Ever since the weather started turning colder…we have been going through a LOT of hot chocolate at our house! We USED to be a Swiss Miss family until I discovered this semi-homemade version of hot chocolate that we fell in love with (don’t worry, I still love my crockpot hot chocolate recipe and can’t resist hot cocoa bombs!) It’s SO good once you try it, you will never want to go back to the store-bought stuff again!
Case in point: my husband Dave recently got back from a business trip to Calgary, Canada. While he was there he went to a restaurant called Tim Horton’s that is supposedly famous for their hot chocolate. He said THAT hot chocolate didn’t hold a candle to THIS.
That convinced me it was time to re-introduce our favorite hot chocolate to those of you who missed it the first time around.
Related: These Hot Chocolate Bombs Are The Best Thing To Happen To Hot Cocoa In Years
Jillee’s Family’s Favorite Semi-Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 4 cups powdered milk
- 21.8 oz box Nestle Nesquik (you could substitute the homemade Nesquik, I just haven’t tried it yet.)
- 16 oz instant coffee creamer
- 1 cup powdered sugar (you can adjust this to taste. I like it a little less sweet and this amount is perfect).
Add all of the ingredients to a big bowl (trust me on this one!) and mix well. Pour into a storage jar or canister.
To make a mug of cocoa, fill it with water or milk and heat in the microwave. Add 3-5 heaping tablespoons of mix to the cup and stir well.
What I like most about this mix:
- It mixes into hot milk or water wonderfully! No little globs of unincorporated hot chocolate mix floating on top.
- It’s the perfect sweetness!
- Like your hot chocolate with a normal amount of creaminess? Add 3 heaping tablespoons of mix. Like it EXTRA creamy? Add 5 tablespoons. It’s very customizable.
- It is the perfect compliment to buttered toast in the morning. :-) Especially English Muffin Bread! One of my favorite breakfasts!
Read more: My Mom’s Wonderful English Muffin Bread
And finally…..
- It makes a great gift! Especially at Christmastime! For a neighbor or teacher, fill a mason jar with mix and attach a tag. For someone you’re closer to, make a whole big batch and put it in a beautiful glass canister. Trust me, they will LOVE you! :-)
Semi-Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix!
Ingredients
- 4 cups powdered milk
- 21.8 oz box Nestle Nesquik you could substitute the homemade Nesquik, I just haven’t tried it yet.
- 16 oz instant coffee creamer
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Mix all of this together in a big bowl.
- Pour into a storage jar or canister.
- To make a mug of cocoa, fill it with water or milk and heat in the microwave. Add 3-5 heaping tablespoons of mix to the cup and stir well.
I made this right after you had posted and I love it!! I used French Vanilla Creamer in place of the original kind. Its great stuff!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The BEST hot chocolate mix I’ve ever had! I just finished making my first batch and I’m ready to make another. I have to many friends and family that would love it for Christmas! Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Where do you get those awesome jars???
Please log in or create a free account to comment.WalMart :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m with Jules, it is very creamy and good BUT I think I would like more chocolate!! @ Natasha did you add the homeade nesquick to the mix along with the store bought kind?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jilee, what should I do?!?! :) (ps you are great and I LOVE your site)
hmmmm….I wonder if adding a few tablespoons of cocoa powder would do the trick? Maybe start there and add more until you get the “chocolatyness” you’re looking for. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Anna,
Yes I added the homemade to the store bought.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jules,
I would have to agree with your daughter on this one as I for one like the chocolate flavor so I went back and played with it a little more and found that if you add in a double batch of the homemade nesquik that it gives it really good chocolate flavor. I even went a step more and did one more single batch of the nesquik and added it in and I LOVE IT!!! But try this and see if your daughter approves. Good Luck
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Natasha,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I made up a batch of nesquik but ended up adding another 1/3 c sugar to make it sweet for our taste. It takes 5 spoonfuls and it’s yummy!
Jules, we just added more cocoa to it. Worked nicely without having to add more nesquick.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for that…I LOVE the Suisse Mocha.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My daughter is in to White Chocolate cocoa – Does anyone know how to make that DIY? Thanks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am excited to try the hot chocolate mix – and I enjoyed hearing that your husband went to Calgary and ate at Tim’s – my home town and love Tim Horton’s especially their soup and donuts and bagels. Yum. Don’t miss the snow though much prefer St George’s weather.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My mom would make this every winter & I have made it every winter for my family-I don’t know where she found the recipe but it has been a family favorite for more than 40 years! Growing up in northern Minnesota you need a warm cup of hot cocoa to warm you up and this sure fits the bill!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.thanks for sharing this! i have been trying to think of some easy gifts to have on hand for people we might not shop for, but want to have something special for, and this is a great idea! :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Same recipe my mom used when I was a kid! Love that stuff! **hint hint** even better with a bit of Baileys or Kahlua, or peppermint schnapps added to it. . .
