chips.
  • If you’re after a healthier drink, use skim milk or almond milk, and reduce the sugar a touch.
  • As well as peppermint, other flavor options could be cinnamon, peppermint extract, a shot of espresso, or a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Make a DIY Hot Cocoa Mix Gift

If you’re making this as a DIY gift, layer the dry ingredients in a quart-sized Mason jar. Add a gift tag that says:

Add entire contents to a bowl and mix well. For each serving, add 1/3 cup of hot cocoa mix to a mug and add 1 cup of hot milk. Stir well and enjoy.

It costs about $5 to make in a reusable Mason jar, and it’s a fantastic gift for friends, teachers, neighbors, etc. Just layer each ingredient and top with a lid and a decorative ribbon (I love raffia or twine for an rustic look). You can even omit the sugar and let the recipient add it or use raw honey or other natural sweetener.

Top Tips For Homemade Hot Cocoa

  • If you want to cut down on sugar, you can use coconut sugar.
  • Makes a great gift.
  • Add a dash of peppermint essential oil for a delicious mint choc drink.
  • Top with whipped cream!

More Recipes You Might Like

Did you try this Homemade Hot Cocoa? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and comment below to let me know how it went. You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Blue Mugs of Homemade Peppermint Hot Cocoa

Homemade Hot Cocoa + DIY Gift Mix

Don't Mess With Mama
This homemade hot cocoa recipe is simly delicious and made with real food ingredients. You can also make a DIY hot cocoa mix to gift to friends and family.
5 from 60 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 120 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Optional per serving

Instructions
 

  • Add entire contents to a bowl and mix well.
  • Store in a quart-sized Mason jar.
  • For each serving, use 1/3 cup of hot cocoa mix and stir in 1 cup of hot milk.
  • OPTIONAL: Top with whipped cream, and add a dash of cinnamon or a drop of Peppermint essential oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 104mgPotassium: 109mgFiber: 3gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 15IUCalcium: 18mgIron: 1.1mg
Keyword hot chocolate, hot cocoa, hot cocoa mix
Tried this recipe?Mention @dontmesswithmama on Instagram

Gluten-Free Real Food Recipes for Kids

Want More Recipes?

Check out my book, Gluten-Free, Real Food Recipes for Kids. I wrote this book with YOU in mind. Parents who want to provide kids with wholesome meals without artificial colors, preservatives and other additives. All the recipes are gluten-free – with many options for grain free or Paleo, dairy free, egg free and vegetarian.

What’s Included In This Book

It’s filled with 130+ pages of content and recipes, including:

  • Real food nutrition 101
  • Detailed information on how to properly soak and sprout nuts, beans, grains and seeds
  • A guide on how to spot chemical additives and what to avoid
  • Kitchen essentials and cooking tools
  • Tips on how to get kids to become better eaters and help in the kitchen
  • 70+ gluten-free recipes – such as snacks and appetizers, beverages, condiments and dressings, main meals, desserts and more

Photo credit: DepositPhotos.com / belchonock

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5 Comments

  1. The ingredients list shows 2 pint jars and the instructions talks about 1 quart jar. Most people won’t have a problem with this but there will probably be a few people who get confused.

    I can’t wait to try the recipe!

  2. Hello, Tracey,

    I love this idea! I am thinking of gifting all of the adults in my family a mason jar of hot cocoa for Christmas; so they have something to look forward to, much like the children. ;^)

    My question to you: Would the 1/3 cup of cocoa mix be for a standard-size 8 oz mug?

    Thank you,
    Happy holidays,

    Jacqueline