Warm your body with Instant Pot Hot Chocolate! This easy 4-ingredient hot cocoa recipe creates a creamy, delicious and cozy cold weather drink!
After a long day in the cold weather, not much is as satisfying as making a batch of Instant Pot Hot Chocolate.
Skip the instant packets and make thick, rich, decadent homemade chocolatey goodness!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Great way to serve a large crowd. This recipe can be doubled or even tripled to make larger batches of hot chocolate in the Instant Pot!
- Freezer friendly. Yes, you can absolutely freeze cubes of cocoa!
- An easy homemade gift to share. Just about everyone appreciates homemade goodies! Add the hot chocolate ingredients into mason jars to gift to your friends and neighbors.
Pair a hot mug of cocoa with these Delicious Hot Cocoa Cookies and Christmas Chocolate Bark Candy. The ultimate treat!
Ingredients
- whole milk and heavy cream
- white granulated sugar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- mini marshmallows are always a great topping!
Substitutions
- whole milk: You can substitute milk with half and half, low-fat milk, skim milk. Non-dairy milk products like soy milk, cashew milk, and coconut milk work well, too.
- heavy cream: You can substitute with another non-dairy heavy cream, or half and half.
- sugar: Feel free to substitute the sugar with any cup-for-cup granulated sugar substitute. Coconut sugar is a great option, as are honey and maple syrup.
- unsweetened cocoa powder: Either regular unsweetened or Dutch process cocoa may be used. If you would like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips, you can do that. Start with about 2 cups of chips, then add more as needed.
- marshmallows: How you garnish your drink is up to you! Mini or large marshmallows, stuffed marshmallows, or flavored marshmallows.
Hot Chocolate Variations
- Topping options: There are endless ways to garnish your hot drink! You can add homemade whipped cream, mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, chocolate shavings, caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, etc.
- Add spices - To enhance the flavor even more, you can include dried spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, etc.
- Include extracts or coffee syrup: Just ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract or caramel syrup will add a burst of flavor.
How to Make Instant Pot Hot Chocolate
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Whisk the ingredients together in the Instant Pot, using the sauté setting. The time needed to make hot cocoa will vary based on your pressure cooker, and how many servings you are making at one time. It usually takes 5-10 minutes to warm up 4 cups.
- Serve in mugs or heat-safe drinking glasses with desired toppings.
Liz's Tip for the Creamiest Cocoa
- To make your hot chocolate creamier, thicker, and richer tasting, replace 1 cup of whole milk with 1 cup of heavy cream. Of course, doing this will add extra calories per serving, but it's worth the splurge!
Storing and Freezing
Storing: Any leftover hot cocoa can be stored in an airtight container, such as a mason jar, and kept in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Frozen hot chocolate: Freezing hot chocolate is a delicious idea! Let it cool, then transfer it to an ice cube tray and freeze. Use cocoa ice cubes in your coffee or iced coffee.
Take it one step further and blend the frozen cubes in a blender, for frozen hot chocolate!
Are you setting up a hot chocolate bar at your holiday party? This drink will be the star of the show!
Instant Pot Hot Chocolate FAQs
The names are used interchangeably. Although, some people make their hot chocolate with melted chocolate, while others use unsweetened cocoa powder.
None of the ingredients in a mug of hot chocolate will make you sleepy. However, the coziness of a warm drink on a cold night has a calming effect. When your body is warm, both inside and out, your body can relax. Drinking hot chocolate allows your body to warm up and release some of that tension, which in turn, makes you feel sleepy or in a state where sleep sounds nice.
You can make hot chocolate with either water or milk. Milk creates a thicker, richer, and creamier drink.
Sweet Treats That Pair Well With Cocoa
Instant Pot Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- mini marshmallows optional
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to the sauté setting.
- Add whole milk, heavy cream, sugar, and cocoa powder. Whisk well to combine. Using the sauté setting, cook hot chocolate in the Instant Pot for 5-6 minutes, or until it warms through.
- Pour your hot chocolate into mugs and top with mini marshmallows.
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- Topping options: There are endless options for hot cocoa toppings! You can add homemade whipped cream, mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, chocolate shavings, caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, etc.
- For a thicker and richer drink: If you want to make your hot cocoa richer and thicker, replace 1 cup of whole milk with heavy cream.
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