Candy canes, cocoa and Christmas cheer, it’s the most wonderful time of the year… to make this Easy Hot Chocolate Recipe! Rich and creamy, this easy homemade hot chocolate recipe is sure to be a holiday favorite.
One of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is to go out and look at Christmas lights and come home to a nice mug of hot chocolate.
Sometimes on a weeknight we’ll go spend 30 minutes driving around looking at lights, listening to Christmas music, and then come home and have some of this easy hot chocolate. Life is so busy that sometimes sneaking in that one hour of holiday time mid-week is just a wonderful treat.
This irresistible easy homemade hot chocolate recipe is perfect for adding that little something special to your holiday festivities, but it’s easy enough to make any time!
While I’m certainly not above using some pre-made hot chocolate mix, homemade hot chocolate is just a whole other thing. I think packet hot chocolate is a drink, while homemade hot chocolate is an experience.
The only thing that makes this easy hot chocolate better is topping it with some chocolate syrup, marshmallows, whipped cream and crushed candy canes. And don’t forget to add a whole candy cane!
You can sprinkle crushed candy canes at the end, as a tasty garnish, or you can actually add them to your hot chocolate for a delectable peppermint hot chocolate. A teaspoon or two of crushed candy canes added and stirs in gives you the perfect minty hot chocolate for a chilly evening.
Easy Hot Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk lower fat content milk will work, but will not be quite as creamy
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Crushed Peppermint Candy Canes
- Full Size Candy Canes
Instructions
- Combine cocoa powder, sugar, salt and boiling water in a sauce pan. Bring mixture back up to an easy boil, stirring constantly. Simmer, while stirring, for approximately two minutes. Keep a close eye on it and make sure it's a gentle boil to avoid scorching. Stir in milk and heat until hot, but do not boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla and half and half. Stir well. Top with marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and Crushed Peppermint Candy Canes. Serve with a candy cane for stirring.
Nutrition
PIN TO SAVE HOMEMADE HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPE
If you love hot chocolate, make sure to check out my Hot Chocolate Cookies. They are amazing, one of my most popular recipes ever!
I even designed a fun and festive holiday shirt inspired by my love of hot cocoa! You can order one on Amazon if you are so inclined! (Affiliate Link)
I hope your family can enjoy a few mugs of this delicious, homemade easy hot chocolate this holiday season!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Brach’s. All opinions however are mine and mine alone.
Stan Smith says
For a lower fat version you could sub the half n half for regular milk. Use the hot water to bloom the cocoa and use potato starch as a thickener adn that way you can have it as thick as you want. Potato starch has the benefit of not needing boiling or having a grainy flavor like corn starch. that would give you the thick and rich feel without as much fat. but youd still have enough fat. I like the cocoa powder that is 22-24% like the Holy Chocolate powder.