Hot Chocolate Mix
 
 
When I set out to make my own hot chocolate mix, I did some research, and many recipes that I found used powdered milk as a main ingredient. Although I liked this idea for simplicity’s sake (you would just need to combine the mix with hot water to make hot chocolate), in the end I steered away from using powdered milk in this recipe, primarily to keep it vegan/dairy-free for my vegan/dairy-free friends. This way, you can enjoy a cup of homemade hot chocolate with whatever milk you prefer: cow’s milk, almond milk, coconut milk, or another milk of your choosing. (I imagine hazelnut milk would give you a Nutella-like concoction. If anyone tries this, let me know if my suspicions are correct!)

Since this hot chocolate mix contains so few ingredients, I’d recommend seeking out the best-quality chocolate—and cocoa powder—you can find. If you enjoy eating the chocolate on its own, then chances are you’ll enjoy it melted into a mug of hot chocolate! Just be sure to use a vegan/dairy-free chocolate if you want to keep the hot chocolate strictly vegan/dairy-free.

Yield: Makes about 1¾ cups of mix, enough for 9 cups of hot chocolate.
Author:
Ingredients
  • -- ½ cup natural cane sugar
  • -- 3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped*
  • -- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I prefer to use a natural, non-Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a slightly more intense chocolate flavor, but any good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder will work here.)
  • -- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • -- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • -- Whipped cream (recipe below), cocoa powder, and/or chocolate shavings (optional toppings)
Instructions
To make the mix:
  1. To the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, add all the ingredients. Turn on the machine and process until the mixture is well-combined and powdery, about 1 minute.
  2. Transfer to an airtight container (I use a glass Mason jar with a plastic screw-top lid) and store in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months.
To make the hot chocolate:
  1. For each serving, heat 1 cup of milk (cow’s milk or your non-dairy milk of choice) in a saucepan over low heat until steaming. Add 3 tablespoons of mix per cup of milk, and whisk over low heat for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mix is completely dissolved and it just begins to simmer.
  2. Pour into mugs and serve immediately. Top with whipped cream (see recipe below) and sprinkle with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings, if desired, or add a shot of espresso (or strong coffee) for a café mocha. **
Notes
* I use a chocolate with 70% cocoa content, as the boys and I generally like a less sweet/more chocolatey hot chocolate. However, feel free to use a semisweet chocolate if you prefer, or a combination of semisweet and bittersweet chocolate. Semisweet chocolate usually ranges anywhere from 45 or 50% cocoa content to as much as 60 or 65% cocoa content; however, there is really no industry standard, so one company’s semisweet chocolate might be another company’s bittersweet chocolate. Just compare the labels and use what you like, keeping in mind that the lower the percentage of cocoa content, the more sugar the chocolate will (likely) have, and thus the sweeter the chocolate—and therefore the hot chocolate mix—will be.

** Lately my favorite way to enjoy this hot chocolate is with a shot of espresso for an afternoon pick-me-up. I simply brew a shot of espresso directly into my mug, then pour the heated hot chocolate/milk mixture into the mug with the espresso. Stir and enjoy!


Recipe adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen.
Recipe by Wholesome Family Kitchen at https://www.wholesomefamilykitchen.com/recipe-hot-chocolate-mix-make-ahead-whipped-cream/