Easy Crock Pot Hot Chocolate Recipeย – Quick Facts
- Ready in – 1 hour
- Serves – 12
- Main Ingredients – whole milk, heavy whipping cream, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips
- Dietary Info – Can easily be made dairy-free
- Origin – Here in Minnesota, hot chocolate is a must after a day in the ice shanty, sledding, or just out in the front yard building snowmen. And since my kiddos are sure to bring in some buddies, this crock pot hot chocolate is a life-saver!
I am constantly using my 8-qt. slow cooker this time of year, whether it’s for soups, stews, or this creamy crock pot hot chocolate.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- sugar: Granulated or coconut sugar will work.
- chocolate: My favorite brand is Ghirardelli and I usually go for the milk chocolate variety, but dark would work too.
- milk & cream: To make this dairy-free, use full fat canned coconut milk and unsweetened and unflavored almond milk.
How To Make Crockpot Hot Chocolate
Step 1: Add milk, cream, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla into your crock pot.
Step 2: Set crock pot on low and stir in chocolate chips.
Step 3: After it’s been on warm for an hour, give it a good stir.
Step 4: Add toppings and enjoy!
Crock Pot Hot Chocolate Variations
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate – Add a few drops of peppermint extract to add some fun flavor.
- Spiked – This would be amazing with a little addition of Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlรบa, or Amaretto. And for a slightly different flavor, try out our hot buttered rum recipe!
- Salted Caramel – Add a drizzling of caramel sauce and a sprinkling of sea salt.
- Mocha – If you need a little pick-me-up, add some brewed espresso.
Recipe FAQs & Tips
Use a whisk to break up the clumps of chocolate.
Keep the crock pot hot chocolate out all day long on the warm setting. Once it’s cooled, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days.
We’ve found one hour to be the magic number, but this might take longer depending on the type of chocolate that you’re using.
Melting chocolate often contains oils and waxes, so while it will melt in your crockpot, it may leave a waxy or oily film on your hot chocolate. We recommend using quality milk-chocolate chip for this recipe.
Packaged hot chocolate mix will work in this recipe. Use it in place of the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt.
No. This is because we’re using the low setting on our crock pot. If you set your crock pot to a higher setting, be sure to whisk often and turn it down to low once all of your ingredients have combined.
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Ingredients
- 5 cups whole milk
- 16 oz heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine: put the milk, heavy cream, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, and salt in the crock pot. Whisk to fully combine.
- Chocolate Chips: add chocolate chips and mix again.
- Cook: warm the slow cooker to the low setting for 1 hour.
- Whisk Again: Give the whole pot another whisk before serving.
- Warm + Serve: Keep the crock pot on warm and serve, as needed.
Notes
- Dairy Free Option: To make dairy free crock pot hot chocolate, simply use the following ingredients and follow the same instructions: 3 cans full fat coconut milk; 1.5 cup unsweetened almond milk; 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder; 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut sugar; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips
- Variations: Make this crock pot hot chocolate your own with peppermint, espresso, booze of your choice, or caramel!
- Scalding Milk: This is unlikely in this recipe as we’re never raising our crock pot temp higher than the low setting. If you increase the temp, be sure to stir your hot chocolate occasionally.
Liz says
This was so perfect after a day out at the pumpkin patch! We made it before we left and it was ready for the kiddos when we got home. Thank you!
Bridget Montag says
Super easy and nice to have on hand for a crowd for everyone to enjoy!
Stefanie T says
Made this easy recipe today for a hot chocolate bar. It was delicious! Added lots of toppings & some peppermint vodka for the adults. I will definitely be making this again. Perfect for parties!
Erin says
Thank you so much, Stephanie!!! So glad you enjoyed it and thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review – I really appreciate it!