Description
This Crock Pot Hot Chocolate is a rich, creamy slow cooker drink that’s perfect for cozy winter nights, holiday gatherings, and make-ahead hot cocoa bars. It’s an easy recipe that fits right into your quick breakfast treats, dessert food ideas, and cold-weather breakfast ideas, and it even works alongside easy dinner menus when you want something sweet to sip afterward. If you’re searching for simple drink ideas, dinner ideas, or even a fun “healthy snack” alternative to heavy desserts, this crowd-pleasing hot cocoa is the ultimate warm-you-up comfort in a mug.
Ingredients
4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
0.5 cup milk chocolate chips
0.25 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
0.33 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
0.25 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup whipped cream for topping
1.5 cups mini marshmallows for topping
0.25 cup chocolate shavings for topping
Instructions
1. Lightly grease the inside of the crock pot with nonstick spray or a little butter to help prevent sticking.
2. Add the whole milk, heavy cream, semi sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and fine sea salt to the crock pot.
3. Whisk well until the cocoa powder is mostly dissolved and everything is evenly combined.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for about 2 hours, whisking every 30 to 40 minutes, until the chocolate chips are fully melted and the mixture is smooth and silky.
5. Turn the crock pot to WARM and stir in the vanilla extract. Taste and adjust sweetness by adding a little more sugar if desired.
6. If the hot chocolate is thicker than you like, whisk in a splash of milk until it reaches your preferred consistency.
7. Ladle the hot chocolate into mugs and top with whipped cream, mini marshmallows, and chocolate shavings.
8. Keep the crock pot on WARM so guests can refill their mugs, stirring occasionally to keep the texture smooth.
Notes
For extra-rich flavor, replace 0.5 cup of the milk with half-and-half or add an extra 0.25 cup semi sweet chocolate chips.
To make flavored versions, stir in 0.5 teaspoon peppermint extract, 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or 2 tablespoons caramel sauce after cooking, then adjust sweetness to taste.
If the hot chocolate sits on WARM for several hours and thickens, whisk in small splashes of milk to loosen it and keep the texture smooth and sippable.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 120
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 32
- Sodium: 140
- Fat: 17
- Saturated Fat: 11
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 34
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 8
- Cholesterol: 45
Keywords: crock pot hot chocolate, slow cooker hot chocolate, hot cocoa, winter drinks, easy recipe, holiday dessert, food ideas, breakfast ideas, dinner ideas, quick breakfast, easy dinner, healthy snack