Make Hot Chocolate Mix from Pure Cocoa

Hot chocolate. It's a great winter drink, and it's even better when it doesn't come from a mix. This article presents a few ways to make your own drinking powder mix from scratch, at home.

Ingredients

Hot chocolate microwave mix:

  • Milk
  • Sugar or Stevia, either one is fine
  • Cocoa powder
  • Water

Hot chocolate boiled water mix:

  • 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
  • 4 tsp of sugar
  • 8 oz. of hot (boiling water), or however much is needed
  • 1/4 teaspoon butter/margarine (optional, adds richness)

Steps

Hot chocolate microwave mix

  1. Know the capacity of the mug. Most are 10 oz. but some are more 8 ounces and some more than 10.
  2. Put one tablespoon of sugar in the mug.
  3. Measure out one rounded teaspoon of cocoa powder and put it in the mug. You may want to use more but for the first time, start with one.
  4. Add two teaspoons of water. The next step is what paint chemists call "wetting out the pigment." Stir the sugar, water and cocoa until the cocoa is completely wetted out. You can tell this by the appearance of the surface. If it is reflective, you have wetted out the cocoa. If it is not, you need to stir more and possibly add a few more drops of water.
  5. Add about one inch of milk and stir to completely mix the cocoa paste and milk. Fill the rest of the mug with milk, up to about 1/2 an inch off the top. The mix will expand about 5% on heating, so don't over-fill.
  6. Put the mug in the microwave.
    • For an 8 oz cup, heat (on highest setting) for one minute, 45 seconds.
    • For a 10 oz cup, heat 2 minutes, 10 seconds.
    • For the best results, use a double-boiler to steam the milk over the stove.
  7. Watch the cup for the last 20 seconds. For some reason, the cocoa tends to foam up. Usually this does not happen but, just in case, watch. If it does, open the door and stir. Take out the spoon, close the door and finish heating.
  8. Enjoy!

Hot chocolate boiled water mix

  1. Assemble all ingredients before starting.
  2. Boil the water. While you're doing that, you can put the cocoa powder and sugar into the mug.
  3. Pour the boiled water into the mug with the other ingredients. Stir to combine thoroughly.
  4. Add 1/4 teaspoon of butter/margarine to add a rich taste. This is optional. Stir in.
  5. Serve immediately. Enjoy a nice hot steaming cup of an anti-oxidant rich delicious hot treat.

Suggestions for toppings

  1. Try one of the following as optional toppings for your homemade chocolate:
    • Sprinkle with cinnamon or extra cocoa powder over the top if desired.
    • Add marshmallows, whipped cream and some grated chocolate. If you put too much cocoa powder in, put more milk in it.
      • If you are a vegan, purchase vegan marshmallows from your health food store.
    • A dollop of whipped cream can also be added if desired.
    • Try adding peppermint extract for a wintry taste.

Tips

  • Try adding coffee instead of part of the milk. And if you're really daring, add cinnamon and cayenne pepper: "Mayan hot chocolate"!
  • Vegetarians and vegans can substitute soy milk, rice milk, oat milk etc. for dairy milk. Vanilla soy milk adds quite a delicious touch if you purchase a good quality brand.
  • Leave out the sugar if you like the strong, bitter taste of cocoa. It's an acquired taste but it is really, really good if you get used to it.
  • If your taste runs to more cocoa, use more.
  • If you make the hot chocolate using a kettle rather than a microwave, some people prefer the hot water to be poured straight onto the cocoa powder and then add the milk; this is to avoid a "scalded" taste to the milk. This is a personal choice, you may or may not detect the difference. Mix well, whichever way you choose to pour your milk (and/or water).
  • Most of the antioxidants found in chocolate actually come from the cocoa, so enjoy without guilt.
  • In method 1, save a little time by heating the milk (or water) while you prepare the cocoa paste. Pure milk is less likely to boil over if you are heating in a microwave. The paste dissolves more easily in hot milk.
  • If method one is too difficult for you, (it shouldn't be), you can pour about two thirds of milk into a cup. Microwave it for about 45 seconds. Take it out and add 2 to 3 spoonfuls of cocoa powder. Mix until it's fully dissolved. Heat it up again in the microwave for about 1 minute. Enjoy!

Warnings

  • Remove the spoon before putting the cup in the microwave.
  • Be careful when pouring boiling water.
  • Don't attempt to overheat. Also note item about last 20 seconds of heating (above).
  • Make sure the mug is microwavable.
  • Be careful when you first drink from the mug, as it may be hot.
  • If you are lactose intolerant, serve with soy milk, almond milk or lactose-free milk

Things You'll Need

  • Mugs
  • Spoon
  • Teaspoon
  • Microwave or kettle (depending on method)
  • Tablespoon

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