Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix (Bulk recipe)
Skip the single serving packets and save money! Use common pantry staples to make this delicious homemade hot cocoa mix. This bulk mix recipe is perfect for making up neighbor gifts for the holidays.
Table of contents
My mom makes this hot cocoa mix every year around the holidays. Many Christmases we would fill up mason jars with the mix and cover the lids with some batting and Christmas fabric before screwing the lid on and adding a ribbon. Does anyone else have memories like these?
One of the things she would do is let everyone know that they were free to send their jars back for a refill and we had a big food storage bucket ready with the mix. When we lived close, I made sure to swing by the bucket and refill my jar since I’m a bit of a hot chocolate fiend.
Some of the things I love about this mix is that it’s already in bulk so it’s really easy to make up a big batch when we have people over during the winter. Also, since they are mostly staple pantry ingredients, I know I always have what I need on hand if we run out.
Of course you can use this mix for a regular cup of hot chocolate or you could use it to make my frozen hot chocolate recipe or for my S’mores hot chocolate floats. Many people have questioned why frozen hot chocolate? Well, I grew up in Southern California and we often have 80°F winters. I think that explains it!
Ingredients
This hot cocoa mix is made with 3 simple ingredients. I’ve also included a substitution in case you want to save even more money.
The main mix is made with:
- Powdered milk
- Nesquik chocolate milk powder
- Powdered coffee creamer
That’s it! Once you realize what goes in to those little prepacked packets it seems silly to not just make up your own.
You’ll want to use 1/4 cup of mix per 8 ounces of hot water.
Substitutions
Now, if you don’t want to use the Nesquik for whatever reason, you can make your own. To make your own Nesquik powder for this you will need:
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Powdered sugar
- Salt
For the coffee creamer, you can use whatever flavor you like. My husband is a French vanilla fan while I really enjoy hazelnut or caramel flavors. Use what you want or what you have access to.
Top tips
I’ve included the measurements to make this in bulk in different amounts. The easiest recipe is for 80 servings but that is obviously a lot of servings. If you have a smaller group or just don’t want to make as much you can do the 40 or 20 servings.
This recipe does not need milk added to it so if you would usually cool down the hot chocolate with milk, I would use cold water or a couple ice cubes instead.
Spice it up
Want to mix up the flavor profile a little more? Try adding some spices to your mug. Here are a few ideas:
- chai spice
- cinnamon and a pinch of chili
- pumpkin spice
- gingerbread or mixed spice
Other recipes you might like
- Slow Cooker Wassail
- Frozen White Hot Chocolate
- Slow Cooker Mulled Berry Orange Juice
- Festive Cranberry Holiday Punch
Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Makes 80 servings
- 13 cups powdered milk
- 7 ½ cups Nesquik powder about a 2 pound box
- 1 ⅜ cups powdered coffee creamer about an 11 ounce container
Makes 40 servings
- 6 ½ cups powdered milk
- 3 ¾ cups Nesquik about 1 pound box
- ¾ cups powdered coffee creamer 5 ½ ounces or half of an 11 ounce container
Makes 20 servings
- 3 ¼ cups powdered milk
- 1 ¾ cups plus 2 Tablespoons Nesquik about ½ pound box
- 6 Tablespoons powdered coffee creamer 2 ¼ ounces or ¼ of an 11 ounce container
Instructions
To mix:
- Mix together in a large bowl.
To use:
- When serving, put ¼ cup of the hot cocoa mix into a cup. Fill with 8 ounces of hot water. Add marshmallows or whipped cream if desired.
Notes
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Thank you SO MUCH❣️❣️ I have looked everywhere and been lead a not so merry chase down dead ends to find a recipe. Thank you, Merry,merry Christmas and the best, healthiest and safest New Year❣️