Easy Homemade Hot Chocolate is a treat! This simple, gluten-free, dairy-free drink is made from fridge and pantry staples in minutes.
I have the BEST little cold-weather treat for you today – Easy Homemade Hot Chocolate! Because:
- There’s more snow in the forecast later today. Ugh.
- 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 stinking easy!
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, 5 ingredient (plus 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!
Make this recipe once and you’ll see what all the fuss is about. Especially because it takes just a few minutes to whip up.
Don’t forget the marshmallows!
How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolate
To a saucepan over medium heat add milk – any kind, I like unsweetened almond milk – semi-sweet chocolate chips, cocoa powder, pure maple syrup, and a pinch of coarse sea salt.
Whisk to combine then stir occasionally until the chocolate chips are completely melted and the hot chocolate is smooth and hot. Add 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!
Ingredients
- 3 cups milk, any kind, I use unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips, Enjoy Life recommended
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
This hot chocolate is just THE BEST! I stopped drinking hot chocolate made from the packets several years ago, so my first cup made from this recipe yesterday was such a treat! I even added a few mini-marshmallows. Thank you!
Just made this this morning. I used regular dairy milk because I don’t need it to be dairy free. The only thing I did different was I added some crumbs from some peppermint bark when cooking. It is very good, and since it’s only me drinking it, it will probably give me four servings. Thanks!
I love this recipe for homemade hot chocolate. Do you have any suggestions to adapt it to make homemade peppermint mocha lattes for the holidays?
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!
Can you save leftovers and reheat next day?
Definitely!
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!
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!!
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 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!
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.
Yum yum! Making tonight!
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!
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!!