Crock Pot Hot Chocolate

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The best crock pot hot chocolate – it’s smooth, creamy rich & irresistibly chocolatey. This large batch of slow cooker hot chocolate is the perfect to serve at holiday parties!

a glass mug full of Crock pot Hot Chocolate topped with whipped cream

I host a Christmas party every year with over 50 people. So, I created this crock pot hot chocolate recipe as the ultimate hot cocoa to serve at a large gathering!

This slow cooker hot chocolate is more delicious than any powered mix. Made with two forms of chocolate, whole milk and heavy cream – it’s rich & creamy and irresistibly chocolatey. Pure chocolate decadence in drink form.

In this recipe, the ingredients are cooked on high for about 1 hour. Once the chocolate is melted and sugar dissolved, the mixture is kept warm in the slow cooker. This way, guests can enjoy the warm slow cooker hot chocolate throughout the party.

Crock pot Hot Chocolate being poured into a glass mug

Crock Pot Hot Chocolate: Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Whole milk. Technically 2% milk would work in this recipe. However, for the creamiest hot chocolate I recommend using whole.
  • Heavy cream. Half and half is an acceptable substitute for heavy cream.
  • Granulated sugar. white sugar, organic cane sugar and honey all work well to sweeten the recipe.
  • Semisweet chocolate. I use chocolate chips to make this recipe easy to make. You can chop your favorite chocolate bars, just be sure to use 10 oz. Any chocolate variety works well – milk, semisweet, dark, or even white chocolate!
  • Vanilla extract. vanilla bean paste or the seeds from one vanilla bean are good substitutes.
overhead view of the ingredients in this Crock pot Hot Chocolate recipe

How to Make Crock Pot Hot Chocolate

I love this slow cooker hot chocolate recipe because it’s easy to make and is the best to serve to party guests. We’ll walk through the process step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.

two photos showing How to Make Crock pot Hot Chocolate - pouring milk and cream into the slow cooker

Begin by adding the ingredients in the order listed to the container of a 5-quart slow cooker. Whisk to combine.

I suggest whisking the cocoa powder into the liquid before adding the chocolate chips.

two photos showing How to Make Crock pot Hot Chocolate - adding sugar and cocoa powder to the slow cooker
two photos showing How to Make Crock pot Hot Chocolate - adding chocolate chips and vanilla to the crockpot

Next, cook the mixture on high, whisking occasionally (every 15-20 minutes or so) until the sugar is dissolved and the chocolate chips are melted (about 1 hour).

two photos showing How to Make Crockpot Hot Chocolate - whisking the ingredients

Once the hot chocolate is warm and smooth, turn the crock pot to low or warm until it’s time to serve.

Alternately, you can warm it on low for longer, still whisking occasionally. I like to melt the ingredients quickly, which is why I choose to cook it on high then switch to warm.

a ladle pouring Crock pot Hot Chocolate into a glass mug

Serve

I use a stainless steel ladle to serve the crockpot hot chocolate. If you’re hosting a large gathering, set out mugs or heat-proof cups and put the ladle on a spoon rest next to the crockpot. Then guests can serve themselves hot chocolate whenever they want to enjoy it!

I like to leave bowls of toppings next to the crock pot for guests to enjoy. I recommend homemade whipped cream and homemade marshmallows!

Store

Store leftovers in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Sometimes I even use leftovers to put in my coffee in the morning!

whipped cream being piped on top of a glass mug full of Crockpot Hot Chocolate

Crock Pot Hot Chocolate Recipe FAQs

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, absolutely, this recipe is easily doubled. Just be sure to use a crockpot with a large enough capacity (a single batch fills one, 5-quart crockpot), or use two crockpots.

How do you keep hot chocolate warm for a crowd?

This crockpot hot chocolate is the perfect recipe to make because the slow cooker keeps the beverage warm without burning it!

a glass mug of Crockp ot Hot Chocolate topped with whipped cream

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Crock Pot Hot Chocolate Recipe

Laura
The best crockpot hot chocolate – it’s smooth, creamy rich& irresistibly chocolatey. This large batch of slow cooker hot chocolate isthe perfect to serve at holiday parties!
5 from 9 votes
Course beverage, Dessert, Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 16 Servings
Calories 318
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
1 hour
Total Time15 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Add the ingredients in the order listed to the container of a 5-quart slow cooker and whisk to combine.
  • Cook the mixture on high, whisking occasionally (every 15-20 minutes or so) until the sugar is dissolved and the chocolate chips are melted (about 1 hour).
  • Once the hot chocolate is warm and smooth, turn the crockpot to low or warm until you are ready to serve.

Video

Notes

This makes a rich hot chocolate (a little dark), if you like lighter use chocolate chips or chopped chocolate such as milk chocolate.
Ingredient Substitutions
  • Whole milk. Technically 2% milk would work in this recipe. However, for the creamiest hot chocolate I recommend using whole.
  • Heavy cream. Half and half is an acceptable substitute for heavy cream.
  • Granulated sugar. white sugar, organic cane sugar and honey all work well to sweeten the recipe.
  • Semisweet chocolate. I use chocolate chips to make this recipe easy to make. You can chop your favorite chocolate bars, just be sure to use 10 oz. Any chocolate variety works well – milk, semisweet, dark, or even white chocolate!
  • Vanilla extract. vanilla bean paste or the seeds from one vanilla bean can be used in place of vanilla extract.
Store
Store leftovers in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 334mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 644IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 183mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 from 9 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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12 Comments

  1. Laura I’m making this for a classroom of kids. 20. Do you think this would be enough for 20 cups of hot cocoa? Thank you!

    1. I often save leftovers and reheat them, but I would suggest just mixing it up and serving day of since it’s so easy! Or maybe measuring out all the dry ingredients and chocolate chips, then just pour everything in the crockpot 1 hour before serving.

  2. 5 stars
    Made this for my family’s Christmas party and it was a hit! So smooth and delicious and it reheated wonderfully throughout the rest of the week.

  3. 5 stars
    This hot chocolate is rich and creamy and SO flavourful. We loved it!!! The crockpot makes it easy peasy – making it again today for a Christmas party!