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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Crock Pot Beverages

    Crock Pot Hot Chocolate Recipe

    Published: Dec 14, 2018 ยท Updated: Nov 8, 2023 by Tammilee ยท This post may contain affiliate links

    Hereโ€™s an easy-to-make CrockPot Hot Chocolate Recipe made from scratch that saves you time and energy and stays warm all day, so you can quickly warm up after being out in the cold.

    Crockpot Hot Chocolate under a glass mug overflowing with whipped cream and chocolate syrup

     

    Crock Pot Hot Chocolate Recipe

    Contents show
    Crock Pot Hot Chocolate Recipe
    Preparation and Storage
    Recipe Variations
    Tips for the Best CrockPot Hot Chocolate
    What to Serve with CrockPot Hot Chocolate
    When to Serve
    Great Recipe Collections
    Crock Pot Hot Chocolate Recipe
    Ingredients
    Instructions
    Kitchen Tools
    Nutrition

    How many cups of hot chocolate do you make once the weather turns nasty? I dive into a hot chocolate kick when the weather turns. If the forecast says it will be super cold out, I must warm up with hot chocolate. It seems like something you have to do.

    I decided to make Crock Pot Hot Chocolate because, well:

    • I am tired of making it one cup at a time
    • I wanted something cheaper than individual packets
    • I wanted to see if it would work
    • Oh, and I love a lot of hot chocolate

    These are great reasons to make a big ole CrockPot of hot chocolate. So I did, and it was FANTASTIC!

    I set the CrockPot temperature to โ€œwarmโ€ and can serve cups of hot chocolate without a problem. Perfect for when everyone comes in from the cold and instantly wants a hot drink. Now, you can entertain a crowd with warm beverages without adding wear and tear to your microwave or tea kettle.

    You can even set up a Hot Chocolate topping bar and let everyone customize their drinks. I love to set out the whipped cream, chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, Nutella, marshmallows, nuts, and even maraschino cherries.

    Whatever fun toppings you have in the house work great! Keep everyone entertained by customizing their drinks to what they love!

    I love how easy this homemade hot chocolate is to make in the slow cooker! After a few minutes of prep, you are ready to serve a crowd. Depending on the size of your CrockPot, you can easily double or triple this recipe.

    The chocolate flavor is soooo good!

    Sugar, Salt, Hershey's Cocoa, vanilla, and milk on a counter

    Ingredients

    Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients needed to make an epic CrockPot Hot Chocolate Drink! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.

    • Granulated Sugar
    • Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
    • Salt
    • Water
    • Milk
    • Vanillaย 

    Optional Garnish - mini marshmallows, caramel sauce, milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips

    Equipment Needed

    • CrockPot
    • Sauce Pan
    • Kitchen Spoon/Whisk

    blue whisk in a pan of chocolate being mixed

    How to Make CrockPot Hot Chocolate

    I've included complete instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here's a quick version.

    1. Combine sugar, cocoa, salt, and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches a soft simmer.
    2. Pour into the CrockPot and stir in milk.
    3. Cover and cook, Stir in vanilla extract.
    4. Turn to warm for serving.

    Ladle filled with hot chocolate above a slow cooker

    Preparation and Storage

    Make-Ahead: This yummy hot chocolate is make-ahead-friendly! You can keep it in a CrockPot set to warm for up to two hours.

    Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and enjoy them within three days.

    Freezing/How to Freeze: While thereโ€™s nothing wrong from a food safety standpoint with freezing hot chocolate, frozen dairy-based products can develop a grainy texture when thawed, which no one will be happy about. We have an adults-only frozen Boozy Hot Chocolate recipe for ice-cold hot cocoa!

    How to Reheat: If you have a large batch to reheat, refrigerated CrockPot Hot Chocolate reheats well in a slow cooker set to warm. Otherwise, you can microwave individual leftovers in a microwave-safe mug.

    Crockpot hot chocolate in a glass mug topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup

    Recipe Variations

    Substitutions: Want more decadent hot chocolate with deeper flavor? Swap the white sugar with equal parts brown sugar.

    This can be made with whole milk

    Vegetarian Option: This recipe is vegetarian-friendly!

    Vegan Option: Vegans should replace the milk with a plant-based alternative to make this recipe vegan-friendly.

    Cashew milk, almond milk, and other dairy-free options work great.

    Gluten-Free: This recipe should be safe for a gluten-free diet, as none of the ingredients typically contain gluten. However, opt for gluten-free unsweetened cocoa powder, which sometimes contains gluten-unsafe additives.

    Alcohol-Free Option: We donโ€™t use alcohol in this recipe

    Hot Chocolate Cocktail: RumChata, whiskey, Peppermint Schnapps, Kahlua, or bourbon would be fantastic additions for an adult-only hot cocoa crowd. Just make sure to mark which slow cooker has the adult beverage.ย 

    Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: The written recipe makes eight servings. Scale it up or down to your desired yield. You may need extra CrockPots for additional batches; I have three!

    Make it Spicy: Add cayenne pepper for a Mexican Hot Chocolate to spice up your palate!

    Sugar-Free: The written recipe contains 26 grams of sugar per serving. Use a sugar-free white sugar substitute to make it sugar-free.

