Instant Holiday Hot Cocoa

Package up this homemade Instant Holiday Hot Cocoa in giftable jars and share them with everyone. A great gift idea for a classroom or an extracurricular team; they also make really cute stocking stuffers! This assembly-type recipe has everything needed to make the best hot cocoa – just add hot water or scalded milk!

As much as I absolutely love and adore Christmas, I do know that for some people, it can be the most stressful time of year. With that said, a great-tasting Instant Holiday Hot Cocoa might just be the quick pick me up that you need. Oftentimes, I will fix myself a cup of tea in the afternoon, but during the colder months, I can’t think of anything more relaxing than a good book and hot chocolate!

Not everyone is fortunate enough to celebrate Christmas the way others might. So, if you know someone who might not be a parent, Christmastime can be just as stressful for them. There are many things that can cause a stressful holiday, not just super excited kids. It can be financially stressful for some people. It can be depressing or upsetting for others. And, in some cases, it can be lonely. Do your best to share some goodies or cheer with those who might be less fortunate. And, if you can, choose a local charity and make a donation. For some smaller charities, every dollar helps!

In this particular instance, I’m suggesting that it might be nice to whip up a batch of this Instant Holiday Hot Cocoa mix. Package it up as you see here in the photos or any which way you imagine. Bring them to your coworkers, share them with your neighbours, or offer a couple to that mom picking up her kids after school who looks like she’s carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. You see, Dear Reader, this hot cocoa is not just for kids!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the easier recipes! Before I get into today’s recipe, let me make mention of the five previous holiday confection countdowns that I just finished up this year.

Back in October, I kicked off the holiday season with a holiday recipe series called Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Trifles Series and followed that up with a second series called Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Breads and Loaves. Next was a second volume of my 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas! You can find the first bars and squares series here! After that came the seventh annual instalment of Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas!

I know we’re getting closer to the big day, which means that most of us will have less time to bake. That is why I’m sharing this new series with you called Lord Byron’s 12 Homemade Holiday Gifts Series! This will be the last series for the 2024 holiday season, so let’s get to it!

LORD BYRON’S 12 SNACKS & TREATS OF CHRISTMAS

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to my last Christmas series this holiday season! I’m calling this series Lord Byron’s 12 Homemade Holiday Gifts Series. Unlike the 24 Cookies of Christmas series that ended a few days ago, this series will focus on easy-to-make snacks and treats that are both delicious and festive.

I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy too. Most of them will require the help of a microwave rather than an oven. And, a bunch of them will involve more assembly-type tasks rather than preheating, beating, whipping, etc.

Just like every other series that I’ve shared here, this series will also see a new snack or treat recipe shared with you, Dear Reader, each and every single day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday snacks and treats year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Confectioner’s Sugar
• Cocoa Powder – Cocoa powder is an unsweetened chocolate product that adds deep chocolate flavour to desserts and beverages.  Use a good quality cocoa powder, not the kind we used to stir into milk as kids! You can use dark or regular cocoa.
• Powdered Coffee Creamer – You can find this in almost any grocery store. The most common type will be the Coffee Mate brand.
• Cornstarch
• Salt
• Mini Milk Chocolate Chips – These will melt into the hot cocoa.
• Crushed Candy Canes – This is optional, but peppermint hot cocoa is one of the best flavour combinations!
• Marshmallow Bits – Please read the section below for more information.

WHAT ARE MARSHMALLOW BITS? AND WILL REAL MARSHMALLOWS WORK?

Marshmallow bits are basically dehydrated marshmallows. They are the type you’d find in breakfast cereal for kids. They’ve become really popular in ice cream shops and in lots of confections you see in bakeries.

I would take the time to explain to you where I got mine, but I already know that a store on the side of a country road in rural Ontario is not that accessible to everyone. Ha! The best place to get them is at Walmart, Target, or online at Amazon. I’ll share this link with you. Kraft was not the brand I used, but the ingredients are the same and so is the size of the marshmallow bits. The brand I used was actually Gourmet Village.

HOW TO MAKE INSTANT HOLIDAY HOT COCOA

Measure the confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, coffee creamer, cornstarch, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Fill 12 four-ounce jars half-full with the cocoa powder mixture.

Top up the jars with a third each of the marshmallows, crushed candy canes, and milk chocolate chips. Place a lid on the jar and label/decorate the jar according to your personal tastes.

To prepare the hot cocoa, empty the contents of the jar into a large 16-ounce mug and top it up with boiling water or scalded milk. Stir well until the cocoa mixture is well incorporated and the chocolate chips have melted. Garnish with whipped cream and a peppermint stick. Serve immediately.

COCOA POWDER

Cocoa powder is an unsweetened chocolate product that adds deep chocolate flavour to desserts and beverages.  Use a good quality cocoa powder, not the kind we used to stir into milk as kids! I have two types of cocoa that I use when baking. In cookies and cakes, like these Hot Chocolate Cookies, for example, I’ll most often use regular, inexpensive cocoa powder. Even though I don’t care for Hershey’s chocolate, I do like to use Hershey’s cocoa powder for cookies.

If, however, I’m making a recipe that relies heavily on cocoa powder for a premium chocolate flavour, I will use a better-quality cocoa powder. For me, Fry’s Premium Quality Cocoa has all that I’m looking for. It has a stronger chocolatey scent than other cocoa powders. When it comes to flavour, Fry’s wins out again. If you want even more chocolate flavour, use dark cocoa powder.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!