Is there anything more enjoyable than a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day? This easy Instant Pot Hot Chocolate recipe makes the perfect hot chocolate.
Check out my Vanilla Frappe and my Nutella Milkshake for more great drink recipes!
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This homemade hot chocolate is full of chocolate flavor. The cocoa powder adds that hot cocoa flavor and the melted chocolate makes this drink extra creamy and rich.
Make a big batch of this high quality, easy recipe. It's the best way to use a handful of ingredients of real ingredients!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This delicious hot chocolate is made in the electric pressure cooker!
It's the best hot chocolate recipe for the holiday season, family gatherings, or any of the time of year when there's cold weather. Top with your favorite toppings!
Ingredients You Need
- Dark chocolate bar: Use good quality real chocolate that is dark or bittersweet.
- Whole milk: Adds to the creaminess and sweetness. If preferred, you can also use milk alternatives like coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, almond milk or cashew milk.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: The cacao powder (or cocoa powder), plus the chocolate makes this recipe so chocolatey.
- Water: Mixes with the cocoa powder to make a paste.
- Granulated sugar: Used to sweeten the hot chocolate. The amount of sweetener needed in the recipe depends entirely upon the sweetness level of your chocolate.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds great spice.
- Ground nutmeg: More great spice.
Step By Step Photos
Melt the chocolate bar.
Stir fast and pour in milk.
Mix together cocoa powder with water.
Whisk in the sugar.
Serve.
Top with whipped cream.
How To Make Creamy Instant Pot Hot Chocolate
Step 1. Initiate slow cook: Press the slow cook button on the Instant Pot and set the time to 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Step 2. Melt chocolate: Chop the chocolate bar and place it into the Instant Pot. As it starts to melt, stir quickly and pour in the milk. The chocolate may clump up, but it will melt as the Instant Pot heats up, leaving specks of chocolate in the hot cocoa.
Step 3. Prepare cocoa paste: Mix cocoa powder with water until it forms a liquid paste similar to chocolate syrup. Adjust consistency with more water if needed. Add this into the Instant Pot and stir.
Step 4. Sweeten to taste: Whisk in sugar, starting with 1 cup and adjusting to taste as it warms up. Remember, the sugar will taste sweeter as it warms.
Step 5. Add spices: Stir in ground cinnamon and nutmeg.
Step 6. Cook and stir: Place the lid on the pot with the valve open. Stir every 30 minutes, allowing the chocolate to mix well. After about 2 hours, the hot chocolate will be warm enough to serve.
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Tips
- Use white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips for a creamy and indulgent white hot chocolate.
- Add whipped cream, mini marshmallows, crushed candy canes or chocolate shavings on top of your mug of hot chocolate.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hot Chocolate
Technically, hot cocoa is made with cocoa powder, but we tend to say hot chocolate. Hot chocolate is made with melted chocolate, while hot cocoa is not.
I recommend using the chocolate bars that are sold in the baking section. The chocolate bars that are sold in a different section from the baking section, meant for eating, may not melt well.
Store leftover hot chocolate in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Make sure it's cooled to room temperature before refrigerating. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Yes. Allow it to cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers or bags. Hot chocolate can be kept in the freezer for 2-3 months.
More Drink Recipes You Might Enjoy
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Recipe adapted from Simply Low Cal.
Instant Pot Hot Chocolate
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bar of chocolate dark or bittersweet
- 1 gallon whole milk
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Press the slow cook button on the Instant Pot. Set time to 2 hours and 30 minutes.
- Chop the chocolate bar and place into the Instant Pot. Once it starts to melt, stir fast and pour in the milk. It will clump up, but don’t worry, as the Instant Pot heats up this will melt and leave specks of chocolate throughout your hot cocoa.
- Mix together the cocoa powder with the water until it becomes a liquid paste. The consistency should be similar to chocolate syrup. If the mix is too thick, add a little more water. Add this into the Instant Pot and stir well.
- Whisk in the sugar. I suggest starting at 1 cup of sugar and tasting it. Just remember as it warms up the sugar will be sweeter. Add the sugar to your own taste buds.
- Add in the cinnamon and nutmeg and stir well.
- Place the lid on the pot with the valve open. Stir every 30 minutes or so allowing the chocolate to mix in well. At about 2 hours the hot chocolate will be warm enough to serve.
Notes
- Use white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips for a creamy and indulgent white hot chocolate.
- Add whipped cream, mini marshmallows, crushed candy canes or chocolate shavings on top of your mug of hot chocolate
- Storing: Store leftover hot chocolate in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Make sure it's cooled to room temperature before refrigerating. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Allow it to cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers or bags. Hot chocolate can be kept in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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