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Rich and Creamy Homemade Hot Chocolate

Homemade Hot Chocolate

Yield: 8 Cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup (57 g) natural, unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1 ⅓ cups (283 g) granulated sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅔ cup water
  • 6 cups milk, dairy milk or non-dairy milk, like almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Half and half or additional milk, if desired

Instructions 

  • In a 4-quart saucepan, whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar, salt and water. Stirring constantly, bring this mixture to a boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, moderating heat, if needed, so it doesn't burn.
  • Stir in the milk and vanilla and heat until very warm without boiling or simmering. Serve immediately with additional half and half or milk to cool down the hot chocolate and add extra creaminess OR transfer the hot chocolate to a slow cooker and keep warm (warm or low setting) for several hours.

Notes

Cocoa: my favorite blend is to use half natural, unsweetened cocoa powder (like Hershey's) and half Dutch-process cocoa powder (like Ghirardelli dark or Droste or Trader Joe's) for a richer, sweeter chocolate flavor. If your cocoa powder is extra lumpy, you might want to sift it into the saucepan to avoid any lumps. 
Milk: this is DELICIOUS with almond milk in place of dairy milk (and if you want an extra chocolatey boost, try using the dark chocolate almond milk instead - holy moly).
If you Want a Peppermint Version: add a couple drops of peppermint oil or extract with the milk and vanilla.