Recipes

Homemade Instant Hot Cocoa Mix – added March 4, 2026

I began making my own hot chocolate mix when I realized how much I was drinking and how expensive the sugar free mix actually is. After searching Pinterest for the starting point, I settled on this recipe from nisahomey.blogspot.com:

1 cup milk powder (I used 2%, use what you like)

3/4 cup powdered sugar (I use Spenda)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 cup chocolate chips (I mix semi-sweet with white chocolate wafers)

My additions:

tsp-tbsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

1/4-1/3 Vanilla Powder (see links page but I’ve seen it on the Walmart site too)

Tbsp Vanilla extract (measure with your heart)

Mini-Marshmallows

When cooking, I use recipes as a starting point and adapt them to my personal taste. Instead of powdered sugar I use Splena Blend because it’s a 1:1 ratio to real sugar. 

I split the chocolate chips between semi-sweet chocolate chips from Bake Believe and white chocolate wafers from Lily’s; these modifications cut down on the total sugar. And to be entirely forthcoming, I usually add another 1/4 to 1/3 cup of additional white chocolate wafers.

I add the chocolate chips and wafers into my food processor and pulse a few times to get everything chopped up before letting it run to create a powder. Don’t let it run a long time as the motor on your food processor will heat the blades and melt your chocolate!

While the food processor is doing the hard work, I measure out the milk powder, cocoa powder, and sugar and sift them with about a teaspoon of pink Himalayan Sea Salt and 1/4-1/3 cup vanilla powder (I get this from Amazon. Please see my “Links” page – if you order, I *may* receive a commission that doesn’t impact your overall price).

Once the chocolate is into as fine a powder as the food processor can do, I add the sifted ingredients and again pulse to incorporate everything together. Now, you’re going to think this is strange but I actually add a tablespoon or two of actual liquid vanilla while blending. Sometimes it clumps and sometimes it doesn’t but the clumps don’t affect the flavor.

I then transfer the entire mixture into a canning jar using a spoon and a canning funnel. If you try and pour directly from the food processor bowl, the blades will come out of the bowl and you’ll end up with hot cocoa mix everywhere! (I’ll never tell how I know)

I usually double this recipe. Hot Chocolate is my emotional support drink.

To make, I mix about two tablespoons with 8-10 ounces of hot water and another 2-4 ounces of half and half (this provides additional creaminess)

The first time I made this I also added a full bag of mini marshmallows to the food processor. Now, mostly to avoid having to buy a bigger jar, I just add the mini-marshmallows whole as I make the mix. They mix into the hot chocolate with the hot water – delicious and makes the same amount as Nestle Zero Hot Chocolate at less than half the price.