Home-made Hot Cocoa

2022 is here! Are you ready for a fresh beginning?

I don’t know about you, but I love a fresh start. That can be as simple as a Monday feeling fresh and new. A clean craft room and new ideas dancing around in my head. Or a brand new year with new ideas, goals, and plans!

Once Christmas is over, a lot of people jump right into all the spring feels. I just can’t do that, y’all! Of course, as a small shop owner, I have to already be thinking about spring and even summer items. But I don’t put that vibe out in my home quite yet. We still have a few months of winter ahead of us. Some of you more than us here in Georgia!

I love to keep all the cozy feels for the next month or so. Usually the winter decor will remain pretty neutral so that when I’m ready to start adding in a little V-day decor it will be easy.

Our coffee/hot cocoa bar gets even more attention than normal during the cold months. One of our family favorites is my home made hot cocoa recipe. This is the first time that I have shared it with anyone outside the family, so guard it well my friends!

I am NOT a food blogger, and I promise not to inundate you with tons of photos and ridiculously laborious directions. 😊

You only need 4 ingredients.

Powdered milk, Nestles Quick, French Vanilla powdered creamer, and Powdered sugar.

In the picture, it shows sugar free creamer. That is not necessary. In fact, that was all I could find at the time, but it works perfectly fine. There is plenty of sugar in the Nestles and, of course, the sugar itself. All that to say, use whichever you like.

One last note. This makes a very large batch. Feel free to halve the recipe if you wish. I make a full batch, and it will last us all winter long or maybe even into the next. It’s also a great recipe to make up and share with friends. More on that later.

This next part isn’t necessary, but I think it makes a huge difference in the end product. I put all of the ingredients in the food processor. This gives you a very fine mixture without any lumps, especially from the powdered milk.

After you have processed everything, thoroughly mix it all together in a large bowl. Store in an airtight container.

This recipe is yummy all by itself! It makes a creamy cup of hot cocoa without being in your face chocolatey.

Top your cocoa with whatever makes you happy…marshmallows, whipped cream, sprinkles, peppermint crumbles, or chocolate drizzles.

I store my cocoa mix in a mason jar. This would also be a really cute way to create some warm winter gifts to friends and family. Add a cute tag with directions and some fun toppings.

Now of course I can’t let a good decor opportunity go to waste! 😉 So lets style a hot cocoa themed tiered tray. Several of the items shown are in my shop and a couple are from other small shops. The tray itself is a fun DIY that I featured on my Instagram page. You can find that tutorial here.

Gumball machine, mini pillows, hot cocoa to go cup, and hot chocolate sign are all in my shop. The hot cocoa shaker is from Nicky Smile in an Envelope. The faux hot cocoa on the top of the tray is from Kassie Echo Ridge Creations.

Watch how the whole tray comes together in this fun video!

I’m so happy that today is our monthly It’s Good to Be Home blog hop. These ladies never cease to amaze me with their amazing ideas! Be sure to click through on each name to see what they all have to share this month.

JENRON DESIGNS / Southern Spangled / At Home in the Wildwood