Crockpot Hot Chocolate with Instant Mix Recipe – Easy & Delicious

Crockpot hot chocolate with Instant Mix is one of my favorite hot winter drinks to enjoy in the morning.

It’s an easy, rich, and creamy hot chocolate recipe, perfect for cold weather.

However, sometimes I don’t want to use the stove or microwave, especially when making for multiple people.

So, I found a way to make crockpot hot chocolate with instant mix. 

This method is hands-off, foolproof, and perfect for serving a crowd, especially when it’s a holiday gathering, a family dinner, or just a cozy night in.

In this article, I will share a crockpot hot chocolate with an instant mix recipe, plus some optional add-ins for extra flavor and things that I personally serve with it and recommend others try. 

 

Why You Should Try Crockpot Hot Chocolate with Instant Mix

There are a couple of reasons why I love making crockpot hot chocolate with instant mix and why I want you to try. 

• The first reason to love crockpot hot chocolate with instant mix is its convenience. You just have to use Instant Mix and follow the simple process. You won’t have to measure cocoa powder, sugar, or other ingredients; just pour some mix, and your crockpot will do the rest of the things.
• When cooked slowly in a crockpot, hot chocolate becomes more flavorful and has a luxurious, smooth, and creamy texture, which we usually don’t get on a stovetop.
• This recipe is highly customizable, you can add different types of toppings, sweeteners or even experiment with some of your own mix-ins.
• When hosting a party or enjoying a movie night, this crockpot chocolate is still recommended because, with less effort, you can make too much while having a chat with your guests or watching a movie.

 

Ingredients for the Best Crockpot Hot Chocolate with Instant Mix

Now, let’s talk about what ingredients you need to make the rich and creamy crockpot hot chocolate. 

Here are some essential ingredients and optional add-ins that you can add for extra flavor or creaminess. 

Essential Ingredients:

• Instant Hot Chocolate Mix – You will need to choose a high-quality mix for the best flavor, and you can even combine different brands for a unique taste. Some of the best brands that I recommend are…Swiss Miss, Ghirardelli, Nestlé, and Land O’Lakes, etc. These brands offer some rich and creamy texture, plus balanced chocolate flavor. But for decent taste, I like Ghirardelli and Swiss Miss (You can even blend them for uniqueness)
• Milk—You can use any milk, but I prefer whole milk because it is good for creamy, full-bodied hot chocolate. Other versions, like 2% milk for lighter versions or plant-based milk like almond milk or oat milk, are fine, too.

Optional Add-Ins for Extra Flavor and Creaminess:

If you want to take your slow-cooker hot chocolate to the next level, I recommend trying any add-ins to enhance richness and flavor. I have tried most of these things, and I loved them.

• Heavy Cream or Half-and-Half – If you add heavy cream, it will make your chocolate more thick and indulgent. And I really like thick beverages, especially hot chocolate. So you can try that too.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk – This is good if you want to add some sweetness and have a silky smooth texture.
• Vanilla Extract or a Pinch of Salt – Vanilla is good if you want to enhance chocolate flavor and a pinch of salt when you want to balance sweetness.
• Espresso Powder – You can add a pinch of espresso powder, if you want to make your drink more chocolatey (without making it overly strong). So it’s a good option for coffee lovers like me.
• Coconut Cream – It’s a dairy-free option for vegans, and it can bring some extra richness and subtle tropical note in your hot chocolate with instant mix.
• Caramel Sauce or Dulce de Leche – You can stir one tablespoon of it for a sweet and buttery flavor.
• Peanut Butter or Nutella – These both options are good for nutty depth and creamy depth in Crockpot hot cocoa. 
• Cinnamon or Pumpkin Spice – If you want to have a little bit of a spicy flavor, you can add them, especially in fall and winter.

With these ingredients and mix-ins, your crockpot hot chocolate will be creamy, flavorful, and highly customizable for any occasion!

 

Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Perfect Crockpot Hot Chocolate

After bringing all the ingredients and deciding what add-ins you want to include for extra flavor and creaminess, here is the step-by-step guide that you need to follow.

Step 1: Prepare the Crockpot

Before making this delicious homemade crockpot hot chocolate, you need to prepare your slow cooker or crockpot.

You can use non-stick spray, but I like butter because I’m a bit skinny, and I want a few extra calories. 

However, using grease will prevent milk and chocolate from sticking on the crockpot bottom. And you can also clean it easier.

Step 2: Add the Instant Hot Chocolate Mix

After that you would want to pour some instant chocolate mix into the crockpot. I recommend you to go with a high quality instant mix. Or simply use different brands for a unique flavor.

Step 3: Pour in the Milk and Additional Ingredients

All right, so after adding instant chocolate mix, you need to add your preferred milk like whole milk for creaminess and if you are vegan, you can use dairy-free alternatives like almond or coconut milk. 

