Hershey’s Hot Cocoa Recipe
Warm, rich and sweet, the Hershey’s Hot Cocoa Recipe is still my favorite winter beverage! And only 6 ingredients!
What would winter be without hot cocoa? The sweet, rich beverage brightens winter days and fills childhood memories–truly the stuff that dreams are made of.
You see, I grew up living atop a big hill, and every snow day, the neighborhood kids would come over, sledding first, then making snowmen and snow forts. When it grew too dark to see, everyone headed home to warm fingers and toes over steamy heating vents. But my siblings & I got an extra treat when we went inside–our mother made hot cocoa from scratch!
I swear that sometimes I went outside just for the cocoa afterwards. Today I wonder if my mother wasn’t complicit–make a little hot cocoa for a couple hours of peace!
Of course, when I had kids, I couldn’t wait to share the experience. My mother made the Hershey’s hot cocoa recipe right from the can and I still use it today. (Though I tend to buy organic cocoa).
Why You’ll Love This!
Flavorful. Yes, there are easy packaged mixes that you just heat and stir—and those are great in a pinch. But some occasions call for the best flavor—and this delivers!
Easy. Not as easy as a mix, but so what if you mix six ingredients instead of two!
Fun & Special. Doesn’t it feel like love when you get great cocoa handmade with all natural ingredients!
Healthier. You can choose to go organic–or maybe reduce the sugar with some stevia or allulose. But in any case, you’re going to get calcium from the milk and antioxidants from the chocolate. Hooray!
Step by Step Overview
Stir together sugar, cocoa and salt in medium saucepan, pressing out most of the cocoa lumps with the back of a spoon. (This helps it whisk together without lumps).
Stir in water and cook over medium heat, stirring with a whisk, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and whisk 2 minutes.
Add milk; stirring periodically, and heat to serving temperature. Do not boil.
Remove from heat and add vanilla.
Pour into mugs and top with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired.
Variations
Need a single serving? Instructions are included in the notes section of the recipe below. Or maybe just make the full batch and refrigerate the leftovers (reheat in the microwave) for a multi-day treat!
The Hershey’s Hot Cocoa recipe is already vegetarian and you can make it vegan by using a plant-based milk. In that case, consider a thicker product like pea milk (all or part) since the thickness will enhance the luxurious mouthfeel of the cocoa.
Top with whipped cream or marshmallows. You can even make homemade artisanal marshmallows in fun shapes like hearts and mittens.
Add a little peppermint extract for a tasty winter flavor variation. In that case, consider serving with a candy can stir stick!
And for some more fun options consider these Cocoa Recipes for Holidays like Adult Peppermint Hot Cocoa, Cereal Milk Hot Chocolate, Champurrado, Gingerbread House Hot Cocoa Bombs, and Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix.
Tips & FAQs
While chocolate gets good press for some health attributes like antioxidants, there are also recent reports of varieties that are high in heavy metals like cadmium and lead. So you may wish to consult sources like Consumer Reports for safer brands, especially if you’re serving young children or pregnant women.
Cocoa comes in two varieties, Dutch-processed and regular. If you want to maximize the antioxidants, consider skipping the Dutch processed. Per Wikipedia, Dutch cocoa, (processed with alkali, to lower the natural acidity of cocoa) has lower levels of antioxidants.
Or just drink it for the fun!
Happy winter!
Homemade Hot Cocoa
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- Dash salt
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 4 cups skim milk or full fat or non-dairy milk if you prefer
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Miniature marshmallows or sweetened whipped cream optional
Instructions
- Stir together sugar, cocoa and salt in medium saucepan, pressing out most of the cocoa lumps with the back of a spoon. (This helps it whisk together without lumps)
- Stir in water and cook over medium heat, stirring with a whisk, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and whisk 2 minutes.
- Add milk; stirring periodically, and heat to serving temperature. Do not boil.
- Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour into mugs and top with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from the original published Jan 8, 2015.
Hershey recipes are classic! I used to make their chocolate cake with chocolate icing all the time. I am almost out of cocoa powder so you know this is going to be made when I get some more.
Being that in ONLY drink cocoa, I love this recipe. Mine is quite a bit simpler (no water, no vanilla, no salt, and definitely no marshmallows — would you put marshmallows in your daily coffee or tea? ) and I am super picky about my cocoa — I am currently enamored with Guittard Cocoa Rouge. But I also love Barry Cacao Brut.
Having grown up with Hershey’s that still tastes good to me, but I’ve also been starting to work with different cocoas. I’ve noticed that in some recipes the cocoa makes a huge difference and in others not so much–still trying to figure that out. I’ve been using Ramstadt Breda Rich Dark Cocoa which I bought to fill out a Prepared Pantry order & then kept buying, but I recently bought a couple others to try. If only chocolate wasn’t paired with carbs so much…
Belated merry Christmas or happy Chanukah, Inger! And happy winter! I love to make hot cocoaxfrom scratch & am grateful that you posted a link to organic cocoa! When I make it my wife likes the taste but not the silt. Can you advise about that? I bag a dry mix of cocoa & dry milk. I omit sugar & use stevia for me. Blessings
I don’t know of any way to completely avoid the silt David. I believe that cooking the cocoa powder with the water first helps, which won’t be possible if you pre-mix the cocoa and dry milk. Still good! I intend to focus on “cozy” the whole month of January, so I’ll probably be mixing my cocoa with stevia or allulose to take off a few seasonal pounds while staying merry!
Oh Grace–you should try cocoa from scratch! Even if you have to put up with soft marshmallows (though mine seem to end up hard pretty fast anyway…)
if you can believe it, i’ve never made hot chocolate from scratch! there’s something comforting to me about that little packet with its rock-hard marshmallows. 🙂 this is far more decadent though–bravo!
I used to have homemade hot chocolate when I was a kid, too. I haven’t made it for ages. Thanks for bringing back memories of hot chocolate on a cold winter day!
Don’t you think good memories are especially important on cold winter days Beth?
I’ll believe you and make this regardless of the heat! It looks so inviting 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Perhaps you should have it for breakfast then when it’s cooler, Uru 😉
Looks great! I have to admit – the promise of a cup of hot cocoa is what motivates me to shovel my driveway. And if I’m really treating myself I add a shot of Fireball too it. 🙂
Peppermint schnapps has been known to make its way into mine 😉 !
Yum, Inger. I love hot chocolate. Might have to make some tonight! Since moving to Arizona, we also make Mexican hot chocolate. It has a hint of cinnamon.
I’d add cinnamon to almost anything Lynn!