Cold days mean hot chocolate on repeat. Once I saw what was actually in the store-bought mix, I stopped buying it altogether.
Our homemade version is rich, smooth, and so good my boys refuse to drink anything else.
I guess I’ve officially raised a couple of hot cocoa snobs.
I make one batch, and it lasts all winter—sometimes I have to double it, because it's great for gifting, too!
Ingredients
- 4 cups granulated sugar (or vanilla sugar you've already made, no need to add beans)
- 8 split crosswise Mexican beans. (Skip if using vanilla sugar)
- 1½ pounds high-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 8 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
Optional: 1/2 tsp of Crimson Spice or Winter Spice Vanilla Extracts. Both are delish additions to this recipe!! To make it for the coffee lover grown-up, add 1 oz of Coffee Liqueur, homemade is best!
Instructions
- Place sugar in a large bowl. Split the vanilla beans lengthwise, scrape the seeds into sugar, and add the pods. Work the seeds in with your fingers. Cover and let it sit overnight at room temperature.
- In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate until finely ground.
- Remove the pods from the sugar. Add ground chocolate and cocoa powder to the sugar, and whisk to blend.
- Store the mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to six months.
- To serve: Heat 2 cups of milk over the stove to reach a scalding temperature. Careful not to boil. Stir in 2-3 tbsps of your hot chocolate mix.
- Add the Crimson Spice or Winter Spice Vanilla Extract if using. It takes it up a notch. And for the grown-ups, 1 oz of Coffee Liqueur. Yum!
- Top it with whipped cream, or a sprinkle of cinnamon, or both!
