Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix

Peppermint Hot Chocolate is one of our favorite warm drinks this time of year. Hot tea has its place forever in my heart, as do Chai Lattes and Cafe con Leche, but there is something about a cup of cocoa that just beckons me to sit down in front of the Christmas tree and savor the moment. Mix together a batch of this hot cocoa mix today and have it ready for easy hot chocolate through the holiday season.

Ever since I made homemade hot chocolate for the first time a few years ago, and subsequently laughed at myself for thinking it was going to be difficult, I haven’t bought another store-bought hot cocoa mix. Simple Homemade Cocoa requires nothing but unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar, and milk. You can add chocolate chips, vanilla, whipped cream, miniature marshmallows, homemade marshmallows, just about anything fun or fancy will make it extra special.

Like at least half the people I know, I frequently stir my hot cocoa with a candy cane or drop a peppermint candy into the bottom of the mug. As I was stirring my cocoa with a candy cane the other day, while watching Sean and the boys set up our Christmas tree, I decided to see if I could grind up some peppermint candies and make a ready-to-use hot cocoa mix to enjoy all through the holidays. As I was hoping it would, the blender turned the peppermint candies into powder and everything dissolved perfectly. This is the smoothest, creamiest, peppermint hot cocoa I could have imagined.

For a present that truly won’t be forgotten, wrap up a jar of this Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix along with a package of these Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups or these Chocolate S’mores Cookies.

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Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix

Servings: 14 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup finely crushed candy canes I used (40) peppermint starlight mints

Instructions

1. Whisk together all the ingredients and transfer to an airtight container.
2. To prepare hot chocolate:
3. Combine 1/4 cup of the hot chocolate mix and 1 cup of milk in a saucepan for each serving of hot chocolate. Whisk to combine. Warm over medium heat until steaming, stirring occasionally. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream or marshmallows, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Pulsing the candy in a food processor or powerful blender will finely crush it and reduce it into candy dust in just a few seconds. You can also drop the candy into a sturdy ziploc bag and smash it with a rolling pin until it's all crushed.