Plus, if you want to use add-ins, (Heavy Cream, Vanilla extract, etc) add them right now for extra flavor and richness.

Step 4: Stir Well to Combine

After doing these things like grease, adding instant mix, additional ingredients for flavor, you will want to stir all these things using a whisk until all ingredients are not completely mixed.

Plus, you want to make sure there is no clump of instant mix. You just want to focus on making it smooth.

Step 5: Set the Crockpot to Low Heat

Now, turn your crockpot to low heat and let this mixture set up slowly. When you are cooking on low heat, it will help all the flavors to meld together, which is good for creamy texture, even without scorching the milk. You want to keep simmering it for around 1-2 hours.

Step 6: Stir Occasionally and Adjust Consistency

As I said, you want to keep it on low heat for around 1 or 2 hours, but you want to check the hot chocolate every 30 minutes and then stir it lightly. 

And in case the texture gets a little bit thick, which you don’t want, so you can add a little ilk in that and then again stir it. 

On the other hand, if it gets too thin, which you also don’t like, then you can simmer it for a longer time or just add a little more hot chocolate powder.

Step 7: Serve Warm with Your Favorite Toppings

Once the hot chocolate has reached your desired consistency, like thick or thin, whatever you want to have. (Btw, I prefer thick). You want to pour that into a mug and top it with a cream. 

Besides this, for toppings you can also use marshmallow, chocolate shavings, or any of your favorite things. However, being a pistachio lover, I use that.

 

Troubleshooting Tips for the Perfect Crockpot Hot Chocolate

I have noticed that many people do not make hot chocolate with instant mix in a crockpot, and they use traditional methods. And that’s why it’s very common to make mistakes. 

However, here is the guide. If something doesn’t turn out quite right, you can follow these simple steps to fix that.

• Hot chocolate is too thick? Add a little warm milk and stir until you get the perfect creamy hot chocolate consistency.
• Too thin? You want to simmer hot chocolate for a longer time or you can stir in some more instant hot chocolate mix. It will also make it thick.
• Not sweet enough? Consider adding some sugar, sweetened condensed milk, or honey.
• Lumpy texture? You need to use a whisk to break up lumps or a blender for a smoother finish.
• Milk is scalding? You can reduce heat to warm or turn off the crockpot once hot chocolate is ready. If you keep it on high for a longer period of time, it will cause milk scorching.

 

Creative Toppings for the Best Crockpot Hot Chocolate

Making crockpot hot chocolate with instant mix is easy, but one thing that will make it even more appealing and flavorful is topping. 

I have used most of these things which I mentioned down below, and I highly recommend you must add these things too.

Classic & Creamy Toppings:

• Whipped Cream (Classic or Flavored) – You must want to have it if you want a creamy chocolate. I recommend you try the flavor of whipped cream like caramel, peppermint, or cinnamon.
• Mini Marshmallows or Marshmallow Fluff – They will give an extra smooth and frothy texture, so you can melt them into your hot chocolate.

Chocolate Lover’s Toppings:

• Chocolate Shavings or Cocoa Powder – If you add a little bit dark, milk or even white chocolate shavings, it will make every sip more decadent.
• Chocolate Syrup Drizzle – If you want to deepen your drink richness, you can use a thick swirl of chocolate syrup.

Festive & Fun Toppings:

• Crushed Peppermint or Cinnamon Sprinkles – this is good, if you want to give your drink a holiday flair and a touch of spice.
• Crushed Cookies (Oreos, Biscoff, or Graham Crackers) – They’re good if you want a crunchy contrast to the creamy drink.

Crunchy & Nutty Additions:

• Toasted Coconut Flakes – It gives your drink a subtle tropical, nutty flavor.
• Chopped Nuts (Almonds, Pecans, or Hazelnuts) – A bit of crunch makes every sip interesting (I love pistachios, so I use them in more of my recipes)

Caramel & Sweet Extras:

• Caramel Drizzle or Butterscotch Sauce – You want to add this for a buttery and rich sweetness that pairs beautifully with your Crockpot hot chocolate recipe.
• Toffee Bits or Crushed Heath Bars – They’ll crunch some crunch with a deep caramelized flavor.

 

Presentation Ideas for a Stunning Mug of Hot Chocolate

As I said in the beginning, this crockpot hot chocolate with an instant mix recipe is quite good when you want to host guests, etc. 

So here are some presentation ideas that you need to incorporate to impress your guests, partner, even for yourself.

• You want to rim your chocolate mug with some hot chocolate and crushed candy cans to add festive touch and extra flavor in every sip. 
• I recommend you to use a clear glass mug to show off the white cream drizzle and toppings layers. It will give a beautiful look to your drink.

 

What to Serve with Crockpot Hot Chocolate

If you serve your crockpot hot chocolate with an instant milk recipe and some more things, 

It will give you a more full dessert-like feeling which you can serve in breakfast, in gathering, etc. So here are some options that I recommend you to use based on occasion.

