Perfect Hot Chocolate (Stovetop or Slow Cooker)


There are recipes for the best hot chocolate all over the internet, and the most popular ones I see all the time are the ones developed to be made in a slow cooker.  Most of those involve sweetened condensed milk (an entire can),  loads of chocolate chips, and lots of heavy cream.  Granted, the hot chocolate is delicious, but I honestly don't know how anyone can finish even half of a cup.  My entire family feels those recipes are just too rich and way too sweet.  We are, however, major hot chocolate lovers and so I wanted to develop a recipe that was still rich, sweet, and full of chocolate, without putting all of us into a sugar coma.

I'm telling you - this is the recipe!!!

We love it!

All of us!!

And as a bonus we can actually finish a cup of it.  Hooray!

Forever and always, this will be the homemade hot chocolate recipe in our house.

It is so easy, and can be quickly made on the stovetop if you are in a hurry, or you can put all the ingredients in a slow cooker on low for a couple of hours and you will also be blessed with the best creamy, chocolaty, hot chocolate of your life.



I don't make this hot chocolate often, it is kind of an indulgence,  but when I do, I usually make it on the stovetop. I make it in the slow cooker about once a year.  At Christmas-time, I like to surprise my boys with a special hot chocolate bar day after school.  Since my boys attend four different schools, they arrive home at different times and preparing the hot chocolate in the slow cooker allows it to be ready whenever they walk in the door.

If you, like me, find the other slow cooker hot chocolate recipes to be a little too rich and a little too sweet, I recommend you give this recipe a try.  I am sure you will be happy you did.



And if you are feeling super adventurous you can add some whipped cream, marshmallows and a candy cane.  My youngest highly recommends it!


Yield: 8
Author: Domestic Daybook - Tonia
Perfect Hot Chocolate

Perfect Hot Chocolate

This perfect, creamy, and rich hot chocolate can be made on the stovetop or the slow cooker for whatever your schedule demands.
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 15 Min

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 7 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp. real vanilla extract

Instructions

Stovetop Instructions:
  1. Whisk together sugar, cocoa, and salt in a large pot. Whisk in the water. Cook and stir together over medium high heat until the mixture boils. Reduce heat and continue stirring while the mixture simmers for about two minutes. Add the milk and cream and heat all together, but do not allow it to come to a boil. When the hot chocolate is to the correct temperature remove from heat and add vanilla.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
  1. Whisk together sugar, cocoa, and salt in a slow cooker. Whisk in the water. Turn the slow cooker to high and cover. Allow the mixture to warm up a bit for about 15 minutes. Then add the milk and cream and stir to combine. Turn the slow cooker to low and heat all together, for about two hours. When the hot chocolate is to the correct temperature add the vanilla and serve.
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