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve also made mine with a flavored creamer, such as hazelnut or vanilla —also yummy!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is how my Mom has always made hot chocolate. I don’t know where she found the recipe, but she’s been making it that way for over 30 years and yes…it really IS the best!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sounds yum and simple! I’m definitely going to make it.. And you’re right: it’s customizable I’d add cinnamon or Graham cracker crumbs and marshmallows our crushed peppermints or even some ginger or orange zest!!! Can’t wait to experiment! Also, I an finding things every day on your website that I love! Thank you for sharing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Your ho-cho mix looks good :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m also in Edmonton and Timmies is definitely not famous for their hot chocolate. It’s famous for their coffee, but it’s gross too (though I’m one of only a few canadians to think so)
LOL Becky I totally agree with you! I like Duncan Donuts coffee sooo much better! I swear because it’s popular people just follow the leader and dont try different brands… but that is just my personal opinion! I live in Buffalo, NY and grew up on Tim Hortons in Ft. Erie ON. We mostly went for the donuts but now that it is in the states, that has changed a lot too!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This sounds really good. But, for those of us who are weight challenged, could you use the sugar free Nesquick instead?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was wondering this exact thing….so curious. I suppose it should work fine I think?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Whoops! Me again. How much would you need to make of the homemade nesquick to substitute? A triple batch?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love the creaminess, never used coffee whitener or powdered milk before. Not too sweet either which is what I usually find. For British people reading this, powdered sugar is icing sugar, which makes perfect sense when you think about it but I had to google it.
I did your nesquik recipe for this rather than nesquik, It worked perfectly doing a direct substitution, personally my preference would be to add some more cocoa powder to make it a bit more chocolately now I’ve tried it.
I also recommend a hand held frother, aerolatte. This is one of those gadgets that is so useful for many things, like protein shakes, lumps in gravy and this,. I filled my mug 30-40% with milk, added 4 very heaped tea spoons of the hot chocolate powder, frothed it for a few seconds so there’s no lumps. Topped with water, microwaved for just over a min, frothed again for a few seconds to get a frothy top.
Thank you.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was introduced to this mix about 25 years when I worked at a cemetery. After a funeral we would bring the hearse driving a steaming warm cup of this cocoa in the cold & rainy seasons.. We made it in larger proportions though cuz all of us workers liked it too Its definitely yummy!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This looks wonderful! I’ve been wanting to try something new. My nieces are always so impressed that I have homemade hot chocolate at my house. When I make this for them, I’ll leave out the “semi” part of semi-homemade. Aunties have to have their secrets, after all. :D
Thanks, Jillee.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Having never been to “Timmie’s”, I had to go by the hubsters’ definition and what is posted on their website. :-)
“More than just a winter warm-up, Tim Hortons Hot Chocolate is served all year round, and is a favourite among adults and kids alike.”
Please log in or create a free account to comment.http://www.timhortons.com/ca/en/menu/classics.html
This is delicious. We’ve been making this for the past 15 years in our family. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Now, I enjoyed a Timmie’s Hot Chocolate just the other day, and it was pretty epic. Creamy, thick, delicious. I like hot chocolate that doesn’t require marshmallows to be drinkable, and Timmie’s? It’s that kind of hot chocolate.
That said, Tim’s is not famous for hot chocolate, it’s famous for coffee and doughnuts, and for being affordable eats. My city (80,000) has 7 or 8 of them, I think. My husband both had a good chuckle about you referring to it as a restaurant – it’s no more a restaurant than McDonald’s or Burger King – it’s a fast food joint, but the food at Timmie’s is WAY better for you.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.haha…like I replied to Shannon above…I was relying on the hubster’s recollection and their website…maybe not the best resources. ;-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just made my second batch of this! My family loves it!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Shannon is right! Tim Hortons (affectionately know as Timmies to us Canadians!) is known for their coffee, which I don’t drink.
Guess who is up early to shop! Reminds me of my first DIY Hot Cocoa Powder recipe. Mine was Carnation Hot Cocoa Mix & creamer (Carnation, Nestle & Coffemate are now the same company). I would also toss in about 20 ground peppermints (processed to a fine dust– your Blendtec would work great). I sold it before Christmas. The one year I sold nearly 300 lbs of it- just by word of mouth through friends and family.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Especially good when made with milk.
Amen on the milk. I always make it with milk…much creamier! 300 pounds!!!??? Wow!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Were the twenty ground peppermints tossed into the approximately same size recipe as Jill’s on this blog? sounds yummy. Thanks Jillee and “CTY”, I can’t wait to try this!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.