    Hot chocolate in a glass mug garnished with a heaping pile of whipped cream and chocolate syrup

    Tips for the Best CrockPot Hot Chocolate

    • I like setting up a hot chocolate bar next to my CrockPot with toppings and mix-ins so everyone can customize their hot chocolate. You can have marshmallows, candy canes, chocolate chips, sprinkles, caramel syrup, and so much more, so everyone can make their drink just how they like it.
    • Check out our best hot chocolate recipes for more hot chocolate bar ideas!

     

    What to Serve with CrockPot Hot Chocolate

    Skip the coffee shop trip and stay warm indoors with our homemade, easy-to-make CrockPot White Hot Chocolate. Serve it for any wintertime feast, from breakfast to dinner and afterward, especially if you plan to stay up past midnight and wait for Santa.

    Sides: Cheddar Bay Sausage Biscuits, Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Smokies, Cheesy Green Beans, Apple Stuffing, Sausage Breakfast Biscuit Cups, Cranberry Salsa, Pineapple Stuffing

    Main Dishes: Easy German Apple Pancake, Broccoli Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Yams, CrockPot Ham, CrockPot Coke Glazed Ham, Bourbon Baked Ham

    Desserts: 4 Ingredient Christmas Crack, Sugared Cranberries, Easy Holiday Reindeer Chow, Grinch Bark, Watergate Salad, Cherry Cheesecake Dip, Hot Chocolate Dip

    Drinks: Broken Down Golf Cart Shot, Baileys Hot Chocolate, Grinch Jello Shots, Fireball Jello Shots, Peppermint Patty Shot, Cranberry Mimosa, Three Wise Men Shot, Polar Bear Shot

    When to Serve

    • Holiday Gathering
    • Christmas Party
    • Holiday Brunch
    • Christmas Breakfast
    • Warm up on cold days

     

    Great Recipe Collections

    Hot Chocolate Recipes - We have a ton of different hot chocolate recipe ideas.

    Eggnog Recipes - These Eggnog Recipes are a great way to use a bottle of Eggnog this holiday season.

    Side Dishes for Hamย - What to serve with leftover ham for a great meal.

    Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipes - How to use the random can of sweetened condensed milk in the pantry.ย 

    Dump Cake Recipesย - Easy dump cakes that take as little as 3 ingredients to bake!

    Banana Recipesย - Wondering what to do with the ripe bananas on the counter? Don't worry we have a banana recipe you will love.

    Do you love recipes? Check out our copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and our CrockPot Recipes.

    Follow Tammilee Tips on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for all our recipe posts.

    Crockpot hot chocolate in a glass mug topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup

    Crock Pot Hot Chocolate Recipe

    How to make Homemade Crock Pot Hot Chocolate Recipe! Super easy to make and tastes amazing. Perfect for a cold winter day!ย 
    4 from 4 votes
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours hours
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 140kcal
    Author: Tammilee Tips

    Ingredients

    • โ…” cup White Sugar
    • ยฝ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • pinch Salt
    • ยฝ cup Water
    • 6 cups Milk
    • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Combine sugar, cocoa, salt and water in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture starts to simmer
    • Pour into crock pot, stir in milk
    • Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours until hot, stir in vanilla
    • Turn to warm for serving.

    Kitchen Tools

    • Slow cooker

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Crock Pot Hot Chocolate Recipe
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 140
    % Daily Value*
    Cholesterol 3mg1%
    Sodium 79mg3%
    Potassium 368mg11%
    Carbohydrates 28g9%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 26g29%
    Protein 7g14%
    Vitamin A 375IU8%
    Calcium 231mg23%
    Iron 0.8mg4%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Love this recipe?Follow @TammileeTIps on Pinterest
    Tried this recipe?Mention @TammileeTipsLife when you share a photo!

    Recipe originally shared on February 17, 2014. Updated October 2020.

     

     

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    About Tammilee

    Lifestyle blogger who travels the world and drinks too much Chai tea. Travel blogger, award winning photographer, sunset hunter, Birkenstock girl, bird nerd
    You can find Tammilee on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sheri

      November 18, 2015 at 6:22 pm

      4 stars
      How many servings does this make? I know that it depends on the cup size. Thanks for this awesome timely share!

      Reply
    2. Chris

      February 19, 2014 at 2:40 pm

      Genius.
      That is all.

      Reply
    3. Jen

      February 18, 2014 at 6:58 pm

      Oh my this looks good. But 2-3 hours of smelling warming chocolate, I might eat a box of cookies ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    4. valmg

      February 18, 2014 at 5:26 pm

      What an interesting idea! I wonder if there would be a way to add some marshmallows...,

      Reply
      • Tammilee

        February 18, 2014 at 5:48 pm

        You can never go wrong adding marshmallows!

        Reply
    5. Jennifer

      February 18, 2014 at 1:52 pm

      Seriously, you're killing me!

      Reply
      • Tammilee

        February 18, 2014 at 5:53 pm

        LOL! Nothing like a bit of chocolate goodness on a winter day

        Reply
    6. Teresa R.

      February 17, 2014 at 5:10 pm

      I'm a coffee person. but looking at that picture of hot chocolate. it makes me want to go and make some. love your recipes.

      Reply
      • Tammilee

        February 17, 2014 at 5:38 pm

        Teresa, I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes!!! the hot chocolate is divine!

        Reply
    7. Zainab

      February 17, 2014 at 12:27 pm

      Wow, I'm drooling! What a gorgeous picture. Love the recipe too ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    4 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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