Nesquik has been around for as long as I can remember. I remember drinking it as a kid and my kids drank it when they were small as well. It can be a “parent’s best friend” when they are desperately trying to get their kids to drink milk — ANY milk.
Unfortunately, chocolate milk has been under siege the last few years by people complaining of too much sugar. I’m not encouraging the drinking of chocolate milk on a regular basis, but for an occasional treat it’s a pretty good choice as far as “snack foods” go, especially when you consider studies that show a three-fourths of teens suffer from calcium deficiency.
And if you’re making your own out of 3 simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, you know exactly what you’re drinking.
(If you’re looking for a delicious chocolate drink you can serve hot, try my crockpot hot chocolate recipe, semi-homemade hot chocolate mix, or fun and yummy hot chocolate bombs!)
So here’s to a chocolate milk comeback! (within reason) :-)
Homemade Nesquik Recipe
- 2/3 C Sugar
- 1/3 C Cocoa
- Pinch of salt
Combine the three ingredients and store in a sealed container. That’s it! Crazy easy huh?? (I ended up tripling the recipe because I knew the single batch wasn’t going to last long in this house!)
FYI…I added about two tablespoons to this pint-sized mason jar…but I would add to your taste. I found you need a lot less than the commercial stuff!
Thanks to Sarah at Sugar Bananas for sharing this homemade version of a childhood favorite and for sharing a great tip for getting it to dissolve all the way in the cold milk.
One of the drawbacks to making chocolate milk with Nesquik is getting a smooth consistency. The powder tends to not want to “melt” in cold milk. (Pet Peeve #487). Sarah suggests putting a little bit of hot water (I just got it from the tap) in the bottom of a cup, adding the powder, swirling it or stirring it for a few seconds, and then adding the cold milk.
So I gave it a go and it worked brilliantly! Result: perfectly smooth, creamy and cold chocolate milk made from scratch!
Had No. 2 son give it a taste test and he gave it a very positive review! (Especially the “smooth” part.) Then decided to do a taste test of my own — cuz momma needs a treat every now and then too! :-)
I also gave it two thumbs up! Really tasty! Of course it would also make a good hot cocoa — but I refuse to think about winter yet! :-)
Homemade Nesquik
Ingredients
- 2/3 C Sugar
- 1/3 C Cocoa
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine the three ingredients and store in a sealed container.
Nutrition
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Can’t count calcium. The calcium joins with the cocoa and makes it useless as calcium. My dad is a doctor and apparently that has been in medical journals for years.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.There is oxalic acid in chocolate that binds to the calcium in milk that prevents it from being absorbed into the body. However……..there is WAY more calcium in milk than there is oxalate in chocolate, so there is plenty of calcium left over for your body to absorb.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Do you have a Strawberry Nesquick recipe?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This was wonderful thank you!!! One tablespoon was perfect for a mug. You could even heat it up for hot chocolate. So happy to have a better alternative to powder packets!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you Jillee for the recipe. I work out often and my instructor says that chocolate milk is one of the best things to drink after weight training. I will take your recipe and sub it with xylitol. Yum!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I LOVE LOVE LOVE this…I spend like $50 dollars a month on stuff for chocolate milk for my girls…they’re addicted lol…this is a LIFE SAVER
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I tried this with the hot water. Kids loved it. I tried it again without hot water, (at kids’ urging) and I stirred and stirred and stirred and couldn’t get it to dissolve. With water from now on. I was going to use someone’s recipe above, but looked like an awful lot of sugar (1/2 c powdered and 1 1/2 c regular). So, we’ll just stick with the hot water method. Maybe I’ll try adding in some powdered milk for some extra vitamins. We usually use ovaltine, but I’m all in favor of making it myself if I can.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.YUM!!! I am sipping away at my home made hot chocolate as I write this. My daughter has been begging for chocolate milk but I normally don’t buy it (too much sugar and who knows what else is in there). Had everything in the pantry and even used my home made vanilla sugar. Tastes great and I am sure we will be adding this to our regular staple of treats. Thanks again Jillee for one more thing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.now, i am angry. got excited made a triple batch and… I. HAVE. NO. MILK. ahhhhh!!!!! small town stores close at 8 and the closest open store is 25 miles round trip! ahhhhh!!!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I grew up on this… My parents didn’t have much money and I figured this out on my own in desperation for chocolate milk. Added to hot water it becomes cocoa….. Add some marshmallow cream and yummmmmm
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you live in an older home do not use hot tap water to help make this easier to mix. Doing so may add lead into this drink. Better to microwave cold tap water (run water for about 30seconds to clear any lead reside that your last use of faucet) for 15 seconds to warm.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I can’t get my 2 year old to drink anything BUT chocolate milk. (he only gets enough to give it flavor, which in most cases it’s usually still white) I’m glad i found both this and the one for the hershey’s syrup. I feel better knowing i control how much sugar is going in and there’s not all kinds of wierdo chemically preservative goodness going on in his little body
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I notice that there is a slight cinnamon taste to the Nesquik. Anybody care to figure out how much to add to the homemade recipe? When You say a pinch, Jillee, do you mean 1/8 or 1/4 tsp? I have a set of spoons that actually have the measurements for dash, pinch and smidgen. The dash is 1/4, the pinch is 1/8, and of course the smidgen is 1/16. I just wanted to clarify. Thanks! =)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It does say spice on the Nesquik label but there no real or artificial cinnamon in Nesquik, or I would be dead. I have a severe anaphylactic reaction to cinnamon. Not sure what the ‘spice’ is.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just found this while surfing to identify the “spice” http://www.nestleprofessional.com/australia/en/BrandsAndProducts/Brands/NESQUIK/Pages/Plus_Chocolate_300g.aspx
Cinnamon – in Australia, anyway.
