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Homemade hot cocoa mix is a delightful and easy thing to make. It’s sweet, delicious, and warming when the temperature and life get cold. Homemade hot chocolate mix also makes a frugal and wonderful gift in a jar.

The following homemade hot cocoa mix recipe is the ideal base for yourself or for spicing it up for gift giving.
Switch up the Basic Cocoa Mix
Use dry, powdered milk in the mix and all someone needs is hot water and a spoon to fix a cup.
Most of the time any milk powder can be used interchangeably.
Use goat milk powder for people allergic to cow milk.
Substitute coconut milk powder for vegans or others avoiding dairy products.
Some recipes even use coffee creamer to make the cocoa super rich.

Go Beyond the Basic Hot Cocoa Mix
Cocoa mixes can take on numerous forms and flavors with just a few tweaks:
- Dress the mix up by adding some chocolate chips.
- Add holiday spices like nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon
- Cooked sugar gives a salted caramel flavor
- Espresso powder provides a mocha flavored mix
- Crushed peppermint candies add minty coolness
- Give stress-busting power by adding maca root
- For Green Tea fans stir in some Matcha powder
Hot Cocoa Mix

Use this basic homemade hot cocoa mix as a base for customized blends for yourself and gifts.
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
- 1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
- 2 1/2 Cups Powdered Milk
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients and push through a fine mesh sieve to combine all ingredients and keep them in a small uniform size.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
To Make a Cup of Hot Cocoa:
Mix 3 Tablespoons of the hot cocoa mix with 8 ounces of boiling water, milk, or cream. Serve warm.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
48Serving Size:
3 TablespoonsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 19Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 20mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g
We try our best but cannot guarantee that nutrition information is 100% accurate.
How to Give Hot Cocoa Mixes
For local delivery, use jars with simple labels. Regular old canning jars work just fine. Also look for frugal or interesting jars at thrift stores.
Wrap yarn or ribbon around jars for simple but extra lovely touches.
For mailing care packages, package homemade hot cocoa mix in tight sealing plastic bags and label.
Make sure to include how to make the cocoa (mix to boiling water ratio) on the labels.

Add marshmallows, either homemade or store-bought to the package for a lovely gift.
A festive or beautiful pottery mug is a special gift that will be treasured even after the mix is used up.
Tuck a bottle of liqueur, homemade cordial, or schnapps in a basket for adults to spike their hot cocoa.
Can I use regular white sugar instead of brown sugar??
yes!