Velvety and deeply chocolatey without being too sweet: the mix that tastes closest to melted dark chocolate. It’s pricey and often sells out in winter.
- Type
- Hot cocoa mix
- Size
- 14.5 oz tin
- Cost
- about $1.30 per oz
- Make with
- With milk
32 recipes · Calories & caffeine for each · Cocoa reviews
Every chocolate drink worth making.
From a five-minute mug of real hot chocolate to thick Parisian drinking chocolate, mochas and diner-style shakes: tested recipes with exact amounts, plus honest reviews of the mixes and cocoas to buy.
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Real hot chocolate in 5 minutes
Rich, real hot chocolate in five minutes from ingredients you already have: cocoa powder, sugar, milk and a pinch of salt.
4 ingredients5 min290 cal
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The cocoas and mixes we’d buy
Rated on flavor, richness, ease and value per cup.
Semisweet and refined rather than sugary, with a slight mocha character and a smooth mouthfeel.
- Type
- Hot cocoa mix
- Size
- 6 packets
- Cost
- about $1 per packet
- Make with
- With milk
A top pick in America’s Test Kitchen’s cocoa tasting for complex, layered chocolate flavor. Comes in natural and Dutch-process versions.
- Type
- Cocoa powder
- Size
- 8 oz
- Cost
- about $1 per oz
- Make with
- Make from scratch
Chocolate know-how
Dutch-process vs natural cocoaThe difference between Dutch-process and natural cocoa powder, how each tastes in hot chocolate, and when you…
Hot chocolate vs hot cocoaHot cocoa is made from cocoa powder; hot chocolate is made from melted chocolate. Here’s how they differ in t…
The best milk for hot chocolateWhole, 2%, skim, oat, soy, almond or coconut: how each milk changes hot chocolate’s creaminess, flavor and ca…
Does hot chocolate have caffeine?Hot chocolate has about 5-25 mg caffeine per cup: far less than coffee. See caffeine in cocoa, dark, milk and…
How to set up a hot chocolate barEverything for a hot chocolate bar: how much to make, keeping it warm, the best toppings and stir-ins, and a …
How to froth milk without a frotherFour easy ways to froth milk for mochas and hot chocolate without an espresso machine: jar, French press, whi…