I like adding a pinch of chili powder to my chocolate drink, especially hot cocoa. Sounds a little strange, but it’s so good.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What a great Christmas gift for friends. Thanks for the recipe.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee…I was reading back over your article and caught the line where you said it would make good hot chocolate but that you refuse to think about winter….lol…I live in East Texas and that’s all I can think about some days!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Almond milk is a better choice to get your calcium.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I made this and my sons LOVED IT. Believe me they are picky but they LOVED IT.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have been doing a similar recipe for years, 2/3 dark cocoa:1/3 sugar (without the salt). I mix a tablespoon into my morning coffee to make it into a mocha…delicious! I will have to try the cold version sometime!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I saw this suggestion and tried it. SO good! I even use it to make instant coffee palatable! It is actually very good even in instant – makes it smooth! This is a really great replacement for those flavored instant coffees!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You would think that you could add a 1/4 cup of instant coffee powder to the recipe.
I like to buy the pre made instant French vanilla cappacino just add water and throw it in my coffee pot with a filter.
I made this last night and it was a hit! So yummy!! I have a small glass of chocolate milk every night to satisfy a big sweet tooth and add some calcium to my day. I must say this was divine!! Thanks for sharing. My grocery budget and I couldn’t be happier Jillee!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Awesome! :-) Thanks for sharing Tanya!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I found as a kid that I like putting Nesquik on ice cream…. for some reason I love the dry chocolate with the creamy ice cream….
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Debbie! I had completely forgotten about that! I used to do the same exact thing. :-) There’s just something about the two together. OK…must revisit. lol. thx for the memory!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Debbie and Jillee that is so cool! I had totally forgotten about doing the same thing. I must show my Granddaughter how to do this. Wish I had ice cream in the house :( I am now craving this!
Debbie, thank you so much for this reminder. For years, our family put Nesquick on cream! I’d forgotten all about that. Can’t wait to do it again!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the recipe. I’ll be using it as soon as we empty the two containers that we have in the cabinet. I bought one today without realizing that we already had a spare.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This sound great! Any idea how to do the strawberry kind? That’s my daughters favorite.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wonder if you could melt strawberry jelly and mix with milk? Or use strawberry Kool-Aid or Jell-O. Could be time for an experiment! There are also a lot of recipes for strawberry milk made with fresh strawberries.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think the entire point of this recipe is to avoid the chemicals, artificial flavor and color. Using kool-aid or jello would entirely defeat the purpose. Those are two of the last things you’d want to put in your body!
Great idea Lisa..but I think the jelly would not mix well, from previous experiments:) Maybe the kool-aid or jello-o since they are powdered. Part of being a great mommy is providing those special treats for your little one. SO sweet of you to ask for ideas on this one! Shows you are desiring to please your little girl.
Visiting from Pint-sized Treasures
The Sneaky Chef has recipes for fruity milks – make a syrup from the berry. It’s concentrated. My kiddos liked it.
OK this is definitely not what I needed to see this morning. Very proud that I managed to lose 3lbs and now I see this, and of course there is no ‘no trying it”. ;-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.So glad to see this recipe- just saw the price of Nesquik has gone up in the store and told my husband no more chocolate milk for us! Now I can just make our own! Good news for my son who has flavored milk every evening before bed. He is 4, and is on a liquid medicine that is very bitter. We have found that it is easier for him to take if he swallows the medicine, and has the milk right after. Whatever works, right?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wonder if this would be close to the Hershey’s chocolate milk mix I used to love but is no longer made/sold.
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