It’s easy to make Classic Hot Cocoa for 1 from scratch! With a few ingredients, you can enjoy a yummy mug of homemade hot cocoa in minutes!
Who wants some yummy hot chocolate? I do, I do! Today I want to show you how easy it is to make (from scratch), Classic Hot Cocoa for 1. If you enjoy hot cocoa, I am sure you’ll enjoy this decadent treat.
A while ago it was a very cold day and I was craving hot chocolate but realized we were out of the store-bought “powder”. That’s when I did some quick research and discovered just how simple it is to make this yummy hot drink from scratch.
The recipe I am sharing today makes a single serving, but the recipe is super easy to double, triple or make in the quantity of servings you need. Here’s how to make classic hot coca for 1.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
What Ingredients Will I Need?
To make the hot chocolate from scratch you will need baking cocoa, milk, salt, granulated sugar and vanilla extract. You might want to garnish the finished hot cocoa with optional toppings, so make sure you also have those on hand.
If you want to add a topping to your finished drink, you might consider using whipped cream, colored decorative sprinkles, shaved chocolate or miniature marshmallows (optional toppings, but all are GOOD).
In a small bowl combine baking cocoa with granulated sugar and a tiny pinch of salt and set the dish aside. These 3 ingredients will be added to the hot milk later.
Making The Hot Cocoa
Measure 1 cup of milk into a small saucepan. I typically use low-fat milk to make my hot cocoa but use what you have. Begin to heat the milk on LOW heat until it is pretty warm (not hot).
With the heat still on LOW, add the baking cocoa, sugar, and salt mixture to the warm milk. Whisk well to combine them with the milk. Keep whisking, as it might take a minute or so to fully combine them with the milk.
Continue to heat the classic cocoa for 1 on Low heat until the mixture is fully combined and it is very hot, but do NOT let the mixture come to a boil!
Final Step
Once the hot cocoa is very HOT (but not boiling), remove the pan from the heat source. Add ¾ teaspoon of vanilla extract and stir well until it is fully incorporated into the hot cocoa. Now the hot chocolate is ready to be served and enjoyed!
Time To Enjoy Classic Hot Cocoa For 1
Pour the hot cocoa into a mug. During the Christmas holidays I love to use holiday-inspired mugs, like the snowman mug shown below. It always “seems” to make the hot chocolate more FESTIVE!
The classic hot cocoa for 1 can be enjoyed just as it is- hot and delicious, plain and simple. Even though it is absolutely yummy this way, I usually feel an urgent prompting (ha ha) to embellish it with more! That’s where an OPTIONAL topping comes in!
To Garnish Or Not to Garnish?
Hot chocolate connoisseurs of all ages would agree that a decadent mug of hot cocoa needs whipped cream or mini marshmallows on top, right? Adding a topping makes the mug of hot cocoa really cute and decorative, which I’m pretty sure makes it taste even more delicious than it already is!
For the holidays, I use whipped cream and decorative sprinkles to make it cute and “fancy”. If you’re on “Team Marshmallow”, simply add a handful of mini-marshmallows and some chocolate shavings! YUM!
By the way… speaking of decorative sprinkles… did you know you can make them from scratch, in colors you want? That’s right! If you’re curious, you can check out my blog post on how to do that HERE.
You can’t hurt this delicious beverage in my humble “hot cocoa-loving” opinion! Find a comfy chair, put on some good music and enjoy the decadent sweetness and warmth a mug of hot cocoa provides. I’m positive you’ll enjoy it… any time of the year!
I hope you have the opportunity to make this yummy hot chocolate for yourself. The recipe can be easily adapted to make as many servings as you need, and I know you’re going to enjoy it.
Thank you for stopping by today, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day!
Looking For More HOT BEVERAGE Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index which is located at the top of the page. I have other delicious hot beverage recipes you might enjoy, including:
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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
It's easy to make Classic Hot Cocoa for 1 from scratch! With a few ingredients, you can enjoy a yummy mug of homemade hot cocoa in minutes!
- 1 cup low-fat milk
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¾ Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking cocoa
- 1 tiny pinch salt
In a small bowl combine baking cocoa with sugar and a tiny pinch of salt; set aside.
Pour milk into a small saucepan. Heat the milk on LOW until it's very warm.
With the heat still on LOW, add the baking cocoa, sugar, and salt mixture. Whisk well to combine them with the milk. Keep whisking, as it might take a minute or two to fully combine them with the milk.
Continue heating on LOW until the cocoa is very hot, but do NOT let the mixture come to a boil!
Once HOT (but not boiling), remove the pan from the heat source. Add vanilla extract and stir well until it's incorporated into the hot cocoa.
Pour the hot cocoa into a mug. If desired, add optional toppings such as whipped cream, miniature marshmallows, decorative sprinkles, etc. Enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!