Homemade Candy Cane Hot Cocoa Mix
Dark AND white chocolates plus crushed candy canes make this a decadent, festive hot cocoa mix. Gift a jar with a big bundle of candy canes and maybe even a bottle of peppermint schnapps or Bailey's Irish cream. 'Tis the season!
Ingredients
- 4.5 ounces milk chocolate can use a milk chocolate bar or 1 cup chocolate chips
- 4.5 ounces white chocolate can use a white chocolate bar or 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 8 candy canes broken into pieces
- 8 ounces good cocoa powder I like Ghirardelli Dutch process cocoa powder; about 2 1/2 cups
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Put the chocolate bars in the freezer for about 10 minutes. This will help you grind them in the food processor or blender without the chocolate melting.
- Break the chocolate bars into your food processor or high-speed blender* and pulse until the chocolate is ground into small crumb-size bits. Add the broken candy candy canes and continue to pulse until a coarse powder consistency. Add to a large bowl. If you used a blender, you may need to use a spatula to dig the chocolate out of the corners.
- Add the cocoa powder, sugar, cornstarch, and kosher salt. Mix with a whisk or wooden spoon until completely blended.
- Add to mason jars with air-tight caps.
- To make the cocoa, add 2-3 heaping tablespoons cocoa mix to one cup (8 ounces) hot milk. Stir with a whisk until blended. Garnish with whipped cream, more crushed candy canes, and plop in a candy cane or peppermint stick.
- Can be stored in a cool, dry location for up to one year.
Notes
* If you don't have a blender or food processor, you can still make this cocoa mix! Just grate the chocolate using a fine grater and crush the candy canes by placing them in a storage bag and using a rolling pin to crush them.
Recipe update 12/9/2024: I've update this recipe to make a smaller quantity. It also calls for milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate and smaller quantities of both the chocolate and the white chocolate.
If you prefer the old recipe, here are the ingredients and quantities from before Dec. 2024.