Whether you’re hosting a party or simply welcoming the kids home from school, making a batch of Crock Pot Hot Chocolate is always a good idea. Hot, creamy, and loaded with flavor, this Crock Pot Hot Chocolate recipe is super easy and practically hands free.
Serve it for breakfast with Chocolate Butterhorn Pastry or at a Christmas Brunch for a fun and festive holiday beverage. It’s delightful with a plate of Christmas Cookies or alongside a Dessert Charcuterie Board.
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Enjoy hot cocoa? Then you will really love this Crock Pot Hot Chocolate. We’ve made it several times this month and I plan to include it in our Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.
Why Make This
It’s easy. It takes just a couple minutes to whisk together the ingredients for this Crock Pot Hot Chocolate. Then you can just walk away. This is one of the easiest slow cooker recipes you’ll ever make.
It’s very make-ahead. It takes about two hours to bring this cocoa up to temperature, so you can easily make it before a party or even a few hours before breakfast. A stir every once in awhile is all it needs.
It tastes delicious. Similar to my Stovetop Hot Cocoa, this recipe is super tasty. The spices play really well with the chocolate and bring a little heat to the party.
Need more ideas? Check out our 40+ Easy Brunch Ideas & Recipes.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make Crock Pot Hot Chocolate:
powdered sugar – Many crockpot recipes call for sweetened condensed milk, however I find this to be way too sweet. Control the sweetness with powdered sugar instead. It dissolves easily and brings just the right amount of sweetness to your hot chocolate.
unsweetened cocoa powder – Cocoa powder is great for bringing easy chocolate favor to the pot.
spices – ground cinnamon and ground ginger make this such a warming beverage. You can swap in other flavors as you like. Scroll down for some hot cocoa variations.
vanilla extract – Vanilla ia a great addition to chocolate recipes, bringing out the creaminess and reducing its bitterness.
salt – Salt, too, plays a role in rounding out the flavors of chocolate. You don’t need much, but you’ll miss it if you omit it.
hot water – You need just a bit of hot water to help dissolve the powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
milk – This is one of the best milk recipes. You can use whole milk or a lower percentage fat milk as well as leftover evaporated milk you might have from another recipe. You can also use almond milk or another plant-based milk. For added creaminess, you can add a bit of heavy whipping cream.
toppings – Toppings are optional, but definitely make your Crockpot Hot Chocolate more fun! Offer any of the folling for toppings: whipped cream, chocolate syrup, sprinkles, shaving from a chocolate bar, mini semi sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, crushed candy canes, cinnamon sticks, or peppermint sticks.
Pro tip: If it’s too hot for the kids, you can add frozen milk cubes or frozen almond milk cubes to cool it down without diluting the flavor.
Variations
There are lots of ways to tweak this recipe to suit your tastes.
- Peppermint – Omit the spices and add peppermint extract or peppermint syrup instead.
- Mocha – Omit the spices and add 2 scoops of instant coffee to the cocoa mixture.
- Malt – add ¼ cup malted milk powder to the cocoa mixture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make Crock Pot Hot Chocolate:
In the crock of a two-quart slow cooker, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, spices, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in the hot water and stir until very smooth.
Whisk in the milk. Cover and heat on LOW until hot, about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Serve hot with optional toppings. That’s all there is to it!
TLDR? Watch the How to Make Crockpot Hot Chocolate web story.
FAQs
Using a crock pot or the slow cooker function on your instant pot is a great way to keep hot chocolate warm. Just give it a stir every once in awhile to keep things mixed.
Hot chocolate is in essense, chocolate milk. However, you may want to enrich your chocolate milk with extra chocolate, either chocolate syrup or chocolate chips.
You can prep this mixture in a pitcher or other container and store it in the refrigerator. Pour it into the slow cooker, give it a good stir, and heat according to the recipe.
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Crock Pot Hot Chocolate
Equipment
- slow cooker ideally 2 quart
Ingredients
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup hot water
- 4 cup milk
- toppings for the cocoa whipped cream, chocolate syrup, sprinkles, etc
Instructions
- In the crock of a two-quart slow cooker, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, spices, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in the hot water and stir until very smooth.¾ cup powdered sugar, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ cup hot water
- Whisk in the milk. Cover and heat on LOW until hot, about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.4 cup milk
- Serve hot with optional toppings.toppings for the cocoa
Notes
- Peppermint – Omit the spices and add peppermint extract or peppermint syrup instead.
- Mocha – Omit the spices and add 2 scoops of instant coffee to the cocoa mixture.
- Malt – add ¼ cup malted milk powder to the cocoa mixture.
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