Fall has finally arrived where I live.  It was so cold in my house this morning that I finally turned on my heat.  I was also looking for a nice hot drink to warm me up.  Since we are not a coffee drinking family, hot cocoa is our choice of hot drinks.  Even my kids love it!  So, I went to look for some hot chocolate packets and we were all out.  So, I decided to pull out my hot cocoa mix recipe, since I usually have all of the ingredients in the house to make it.  I have shared this before but thought it would be good to share again with the colder fall weather.  Here it is in case your family wants to try it. Don’t forget to include you kids they will love helping with this recipe.

Hot Cocoa Mix

4 cups instant powdered nonfat dry milk

1-1/2 to 2 cups sugar

1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 gallon size zip lock storage bag or sealable container

1 small package of instant store-bought chocolate or vanilla pudding mix (optional but really good)

Measure all of the ingredients into a gallon size zip lock storage bag.  You will need to decide how sweet you want your cocoa but 2 cups is usually well liked by kids. When everything is inside, you just close the bag making sure to get out as much air as possible and shake it all up making sure all of the ingredients mix well.  You can also store this in a sealed container,  just mix in a bowl with a whisk then add to container.  This can also make a really nice inexpensive gift for friends and family.   For adults, if you like coffee, you can add ¼ cup of instant coffee to make a mocha flavor cocoa.

To Prepare:  Add 1/3 cup of the hot cocoa mix to 1 cup of boiling water.  Mix well with a whisk. Serve and enjoy 

My Review

This is some of the best hot cocoa I have drunk.  My kids also love it.  It’s really good on a cold morning or after you go sledding or caroling.  Actually it’s great anytime it is cold out.  My family has it every Christmas with homemade cinnamon rolls.  Yummy!

Other Homemade Cocoa Recipes

Are you watching what you eat?  Here’s a recipe that you can use for cocoa mix that you do not have to feel guilty about.

Fat Free/Sugar Free Hot Cocoa Mix

3 cups instant nonfat powdered milk

1 cup Splenda Granular

½ cup baking cocoa

1 small box fat free/sugar free instant vanilla or chocolate pudding

Mix ingredients together in a large zip lock bag and shake.  Store in bag or an airtight container.  To make a cup of hot chocolate, add ¼ cup of mix to 1 cup hot water.

Makes 18 servings

Per serving 58 calories, 0 g fat, 1g fiber