This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.
This creamy and comforting slow cooker hot chocolate is the perfect drink for dark fall evenings or chilly winter mornings.
Jump to:
👩🏻🍳 Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate Backstory
Fall is my favorite season by far! I love the fresh air, the big scarves and all the baking. But most of all I love sinking down into my sofa with a big cup of a hot beverage in my hands.
Through the years I've made plenty of fall appropriate beverages, like this spiced hot orange juice with cinnamon, or my hot lemon and ginger drink for sore throats, but nothing beats a creamy hot chocolate as far as comfort is concerned.
Now, as a big fan of my slow cooker, it was simply a matter of time before I decided to throw some chocolate and cream in there and see what happened. And I'm happy to report that this slow cooker hot chocolate is a raging success.
Let me set the scene: it's Saturday morning. You're spending time with your kids, working away at your computer, reading the news, or doing whatever you normally do in the morning. As the hours go by, the smell of chocolate spreads through your house. Your trusty Crock pot keeps the creamy hot chocolate warm for the remainder of the day, allowing everyone to grab a cup or two whenever they feel like it.
This recipe is perfect for making a big batch of hot chocolate, which is excellent if you're like me and want to keep drinking it through the whole day, and it's become an essential part of our Christmas Day routine.
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- Dark chocolate - A dark, slightly bitter chocolate adds tons of flavor to the hot chocolate.
- Milk chocolate - The milk chocolate adds a milder flavor and slightly sweetens up the drink.
- Cream - Thick, hearty, delicious.
- Whole milk - I like to use whole milk as it makes an extra thick and creamy hot chocolate.
- Vanilla extract - Gives the hot chocolate a mild flavor of sweet vanilla. An optional, but welcome ingredient.
🔪 Instructions
- Roughly chop or break up the chocolate. Add all the ingredients to a slow cooker, and cook on high for 2-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours.
- Stir once or twice while the hot chocolate cooks to ensure that the chocolate breaks up and blends in completely.
- Serve up the beverage, and top with your favorite toppings such as whipped cream, marshmallows, syrups, sprinkles and more!
👪 FAQs
Yes, you can make it using only milk. The result will be a lighter hot chocolate. This is a good option if you don't like your hot chocolate to be super thick, or if you want to make it a little healthier.
Yep. Using only milk chocolate will make the drink mild and sweet, and using only dark chocolate will give it a slightly bitter chocolate flavor.
After it has finished cooking, you can keep it on the warm setting for several hours. Leftover hot chocolate can then be stored in a refrigerator for up to 2 days and enjoyed as cold chocolate milk or reheated.
📖 Variations
- Add liqueurs like Kahlua, Baileys, Tia Maria, Creme de Menthe or Grand Marnier for adult versions of the drink.
- Add some peppermint extract, extra vanilla extract or orange extract to add flavor to the hot chocolate.
- You can make this using only dark chocolate, or only milk chocolate if you prefer those flavors, instead of a combination of the two.
🍫 Suggested Serving Companions
You can enjoy hot chocolate on its own, with a sweet treat, or with your breakfast. Embrace the season and serve it with Pumpkin Spice Overnight Oatmeal or Peppermint Marshmallow Rice Cake Treats (double marshmallow joy!), or treat yourself to some Eggless Banana Bread.
.. or what about some Easy Chocolate Raspberry Fudge? To be honest, there's never a wrong time to serve hot chocolate, especially if you're accompanying it with even MORE chocolate!
Hot chocolate toppings
Hot chocolate can be so much fun to make, and I love adding different toppings! Marshmallows and whipped cream are obvious classics, but you can even add sprinkles, chocolate chips, crushed or crumbled gingerbread or candy canes!
Top your hot chocolate with caramel sauce, chocolate sauce (there's no such thing as too much chocolate), hazelnut syrup or truffles. For adult versions you can also add liqueurs like Baileys or Kahlua.
We love to make a "make your own hot chocolate station" with a large slow cooker filled to the brim with hot chocolate, and any toppings you could possibly imagine.
🍶 More Beverage Recipes
Here are some other delicious beverage ideas worth checking out:
If you loved this recipe, make sure to let me know by commenting below and giving it 5 stars!
📋 Recipe
Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 1/2 cup whole milk
- 4 ounces dark chocolate
- 4 ounces milk chocolate
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Roughly chop or break up the chocolate.
- Add all the ingredients to a slow cooker, and cook on high for 2-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours.
- Stir once or twice while the hot chocolate cooks to ensure that the chocolate breaks up and blends in completely.
- Serve up the beverage, and top with your favorite toppings such as whipped cream, marshmallows, syrups, sprinkles and more!
Nutrition
Tonje is the owner of Hintofhealthy.com, where she shares easy and healthy everyday recipes. Follow her on Facebook or Instagram for more family friendly meal inspiration.
Thanks for stopping by! Share a tip or comment...