DIY Hot Chocolate Mix Gift Idea

Today I’m joining some of my blogging friends as part of the Seasonal Simplicity Christmas Series, so be sure to have a look at the bottom of this post for the links to all of their great DIY gift ideas too.

When it’s cold outside everyone loves a cup of hot chocolate and our hot chocolate mix recipe makes it easy for you to make your own, and package it up to give as Christmas gifts.

Hot Chocolate Mix Ingredients

This mix uses all dry ingredients, so it’s easy to put together. To make the hot chocolate with the mix, you combine 1/4 cup of the finished mix with 1 cup of boiling water. Alternatively, to make the hot chocolate extra creamy, you could add a cup of hot milk. Another option is to try making with warm coconut milk.

Our recipes used dry milk powder, unsweetened cocoa, dairy free creamer, powdered sugar, and a little salt. It’s a really easy recipe. You can make this by simply mixing the ingredients together, but you can also combine them in the bowl of a food processor , and use this to mix it really well, and remove any lumps.

It is important to use unsweetened cocoa powder and not hot chocolate mix in this recipe. And the quality of the cocoa for this recipe matters too. Look for a dutch processed dark cocoa powder for best results, and a rich chocolatey hot chocolate. Not all hot chocolate mix recipes include non-dairy creamer, but we felt the addition of the powdered creamer leads to a creamer, slightly thicker hot chocolate, which is really delicious. We also added just a little bit of salt. It doesn’t make the finished product salty at all, it just helps wake up all the other flavours.

I love that this recipe uses ingredients found easily in grocery stores, or you might even have them in your pantry. This dry mix has a long shelf life, and will last for months, so feel free to double or triple it for a big batch, perfect for lots of gift giving.

Packaging Ideas

Once you have your hot chocolate mix all put together, it’s fun to package the dry mix up as the perfect gift. Homemade gifts are always a great idea, especially around the holidays.

To get the hot cocoa mix ready for a holiday gift, package it up in any airtight container. I love using vintage mason jars, a pint jar, or a mason jar with the flip lid, but any jar will do. You might even up-cycle a glass jar and use something like an old jam jar. Just make sure it’s nice and clean. Then add in your mix and seal it up, ready for gift giving.  We’ve decorated ours with some twine and yarn, ribbon would be lovely too.

I’ve added a little extra to my jars, by attaching homemade marshmallows. You could also tie a cinnamon stick, or candy canes to the front of your jars.

Check out the recipe for these Homemade Marshmallow Mug Toppers recipe here.  These are the perfect addition to the DIY hot chocolate mix for gift giving, or just enjoying yourself.

If you like, you can leave a little room at the top of the jar, and add in some special ingredients to the top, like semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate pieces, white chocolate chips, crushed up peppermint candy, caramel candies, or mini marshmallows. Just add them to the top of your homemade mix .

Another nice option for gift giving is to package the homemade cocoa mix in a cellophane bag or small plastic bag. A great gift idea is to give this with a mug, and tuck the hot chocolate mix inside for the perfect mug of hot chocolate. I love this idea to include as part of a care package all winter long too.

Be sure to include a gift tag with the instructions on how to make the hot chocolate. We used 1/4 cup of hot chocolate mix with 1 cup of hot water, or warmed milk. Write the instructions on some white cardstock, or a gift tag and attach with some baker’s twine.

Hot chocolate bombs have become really popular in the last few years. To make your own, use this mix in the centre of your chocolate sphere, along with some marshmallows, ready to make a perfect mug of hot cocoa.

Fun Add-Ins

If you love a flavoured hot chocolate, feel free to play with some add-ins. Looking for a Mexican hot chocolate? Try adding some cinnamon and cayenne pepper.

Love mocha? Try adding some instant espresso powder to the mix.

And there’s always things extra chocolate chips, caramel sauce, or pieces of candy canes. The possibilities are almost endless.

For adults, some Baileys Irish cream would be a fun addition too.

This recipe makes the best hot chocolate, perfect for a cold night -or any time!  With DIY hot chocolate mix gift ideas like this one, life really is a party!

More Ideas

 

This week is my friends and I are sharing our DIY gift ideas just in time for the holidays. You can visit their posts by clicking on the links below the images.

Spiced Mulled Wine Gift with Printable Tags at The Happy Housie

3-Ingredient Candy Cane Sugar Scrub with Printable Tag tatertots and jello

10 DIY Stocking Stuffer Ideas at She Gave it a Go

2022 Desk Calendar at Clean and Scentsible

DIY Clay Coasters at Zevy Joy

Printable Christmas Gift Tags and Gift Wrap Ideas A Pretty Life in the Suburbs

How to Make a DIY Acrylic Keychain at The DIY Mommy

Chocolate Toffee Coconut Cookie Mix Jars at Satori Design for Living

Easy DIY Inspirational Quote Canvas at Pop of Pretty

DIY Hot Chocolate Mix Gift Idea at Life is a Party

You might also like our Ho Ho Ho Hot Chocolate Bar here.

Also check out our Coconut Hot Chocolate Recipe here.

You might also like our Christmas Dessert Board here.