There's nothing quite like sipping on a steaming mug of creamy hot chocolate on a chilly day. This recipe for the best hot cocoa only calls for three ingredients and uses real melted chocolate! Make this Easy Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe right on your stovetop in minutes for a delicious treat.
In my younger years, hot chocolate with marshmallows was my go-to drink. Extra marshmallows, always. The best part about this recipe is that it requires only THREE ingredients and less than ten minutes of your time. Using real chocolate in hot cocoa lends a much richer and more pure chocolate tasting drink. I like to make my hot chocolate with chocolate chips because I almost always have them on hand. Higher quality chocolate would be even better!
Want to make a homemade hot cocoa mix instead? Use my recipe for the absolute best hot chocolate powder. Ditch the Swiss miss hot chocolate packets and make this instead.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Only THREE ingredients needed!
- It’s as easy and quick as a mix, but it tastes MUCH more rich and delicious.
- Perfect recipe to celebrate National Hot Chocolate Day or for a delicious Christmas hot chocolate!
- This recipe serves 2 but feel free to multiply the recipe as needed for more servings.
Ingredients
- Milk: I like to use whole milk for the creamiest results but you can use any kind of milk - even dairy free.
- Chocolate chips: I use semi-sweet chips in my hot chocolate but you can swap it out for dark or milk chocolate chips if you'd like.
- Vanilla extract
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions.
Substitutions & Variations
There are so many options hot chocolate flavors to make it your own!
- Oat milk: Make hot chocolate with oat milk by swapping out regular milk in this recipe.
- Flavored syrup: Omit vanilla extract and add flavored syrups. You can try vanilla, French vanilla, caramel, raspberry or coconut. There are so many that would be delicious in this drink!
- Spiked hot chocolate: Try adding liquor like baileys for a baileys hot chocolate, Amaretto, peppermint schnapps or kahlua are other great boozy hot chocolate additions.
- White chocolate: Swap out the semi-sweet chocolate chips with white chocolate to make white chocolate hot cocoa. Add peppermint extract for a yummy Christmas hot chocolate.
- Peanut butter: Create a peanut butter hot chocolate by stirring in a tablespoon while heating on the stove.
- Nutella: Stir in a tablespoon of Nutella while heating on the stove.
- Mint: Swap out the vanilla extract for peppermint extract for a peppermint hot chocolate. Grocery stores carry peppermint or mint extract, mint is more of a spearmint flavor while peppermint is icy.
- Espresso: Add a shot of espresso to make a mocha hot chocolate.
- Caramel: Add caramel syrup or even caramel candies while heating on the stove to infuse the hot chocolate with caramel flavor.
- Spicy: Make a mexican hot chocolate by adding cinnamon, chili powder and optional cayenne pepper.
- Oreo: Try this oreo hot chocolate recipe for a delicious oreo version.
How to make hot chocolate
- Heat milk on medium heat until very hot, but not boiling.
- Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla. Start whisking rapidly until all chocolate is melted.
- Once everything is smooth, pour into glasses and enjoy!
Recipe FAQ
Yup! You can use white chocolate chips for a creamy and indulgent white hot cocoa. Just keep in mind that white chocolate is sweeter than dark or milk chocolate.
Yes, you can. Heat milk in a microwave-safe mug until very hot at 30 second intervals stirring between each one. Be cautious not to overheat and stir well to avoid scorching. Then add chocolate chips and whisk rapidly until completely melted.
To make this drink dairy free, use dairy free milk and chocolate chips.
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📋 Recipe
Easy Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat milk on medium heat until very hot, but not boiling. Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla.
- Start whisking rapidly until all chocolate is melted. Once everything is smooth, pour into glasses and enjoy!
Nutrition
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Fi Ní Neachtáin says
I don't like hot drinks - hot chocolate included but I really wish I did because it always looks so sweet with all the marshmallows. It's great that hot chocolate is you thing and you want it to taste just right. Thanks for sharing the recipe, I'll have to make this for my little boy, I know he's at least love all the marshmallows 🙂
Jessica says
Definitely. My little guy's favorite part is the marshmallows too. 🙂
Michelle Hwee says
yummy! I have seen a couple of recipes for homemade hot cocoa but have never tried it out before. I will now! I love hot cocoa during the colder months with marshmallows! They are so good and it is so satisfying on a cold winter day! Thank you so much for sharing this 🙂 I'm about to go make one right now!
Jessica says
Hope you loved it!!
Lauren says
I've never made homemade hot cocoa, but I need to start! And I need to add a ton of marshmallows too! Yum!
Jessica says
Same! I love a massive amount of marshmallows! 🙂