Hot Cocoa

Old fashioned hot chocolate

It’s not instant

Hot cocoa is probably not what you think of when you decide you want a warm chocolate beverage. And you may not even know what homemade hot cocoa is. Most are familiar with the instant hot chocolate powder that you empty into a mug, mix with water, and heat up in the microwave. But those mixes are a whole lot different from the real thing.

The real thing starts with cocoa powder

When I was young, cocoa powder was a staple in everyone’s kitchen cabinets. It was used in baking then, as it is now, but in those days if you were lucky it was also used for making hot cocoa. The instant chocolate powder mixes didn’t even exist! Yes, I am that old.

Real cocoa powder is not sweet. It’s bitter. And it does not instantly dissolve into a liquid form. Cocoa powder is an all natural product made by drying and grinding up cocoa beans, which grow in large, hard shelled cocoa pods.

Cocoa powder is only one of the ingredients used to make this scrumptious liquid chocolate in a cup, that we call hot cocoa. The little time and effort it takes to make homemade cocoa reaps a rich, decadent chocolate reward.

Make a little or make a lot

Not only did we not have instant hot chocolate mix when I was growing up, we didn’t have microwave ovens either. Hot cocoa was made on the stovetop in a saucepan and it was made in a decent sized batch so everyone could enjoy some. And that’s the way I have always done it.

I was very surprised when I started writing this post to find a recipe for a single cup of cocoa made with the help of a microwave on the Hersey’s label. I was very skeptical. Pure cocoa doesn’t quickly dissolve into a liquid like other powdered products do. So I couldn’t imagine that a single cup version could be an easy fix. Well, live and learn. I tried the one cup recipe and it was really really good. And it was easy.

That said, since you need to have your ingredients out anyway, I would suggest you make a whole batch. Even if you don’t drink it all at once. It is absolutely delicious cold. Just let any leftovers cool a little and put it in the refrigerator. I use a glass jar. The cocoa syrup may settle to the bottom but give it a shake, pour it into a glass and it’s the best chocolate milk shake you will ever have. Or of course you can shake it up and micro a cup of reheated hot cocoa. It is just as good if not better the second time around.

On the recipe card I will give you both recipes so you can have a little or have a lot. 😋

Here’s what YOU WILL NEED:

The Hershey’s recipe says this serves 6. Not even close to truth at my house.

Cocoa powder

In this post we are using Hersey’s Cocoa and their recipe. There are many other brands but Hersey’s is what I grew up with, and it is more than good enough for me. It is reasonably priced, easy to find, and It never disappoints.

You can use any cocoa powder you choose. Just make sure you are using a pure cocoa powder and not a chocolate powdered mix. Pure cocoa powder is not sweet, because the cocoa bean is not sweet. It’s a 100 % natural ingredient.

Vanilla

There are some natural ingredients that are worth the investment to buy. Pure vanilla extract is one of those ingredients. Don’t be fooled by it’s cheaper counterpart, “vanilla flavoring“. There is a vast difference in price, so you will know immediately which is which. But the real thing is worth every penny.

In my experience, anything labeled pure vanilla extract is good enough for the average home cook. There are some super deluxe, very pricey vanilla extracts, but that’s not what’s in my cabinet. It lasts a very long time, because bottled vanilla extract has alcohol in it. Like cocoa powder, vanilla is added to sweet treats, but it is not sweet itself.

Milk

You can use any milk you like. How thick your hot cocoa is will be determined by the milk/cream you use. There are no other “thickeners” in hot cocoa.

Heavy cream is a very thick dairy product and using it will thicken up any soup or beverage. It might be too thick for some if used alone in this mixture. But mixing some heavy cream in with some 1/2 & 1/2 or whole milk will make a decadently thick cup of liquid chocolate. I often use some heavy cream in my hot cocoa if I happen to have it on hand.

Milk alternatives like almond, oat or soy milk will give you a thinner consistency but it is still yummy. I have never used a processed “creamer” in my hot cocoa and for me using it would defeat the purpose of making it myself, so I cannot speak to how that would work.

I like to use evaporated milk in sweet treats like puddings and custards. And I often use it to make my hot cocoa. Evaporated milk helps makes the cocoa rich and thick. I use 2 (12 ounce) cans and fill the rest of the 4 cup measuring cup up with either almond milk, 1/2 & 1/2 or regular milk depending on how many calories I am willing to overlook. 😉

Sugar

I use regular granulated white sugar in cocoa. You can experiment with other sweeteners if you like. We are basically making a chocolate syrup on the stove and then adding milk to it once it has become syrup. So a liquid substitute or another granulated sweetener in proportionate amounts will work in the stovetop version. I think the granulated sugar helps the cocoa powder to dissolve in the single cup version so a liquid substitute such as honey, or agave may not work as well.

This recipe does not make an overly sweet cup of hot cocoa. It’s sweet but the it’s more like a semi-sweet chocolate rather then a sweeter milk chocolate. The pure chocolate flavor really shines through. But adding additional sugar to make it sweeter is perfectly okay. This recipe is all customizable to your taste. I will note that the single cup version does have proportionately more sugar in it than the stovetop version.

When thinking about how sweet your hot cocoa will be you may want to think about what you might be adding to your warm chocolate delight. I am a New Englander and as such I am fully committed to adding marshmallow Fluff to my hot cocoa and that sweetens it up quite a bit. I highly recommend it! Later in the post I have some other add ins you may enjoy.

Salt

This recipe calls for a dash of salt. Meaning “just a little” salt. You can find recipes that say a pinch of salt and it means the same thing. Salt is a flavor booster. In a sweet treat, you may not want to add a salty taste, but only enhance the flavors in it. That’s the idea in this recipe.

In those instances when a dash or a pinch of salt is being called for it means to use less than a common measuring spoon size would give you. It’s a quick tip of the salt shaker.

This is WHAT TO DO:

First make a chocolate syrup

Stir together cocoa powder, sugar, salt and water in a medium sized saucepan and on medium heat bring it to a boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes.

Add milk and then vanilla

Add the milk and let it heat in the saucepan until it is steaming, but not boiling. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.

Why add vanilla at the end?

Vanilla is a pod, somewhat like a pea pod. It grows on a type of orchid plant. The pod and the tiny seeds inside deliver that delicious vanilla flavor. The pod and seeds are dried and ground. To make the liquid extract they use a “carrier” of alcohol to the dried vanilla.

Alcohol evaporates quickly when heated. That is why we are adding the vanilla extract after your cocoa is off the heat; to capture maximum vanilla flavor. Keep that in mind for any sweet treat you are making on the stove that calls for vanilla to be added.

That’s it. You’re done.

Homemade hot cocoa is easy to jazz up to your liking. A classic addition is marshmallows or marshmallow cream (Fluff is the brand I use).

Peppermint sticks are classic in cocoa, because it is a perfect match, the peppermint melts into the warm chocolate.

You can give your cocoa a deeper flavor by adding 2 teaspoons of instant coffee to the chocolate syrup, or substitute homebrewed coffee for the water in the syrup.

And, for adults only, there are a host of liqueurs that are simply to die for in hot cocoa. For example, chocolate liqueur, coffee liqueur, hazelnut liqueur, Irish cream, peppermint liqueur, and so, so many more.

Before we end our post, we are going to leave you with a warning not found on the label:

Homemade hot cocoa can be addictive. And alas, fattening also.

Life is so unfair!