I am participating in a holiday sweet treat round up with over 50 other bloggers, sharing their favorite holiday recipes. Be sure to scroll all the way through this post to view all the amazing recipes that have been shared…This is one you will not want to miss!!!
There are some things that just “sing” Christmas to me…snow, mittens, peppermint and those delightfully delicious smelling sugared nuts you get at the mall. Seeing as how I’ve already experienced each this season, I might as well be in a choir. Instead, I am just using the cold as an excuse to down more than my fair share of hot chocolate…
The other day, I thought about how much I enjoy chocolate/peppermint and decided to try my hand at a peppermint hot chocolate mix that I could enjoy all season long share as a neighbor gift.
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe
Ingredients
11 c. powdered milk
1 c. confectioners’ sugar
11 oz. powdered coffee creamer
2 lbs. powdered chocolate milk mix (I like to use Nestle Nesquick’s large 2 lb. jar, but you can add more if you love chocolate)
4 tblsp. cocoa powder
1 box instant chocolate pudding mix (I like to use the large box for an extra chocolate taste, but you can use small)
3 finely crushed candy canes
Directions
- Crush candy canes in a bag or your food processor. I like to crush them all the way to a fine powder, but if you like chunks that would probably work too.
- Mix ingredients together in a LARGE bowl. I like to mix them in the food processor to ensure that they’re well blended. (Whatever you do, don’t think you can use one of your large leftover turkey bags to mix this up easily. That bag might explode and you might have sugary sweet powder EVERYWHERE! Not that I am owning up to anything here…)
- Portion into containers for sharing or store in an air tight container.
I know it’s customary to share how many tablespoons mix to add to your mug, but to be honest I never have much luck with that. I recommend using 1/3 mix and 2/3 water for the perfect mixture.
I love this hot chocolate mix recipe. It’s super chocolatey and it dissolves really well in water. Plus? I love that you can see the little candy cane bits in the powder.
Feel free to mix this recipe up too. I rarely measure, it’s more of a open and dump for me…I’ve never tried crushed candy before, but I have tried lots of flavored coffee creamers…
I have dutifully packaged up my peppermint hot chocolate mix into fun little tins lined with plastic bags and tied off at the top with bakers twine.
Of course that didn’t stop me from having a mug…or two. Promise me you will try this recipe. I think it’s so darn good and I would love to know what you think about it!
Of course this time of year, the goodies aren’t limited to a cup of cocoa now and then. I am super excited to be participating in a round up of tried and true sweet holiday treats with some of my favorite bloggers.
There are over 50 holiday recipes, including my peppermint hot chocolate mix, that have all be shared in one place! This is a great one to pin now and return to over and over.
I’d love to know what your favorite treats are too. Please feel free to share a link in the comments!
Holiday Sweet Treats
Great recipe! I need to figure out how to make a peppermint mocha recipe for my daughter. I should try adding instant coffee to this recipe. I wanted to let you know that I couldn’t get your link to work in the linky above.
Hey Tonia, Thanks so very much for your comments and the awesome pinboard you created. I need to go repin EVERYTHING! I really do love this recipe…I enjoy it more than the store bought versions. I bet you could add instant coffee or substitute it for some of the chocolate (personally I am an adder). If you try it out, let me know how it goes, I would love to share! xoxo, Tauni
I’m just having a little trouble with your measurements. How does 11 cups equal 25oz? I just want to make sure I do it right! Thanks so much!
Eek! Anna, I am so glad you read through this…I went back and took a look. I’m just sharing what size box I use here. That’s still a little off (the Nesquick is too), but with a recipe like this exact measurements aren’t necessary! Thanks for helping me out. xoxo Tauni
this sounds so good, definitely pinning
Thanks Marissa. It really is yummy stuff. You will have to let me know if you try it! xoxo, Tauni
This would make a wonderful gift!
Deneen, It really is delightful. I have shared it as a Christmas gift more than once! xoxo, Tauni
Sounds yummy!!! I love to add sea salt to my hot chocolate, so I will probably add a bit of that to this recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
Natalie, That sounds wonderful. You will have to try it out and let me know what you think! xoxo. Tauni
This is the best Hot Chocolate we have ever had. Thank you for posting. All of our friends and family will be getting this and a coffee mugg for chritmas!!
Oh my gosh. Thank you so much! I sincerely appreciate the feedback!!! xoxo
This sounds delicious. I am making this for all of our friends and family but I need to know how much I need to buy to make enough for everyone. How much would this make? I want to send out 18 jars so how much would you recommend buying? Also I am a little confused on the powdered milk as well.
