Easy Homemade Hot Chocolate (GF/DF)

Easy Homemade Hot Chocolate is such a treat! This gluten-free, dairy-free drink is made from fridge and pantry staples, ultra-chocolatey, and super simple too.

Oooo, I have the BEST little winter (I said it) treat for you today – Easy Homemade Hot Chocolate! Because:

1. There’s more snow in the forecast later today. Woof.
2. Making your own hot chocolate is one of the most rewarding things you can do. It’s thick, it’s chocolatey, it’s so not from a packet, and, most importantly –  IT’S SO FREAKING EASY!!!

Ahem. Anyway, since we have a dairy allergy and Celiac Disease to contend with in my household, we’ve had to kiss Swiss Miss goodbye – not that I’ve shed any tears over it. Have you looked at the ingredients in classic SM lately? Yikes!! I’ll take my easy, homemade, six ingredient (including salt) recipe instead. Look at this rich and fudgy, gluten-free, easily made dairy-free, decadent deliciousness – you are NOT going to get this from a store-bought mix!

We had our first snowfall of the season here in central Iowa last weekend and the boys wasted no time getting outside. It was Cam’s first time playing in the powder and I was certain it was going to be a case of spending 20 minutes getting ready only to spend 5 outside, but he had SO much fun throwing snow at his brother and digging away. We had to drag him inside!

Lincoln and Ben busied themselves with building a snowman, complete with blueberry eyes and buttons, and a baby carrot nose. Sis’ santa hat completed the lewk.

True to form, Cam ate the leftover building materials.

The only way I got the boys inside was the promise of warm hot cocoa. Aren’t these mugs adorable? I got them at Pottery Barn as stocking stuffers – Gwen’s mug is a little girl with a red hat. Super cute but a pain to drink out of because of this weird internal lip, so I actually wouldn’t recommend them. That said, where there’s a will there’s a way and Lincoln managed to drink every last drop of hot chocolate out of his doppelganger mug. (Cam sucked his down through a straw.) ;) They LOVED it!

Make this recipe once and you’ll see what all the fuss is about. Especially since it takes just a few minutes to make.

Don’t forget the marshmallows!

All you have to do to make homemade hot chocolate is add 3 cups milk – any kind, I used unsweetened almond milk – 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life mini chips,) 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s brand,) 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (or sugar if you please, though I can’t taste the maple syrup at all,) and a pinch of coarse sea salt to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir or whisk occasionally until the chocolate chips are completely melted and the hot chocolate is smooth and hot. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla then stir to combine.

Ladle the hot chocolate into mugs – this recipe makes 2 big mugs worth or 4 smaller drinks if you’re making for little ones – then top with marshmallows or whipped topping. I recommend SoDelicious Cocowhip if you need to keep this drink dairy-free. However you serve it, I hope you love warming up with this delicious and decadent hot chocolate this season! Enjoy!

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