Best Desserts to Serve with Hot Chocolate

• Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies 
• Cinnamon Rolls or Mini Donuts
• Brownies or Fudge
• Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti 

Savory Pairings for a Sweet-and-Salty Balance

• Soft Pretzels with Cheese Dip
• Popcorn with a Sweet-and-Salty Seasoning 
• Salted Nuts (Almonds, Cashews, or Pecans)
• Buttered Crostini with Brie 

Perfect Breakfast Pairings:

• Flaky Croissants or Muffins
• Pancakes or Waffles 
• French Toast Sticks 
• Granola Bars or Oatmeal Cookies

 

Ingredient Substitutes for Crockpot Hot Chocolate

This easy Crockpot Hot Chocolate with instant mix is highly customizable. Here are some substitutes to suit your dietary needs and preferences. 

• Milk: There are many options that you can use if you don’t want to have a whole milk. So for dairy free option you can go with oat, coconut, or soy milk. I prefer almond milk for mild nutty flavor and oat milk for more naturally creaminess.
• Heavy Cream: You can substitute it with half and half, evaporated milk or full fat coconut milk. If you use half and half, it will give you a balance of milk and cream. While evaporated milk will give you cream-like depth flavor.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: You can replace it with milk and sugar mix, like 1 cup of milk plus 1⁄4 cup of sugar. It’s a homemade substitute for sweetness and thickness. 
• Instant Hot Chocolate Mix: You can replace it with cocoa powder, sugar, and a pinch of salt as a DIY alternative. You’ll need 1⁄4 cup of cocoa powder, 1⁄4 cup of sugar, and a pinch of salt for a similar chocolaty test. You also need to add nonfat dairy milk powder for a creamy texture.

 

Nutritional Value

Here’s a nutritional breakdown per serving (8 oz):

• Calories: 200-250 (depending on milk and add-ins).
• Fat: 8-10g (It also vary on cream and milk type you using).
• Sugar: 20-25g (you can adjust it based on mix and toppings).
• Protein: 6-8g.

Healthier Options:

• You can use low-fat milk or unsweetened almond milk.
• Opt for a sugar-free instant mix.
• If you don’t to consume too much calories, skip heavy cream and whipped cream for a lighter version.

Remember that it’s approximate nutrition value; the actual value will depend on the quantity of our ingredients, brands, etc. 

 

Tips for Perfect Crockpot Hot Chocolate Every Time

• Use whole milk or a combination of milk and cream for a richer texture – Whole milk will give a creamy base, heavy cream or half-and-half will enhance the velvety consistency. 
• Avoid overheating to prevent a grainy texture – High heat will scorch the milk or sometimes it can cause the chocolate to separate. So keep the crockpot on low heat and stir occasionally for a smooth, creamy drink.
• Keep it warm on the “warm” setting for hours without burning – Once your hot chocolate is ready, you need to switch your crockpot to the “warm” setting. It will drink at the right temperature without overcooking. 
• Clean your crockpot immediately after use to avoid residue buildup – Leftover chocolate get stick to the sides and it becomes tough to clean. I recommend you clean it as soon as possible.

 

Can I use water instead of milk?

Absolutely, you can use that, but I haven’t used it because using milk gives the drink a creamy and flavorful texture, which is important for hot chocolate. 

While if you use water, just because you want to experiment with that, it will make your drink thinner and it won’t be rich too. 

However, if you still want to use water, I highly recommend that you use some heavy cream or non-dairy creamer for extra body.

 

How long can I keep it in the crockpot?

You want to use the warm setting in your crockpot if you do, so you can keep your hot chocolate with instant mix warm for around 4 hours. But you need to stir it occasionally to maintain smooth consistency. 

You will especially want to use this feature when you are organizing a party or a dinner.

 

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the hot chocolate with an instant mix around 3 days before serving it. 

But you will want to keep that in a cold place like a refrigerator and reheat it in a crock pot on low. And stir occasionally until it’s warm enough to serve.

 

What’s the best instant hot chocolate mix to use?

I like Swiss Miss, Ghirardelli, crockpot hot chocolate with instant mix. You can also use homemade mix made from cocoa powder, sugar, and powder milk for customized flavor.

 

Conclusion

This was the easy crockpot hot chocolate with instant mix recipe, which is a perfect cozy drink that you can make on any special occasion. 

Especially when you’re hosting birthday parties, celebrating anniversary, valentine, etc. I mean it’s good for all types of gathering.

Besides this, it is highly customizable, and on top of that, you can serve too many things. 

Now, I encourage you to try this easy crockpot hot chocolate recipe and serve it with your favorite toppings and mix-ins.

Let me know in the comments how it turned out, what ingredients you used, and your favorite hot chocolate variations!

All the best!