The Best Homemade Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate

Hot cocoa is so easy to make from scratch with simple ingredients, you can make a big batch for parties (or long days skiing, sledding, or shoveling snow!), and it can simmer slowly for hours, while you let your slow cooker do all the work and you enjoy the winter weather!

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How To Make Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate From Scratch

Hot chocolate is super simple to make in the slow cooker – whisk to mix together, then let it cook slowly while you enjoy a cool winter day, and come back to comforting, rich, and delicious hot cocoa! We love to serve hot chocolate with mini marshmallows, sprinkles, whipped cream, chocolate or caramel syrup, peppermint syrup – and let guests decorate their own cups.

Homemade Hot Chocolate Ingredients

• Warm milk (5 cups) – Warm milk forms the creamy base of the hot chocolate, helping the chocolate melt smoothly and evenly in the slow cooker.
• Heavy cream (3 cups) – Heavy cream adds richness and a luxuriously thick, indulgent texture.
• Granulated sugar (½ cup) – Granulated sugar sweetens the hot chocolate while balancing the cocoa’s natural bitterness.
• Semi-sweet chocolate (10 oz) – Semi-sweet chocolate provides deep, classic chocolate flavor and melts into a silky smooth drink.
• Cocoa powder (¼ cup) – Cocoa powder intensifies the chocolate taste and adds depth to the overall flavor.
• Vanilla (3 teaspoons) – Vanilla enhances and rounds out the chocolate, adding warmth and subtle sweetness.
• Sea salt (½ teaspoon) – Sea salt sharpens the chocolate flavor and keeps the hot chocolate from tasting overly sweet.

Steps to make Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate

Warm Milk

Warm milk in microwave or on stovetop – just 20-30 seconds to be warm to the touch (cocoa powder will mix in to warm milk much better than cold milk.) Add milk to slow cooker, turn slow cooker on to high.

Add Cocoa

Add in sugar, vanilla, chocolate, and cocoa powder, whisking vigorously after each addition to incorporate. Whisk in cream last.

Stir

Place lid on slow cooker and set to low, let cook 3-4 hours. Stir occasionally.

Top and Enjoy

When chocolate has melted and hot chocolate has thickened, it is ready to serve! Top with mini marshmallows, sprinkles, whipped cream, and even chocolate sauce!

Tips to Perfect Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate

For the best hot chocolate, we suggest following our tips to make your hot cocoa perfect, every single time!

Use Warm Milk. Warm milk helps your cocoa powder mix better, it can clump up when added to cold milk.

Stir regularly. Stir every 20–30 minutes, especially around the edges, to prevent burning.

Combine cocoa powder with sugar first. Mixing them together helps prevent cocoa clumps in the finished drink.

Add vanilla at the end. Stir in vanilla during the last 15 minutes to keep its flavor bright.

Balance with salt. A small amount of sea salt enhances the chocolate and prevents it from tasting overly sweet.

Whisk Cocoa Powder into Hot Chocolate. To avoid clumps, and for the best texture, we suggest whisking vigorously as you stir cocoa powder into warm milk.

Make on the stovetop. This recipe can be made on the stovetop instead of the slow cooker, with just a few modifications:

• To convert this recipe for the stovetop, add all ingredients except for cocoa powder into stock pot.
• Start to heat on medium low, whisking vigorously as chocolate melts and sugar dissolves into milk.
• When milk is warm and some chocolate has melted, whisk in cocoa powder (it will mix in best when milk and cream are warm or hot, it can clump together when liquid is cold.)
• Keep heating and whisking until chocolate is fully melted and mixed into hot cocoa.
• When chocolate has melted and hot chocolate has thickened, it is ready to serve.

Crock Pot Hot Chocolate FAQs

Hot chocolate is done when chocolate has melted and hot cocoa is thickened.

We recommend using a high quality chocolate that you love – we’re using a 70% bittersweet chocolate bar.
You can use any chocolate you love other than the bittersweet, such as milk, semisweet, or even white chocolate!

Yes, but choose high-quality chocolate chips, as some contain stabilizers that may affect how smoothly they melt.

Yes, you can make it ahead and keep it on the warm setting for up to 2–3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Use the low or warm setting and stir regularly, especially along the edges where heat is strongest.

Absolutely—use full-fat coconut milk, almond milk, or oat milk, and dairy-free chocolate.

Yes, add Irish cream, peppermint schnapps, bourbon, or rum to individual mugs just before serving.

More Recipes You will Love

For more of our hot chocolate ideas, check out our adult Rumchata Hot Cocoa Cocktail Recipe, our Olaf Blue White Chocolate Cocoa, White Cocoa Peppermint Latte, adult Peppermint Cocoa Shooters, and a super cute Welcome Elf on a Shelf Cocoa Party & Printables!

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You can find even more of our drinks recipes here.

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