Hey Corrinne, I always reply by email so you’re good 🙂
I’ve used this recipe over the years for gifts, but have never been very consistent in the containers I’ve used. I have used the very smallest ball jars and I think it filled 20+. I think every time I’ve given it previously, I’ve added mini marshmallows and/or chocolate chips, which also helped to fill the jar. This year I used the red tins pictured in the photos and it filled 10. Are you thinking pint-sized ball jars? I think it would fill about 8, maybe a little more. Does that help?
I am not sure what you’re wondering aout the powdered milk. Maybe that my measurements were not super exact? This is a recipe you can fudge on a little bit.
I forgot to add the notify me through email so this is just so I know when you’ve responded 🙂
So can I assume that the powdered milk and nesquick amounts in the above recipe should be divided by 4? I’m all for “eyeballing” and recipes that do it, but I’m thinking the milk to chocolate ratio needs to be just right to make it actually taste good.
Colleen, I am not sure I understand your question. Are you looking to make a smaller batch? Like a fourth the batch? I haven’t actually ever tried making a smaller batch (it goes to fast around here), but I am sure just dividing everything evenly for whatever size you want would work…
Otherwise, I simple make it exactly as described. My mom always makes it with exact measurements, but I have never had any problems just eyeballing it!
Hi Tauni!
I saw your recipe for the mix a couple of days ago and knew I had to make it for some Christmas gifts!
Like Anna and Colleen before me, I too was having a hard time trying to figure out how much powder milk to add and what the final quantity of the mix would yield.
Eventually, I halved your recipe, with the following measurements:
32 ounces of dry milk
half cup powder sugar
1.5 cups powder coffee creamer
21.8 ounces of Nesquik
2 tbsp of cocoa powder
3.56 ounce pack of instant chocolate pudding
and I liked it to have a bit more of the peppermint flavor so I added about 6 candy canes, which I crushed using a mortar & pestle.
Even with the 6 candy canes, the peppermint flavor in respect to everything else is very mild and just the perfect touch to the mix.
All of this filled up 12, 8 ounce (half pint) size kerr mason jars filled completely, with enough for another jar left over for me!
One more thing, you were absolutely right about using the food processor or a blender to blend up the mix. It looks a lot nicer when all of the textures are evenly distributed!
Thank you for posting the recipe! I’m excited to share it over the holidays! =)
Lisa, So glad you found just the right measurements for the amount of mix you were looking to make! We go through so much of this in the winter, I’ve really never even thought to make a smaller batch 🙂
xoxo
Thank you, Lisa!!! This helped tremendously!
Luckily I have a humongous bowl I mixed it all up in. It makes enough for a whole season though!
Wow! 32oz of dry milk is a lot! I guess 11cups is accurate, I just didn’t believe it.
But Tauni, this is a freaking amazing recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!
In reading over the comments, I too, am a bit confused on the powdered milk measurements…esp the part about “for every 4 C”. I happened to have a 25oz-ish box on hand. The serving size on the back is 1/3 C with approx 32 servings per box. Rounding it up to 33 servings ….33 x 1/3 C = 11 C of powdered milk in that size of box. Are you saying the 25oz box is approx 11 C & you use the entire box for your batch? This is how I’m reading it…..
i bet you could substitute PEPPERMINT mocha powdered coffee creamer instead of crushing peppermint sticks. This sounds yummy
Colleen, Yes! You certainly can. I have used flavored creamer in the past and it’s good too. You just have to play around to get the quantities right with the cocoa! xoxo Tauni
Love love love this! Made a batch, had a cup and will be giving for Christmas. I did add a few more candy canes. Excellent, definitely a keeper and thank you for sharing it!
If I wanted to add instant coffee to this, how much do you think I should add?
Shary, Looks like you got it all figured out! I don’t actually drink coffee, so I don’t really have any experience with using instant coffee and probably would have given you poor advice! xoxo Tauni
couldnyou also use milk instead of water with this recipe?
Yes. Allyssa, you could use milk with the hot chocolate mix. I just prefer water 🙂 xo Tauni
Thanks! This is going to be made for Christmas presents this year! Sounds super yummy!
It really is good Allyssa. I hope you have fun making it! xo Tauni
I made this today! My boys loved it! I did half the recipe as it made a huge batch. I think that is a great idea to put flavored dry creamer. Also, I found the peppermint already crushed in the baker’s section of our local walmart. This is going to make great gifts for co-workers! Merry Christmas!
I am glad that you enjoyed this recipe Ramona. It’s a long time family favorite. I can actually remember making it as a kid! xo Tauni
This recipe is a family favorite around here. I make it every Christmas, and have enough to drink for months! I usually end up mixing it in a clean trash bag, because I don’t have a bowl large enough to cold it all. Already added about 3 heaping spoonfuls to a cup of coffee this evening . . . mmm!