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Home » Recipes » Drinks

Homemade Hot Chocolate (3 ingredients)

By: Kathryn Doherty | Last Updated: Mar 6, 2025 | Published: Mar 3, 2015
This post may contain affiliate links. See my 
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A simple 3-ingredient homemade hot chocolate recipe that's ready in minutes! It's also sugar-free and can be made dairy-free.

A white coffee cup with homemade hot chocolate topped with mini marshmallows.


 

Homemade hot chocolate can be ready just as fast as heating your milk and stirring in one of those store-bought packets. It's really that simple and that quick.

And best of all, you don't need the packets, with all their funny extras and that strange aftertaste. You just need cocoa powder and honey and milk. Really, that's all.

Three ingredients and three minutes to make your own hot cocoa anytime. Aww yeah!

I love, too, that it's naturally sweetened with honey and has no added sugars. That's particularly important to me for my little ones.

And does it get better than a warm mug of hot chocolate on a cold day? Especially a snow day? ❄️

A white coffee cup with homemade hot chocolate topped with mini marshmallows with a spoon to the side.

We don't get many snow days here in N.C., and when we do, I'm not always stocked up on the snow day essentials.

Which is why I just make my own homemade hot cocoa. I don't have to worry about buying it at the store in advance because I've always got these ingredients on hand in the pantry.

I'm ready anytime the craving strikes!

(If you're looking for a party version, check out this crock pot hot chocolate that is crazy rich and creamy and delicious and perfect for guests!)

Ingredients for making hot cocoa from scratch
Hot cocoa warm in a sauce pan

This year is the first time I've made it for M.

I wasn't quite sure how to serve it to her, honestly. I didn't think she could wield a coffee mug at age 3. So I let it cool WAY down (which was necessary anyway since I knew she'd start gulping instead of doing the slow sip-blow lightly-sip method) and put it in one of her regular sippy cups.

She took those first tentative little sips and her eyes lit up. She was in heaven!

Recipe Notes:

  • Milk: You can use your milk of choice. I use soy milk because M has a milk allergy, but any kind of milk will work: skim, 1%, 2%, almond milk, etc.
  • You'll need to really whisk to get the cocoa powder well combined with the milk.
  • Heating: The milk takes just a minute or two to heat up. Taste test with a spoon or stick a finger in to see how warm it is and take it off before it gets too hot. (That way you can serve it right away!)
  • Servings: This recipe makes enough for one large mug. You can double, triple or quadruple this recipe as necessary, depending on how many you are serving.
  • Honey: You can also adjust the honey to your liking if you want a sweeter drink. You could even melt in some dark chocolate if you wanted to kick the whole thing up a notch.
A coffee mug full of hot cocoa

And of course, top it with your hot cocoa favorites.

Topping Ideas:

  • Mini marshmallows
  • Whipped cream
  • Crushed graham crackers
  • Crumbled cookies
  • Candy canes or peppermint sticks or spoons
  • Mini chocolate chips

Go as crazy as you like with the toppings!

Oh, and you can also make some marshmallow snowmen for a fun addition at the holidays! Check those out with these other easy, cute Christmas treats for kids.

A white coffee mug with hot cocoa and mini marshmallows

This sure made for a fun mother-daughter afternoon treat on a snow day. ❤️

And once you've seen how easy and delicious it is to make it yourself, you won't want to go back to that store-bought stuff. Promise.

(Probably you won't even need to come back to this recipe. It's one of those recipes that you'll just memorize after the first couple of times you make it.)

Enjoy and stay warm!

XO,

Kathryn

A coffee mug full of hot chocolate and topped with mini marshmallows.
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Homemade Hot Chocolate

A simple 3-ingredient homemade hot chocolate recipe that's ready in minutes! It's also sugar-free and can be made dairy-free.
Cook Time3 minutes mins
Total Time3 minutes mins
Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk of choice (such as skim, 2%, soy, etc.)
  • ¾ teaspoon cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon honey

Instructions

  • Add milk to a small saucepan over medium heat.
  • Whisk in the cocoa powder and honey. You'll need to whisk continuously until the cocoa powder is well incorporated.
  • Once the milk is warmed, which takes just a minute or two, remove from heat.
  • Pour into your favorite mug, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

Notes

Servings: You can double, triple or quadruple this recipe as necessary, depending on how many you are serving.
Honey: You can adjust the amount of honey you use to suit your tastes.
Add your favorite toppings: mini marshmallows, whipped cream, mini chocolate chips, crumbled graham crackers or cookies, peppermint sticks or candy canes, etc.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 9g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 103mg | Sugar: 18g
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or follow me on Instagram @familyfoodonthetable and tag me in your photo!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jerri

    February 19, 2016 at 1:24 am

    Your hot chocolate looks very yummy! Thanks for linking up for Friday Favorites. I'm featuring you this week.

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      February 19, 2016 at 10:13 am

      Thanks Jerri! And thanks so much for featuring me 🙂

      Reply
  2. Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life

    February 21, 2016 at 11:44 am

    Homemade hot chocolate is the best! I could go for a steaming hot mug of this right now!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      February 22, 2016 at 1:43 pm

      Right?! So comforting! And way too easy not to DIY!

      Reply
  3. Carlee

    February 28, 2016 at 11:34 am

    What a great way to make a classic favorite treat a little healthier! Thanks for sharing at Throwback Thursday!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      February 28, 2016 at 2:54 pm

      Thanks Carlee! I think homemade is always so much healthier and tastier!

      Reply
  4. Frugal Hausfrau

    March 01, 2016 at 11:25 pm

    I never thought to use honey! Yum! Thanks for bringing this by Throwback Thursday!

    Mollie

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      March 02, 2016 at 7:24 pm

      Thanks Mollie! I love that it makes it all natural!

      Reply

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Meet Kathryn

Hi there! I’m Kathryn Doherty, a cookbook author, mom of two, and devoted food and home cooking nut. I’ve got lots of easy recipes to help you get delicious food on the table for your family!

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