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A rich, creamy, easy-to-make hot cocoa recipe that will warm you up on the cold winter days ahead.
Our family craves warm drinks during the winter months and especially during the festive holiday season!
My friend Laura from Real Mom Kitchen has a new cookbook, Warm Up Your Winter. It’s Laura’s second cookbook and it’s a cute little, pamphlet style cookbook which includes 20 hot chocolate and cider recipes. Some are from her blog and some can only be found in the cookbook.
What I liked about this cocoa recipe was how creamy and smooth it is. Usually when you make cocoa you mix all the ingredients together at the same time, and then you have a hard time getting the cocoa to dissolve in to the milk. With this recipe, you boil the cocoa and the sugar with a little bit of half and half so the cocoa is dissolved before you add the milk. Of course using half and half and whole milk in your cocoa helps to make it extra creamy as well.
Another thing I liked about this classic hot cocoa recipe was all the variations and fun ideas to change it up. There’s a Skinny Cocoa version, a Peppermint Cocoa version, and one I need to try, a Nutella Cocoa version. . I’m sure there’s a variation that everyone will love.
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Classic Hot Cocoa
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup half and half
- 4 cups whole milk
- Whipped Cream or Mini Marshmallows
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cocoa and salt until blended. Then whisk in half and half.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.
- Simmer 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add milk; stirring constantly, heat until warm. Do Not Boil.
- Remove cocoa from heat and whisk or beat until frothy. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream or mini marshmallows.
Disclosure: Cedar Fort sent me a free copy of Warm Up for Winter, but all opinions expressed are always my own.
Annalise Leanne
How much does this make????
It looks so good. :L nomnomnom
Barbara Schieving
It’s so good 🙂 Makes about 5 cups.
Annalise Leanne
Haha, I made it on the weekend. IT WAS SO GOOD :3
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for the update! I plan to make it lots this winter too.
Letty Flatt
A little late to the party–about a month! Just posted on Pinterest with my no sugar no dairy option.
Nutmeg Nanny
Oh goodness, I feel cozy just seeing these photos 🙂 I love hot cocoa!
Bryn
My daughter would love this!
Emily
I absolutely LOVE hot cocoa but have never made it from scratch. Would love trying new recipes!
Deb
What a luscious recipe to usher in the cooler time of autumn! Classics became classic as they are timeless!
Barb
such a fun giveaway!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc
looks perfect! Especially on this rainy day!
2 Sisters Recipes
What a sweet cookbook! Who doesn’t like a warm creamy cup of cocoa – its a cup of heaven!
Angie@Angie's Recipes
One is not going to be enough for me. Looks divine!
Charissa
Sounds like a great little book! And the hot cocoa sounds delicious as well. 🙂