We love hot chocolate!! That being said, it is a special treat in our house for after we come in from adventures in the snow. Instead of pouring a package of hot cocoa mix into a mug, we mixed up a few very basic ingredients for a much yummier and less processed cup of cocoa. You can also get creative and change up the type of cocoa you use, the flavor of extract you add, or garnish you top with to change the flavors. What a fun way to get kids to experiment in the kitchen and start to understand how different things flavor our food differently!
Ingredients (per serving):
- 1 cup milk (we used fat-free, but any kind works, and you can even use water)
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder (we used milk chocolate, but dark chocolate is really good too!)
- 2 Tbsp sugar (I use half the sugar for my 2 year old, and for an even less processed treat you could use honey, or maple syrup)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- dash salt
Directions:
- Warm up the milk or water. We microwaved ours for 1-1/2 minutes on high, but you could do it on the stove-top too. Just be careful to warm it slowly on the stove so you don't scald it.
- Mix all of the ingredients in a mug.
- Add the warm milk, or water, to the mug and stir until combined.
- Serve plain, with marshmallows, peppermint sticks or other garnish.
You can also get creative with what flavor you want to add in. How about peppermint, orange or raspberry extract instead of vanilla? Start with 1/4 tsp and add an additional 1/4 tsp until you get the flavor you want.
