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:
- There’s more snow in the forecast later today. Woof.
- 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!
5-Minute Salmon with Lemon-Artichoke Salsa
Skillet Shepherd's PieEasy Homemade Hot Chocolate
Description
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.
Ingredients
- 3 cups milk, any kind (I use unsweetened almond milk)
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life mini chips)
- 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder (I use Hershey's)
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
- pinch coarse sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Add milk, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir or whisk occasionally until chocolate chips are fully melted, and drink is smooth and hot. Add vanilla then stir to combine. Ladle into mugs then serve with marshmallows or whipped topping.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
This sounds great and is super simple! I’ve always wanted to try my hand at making homemade hot chocolate and with snow and other inclement weather in the forecast this weekend, it definitely will be a great opportunity to do so!
I hope you give it a try – it really is such a treat!!
I personally hate maple syrup and never have it on hand. Do you think honey would work as a replacement?
I would use white sugar or coconut sugar!
Yum yum! Making tonight!
I have a few homemade hot chocolate recipes I use but it’s always fun to try something new. With the impending snow storm headed our way this will be perfect to try out while we hunker down with a movie tonight.
This looks awesome! I’ve missed hot chocolate since I quit dairy, but this looks just as rich and chocolatey as I remember. Thanks for sharing!
SO good! We were out of maple syrup so used honey as a replacement and it worked great. Also had only dark chocolate chips rather than semi-sweet. Perfect amount for a full mug for me and a small one for my three littles. Thanks Kristin!!
This is probably the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had! Just made it over my lunch for an afternoon treat. It’s helping keep me warm on this freezing Iowa winter day! Thanks for sharing :)
Oh I am SO glad to hear that, Lauren!! Such a great day to make it too – it is FRIGID out there!!
What brand marshmallows do you use? I’m always worried I’ll get glutened by them!
I use HyVee brand, which is GF, though there is a gluten-free brand consistently available in most grocery store’s GF section. Shoot I can’t remember the name. I’ll update you when I think of it!
Can you save leftovers and reheat next day?
Definitely!
Made it again for the second time already…this time exactly as it’s written. So decadent, so creamy, and so rich! I suppose the darn Iowa negative temps won’t bother me as much with this to look forward to! ;)
Exactly!! I’m so glad you loved it as written too, Molly! Stay warm!
[…] cocoa from a recipe, not a mix. Iowa Girl Eats has an excellent recipe for you to try if you don’t have one of your […]
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