This slow cooker hot chocolate is rich, creamy, and made with real chocolate, cocoa powder, and brown sugar. Everything goes right into the slow cooker, so there’s no standing over the stove or making individual mugs. Just let the slow cooker do the work and you'll have a cozy batch of homemade hot chocolate ready to serve.
I especially love making this for holiday gatherings, Christmas parties, or a cozy night at home. Set out some mugs and your favorite toppings and let everyone make their own perfect cup.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: Everything cooks together in one pot, making this an easy hot chocolate recipe for a crowd.
- Rich and chocolatey: Bittersweet chocolate and Dutch-process cocoa powder give this homemade hot chocolate plenty of deep chocolate flavor.
- Perfect for gatherings: The slow cooker keeps the hot chocolate warm so everyone can help themselves.
- Easy to customize: Add marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate shavings, or your favorite holiday toppings.
Ingredients You'll Need
Whole milk: Provides the creamy base for the hot chocolate.
Evaporated milk: Adds extra creaminess and richness without making the hot chocolate quite as heavy as using all cream.
Heavy cream: Gives the hot chocolate that luxurious, creamy texture.
Bittersweet chocolate: I use bittersweet chocolate for a rich, deep chocolate flavor without making the hot chocolate overly sweet.
Dutch-process cocoa powder: Dutch-process cocoa gives the hot chocolate a smooth, rich chocolate flavor and deepens the color.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds sweetness along with a subtle caramel-like flavor that works really well with the chocolate.
Vanilla extract: A little vanilla rounds out the chocolate flavor.
How to Make Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
- Add the whole milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and chopped bittersweet chocolate to your slow cooker. Stir everything together, cover, and cook on low until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is hot and creamy.
- Give the hot chocolate a good stir to make sure everything is completely combined.
- Keep the slow cooker on its warm setting for serving and give it an occasional stir.
- Ladle the hot chocolate into mugs and top with marshmallows or your favorite toppings.
- That's it! Easy slow cooker hot chocolate doesn't get much better than that.
Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
- Use good-quality chocolate. Since chocolate is one of the main ingredients, use a chocolate you enjoy eating. It makes a noticeable difference in the finished hot chocolate.
- Don't rush the melting process. Keep the slow cooker on low and give the mixture time to heat gradually. You don't want to scorch the milk or chocolate.
- Stir occasionally. A quick stir every so often helps the chocolate melt evenly and keeps everything smooth and creamy.
- Keep it warm, not boiling. Once the hot chocolate is hot and everything is melted, switch the slow cooker to warm for serving.
- Set up a topping bar. Marshmallows are my favorite, but you could also add whipped cream, chocolate shavings, crushed peppermint, or a sprinkle of cocoa powder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Chocolate chips can be used, although I prefer chopped bittersweet chocolate for this recipe because it melts smoothly and gives the hot chocolate a rich chocolate flavor.
Yes. You can make the hot chocolate ahead of serving time and keep it warm in the slow cooker. Give it a good stir before serving.
Cook it on low heat rather than high, stir occasionally while the chocolate melts, and switch the slow cooker to the warm setting once the hot chocolate is ready.
Storage
Refrigerate: Allow leftover hot chocolate to cool slightly, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days.
Reheat: Pour the refrigerated hot chocolate back into the slow cooker and heat on LOW, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Once hot, switch the slow cooker to WARM for serving. If the hot chocolate has thickened after refrigeration, stir in a splash of milk to reach your desired consistency.
Can I freeze it? I wouldn't recommend freezing this recipe. The dairy can separate and the texture may not be as smooth and creamy after thawing.
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Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
This slow cooker hot chocolate is rich, creamy, and full of deep chocolate flavor. Made with bittersweet chocolate, Dutch-process cocoa, and evaporated milk, it’s an easy homemade treat perfect for holiday gatherings or cozy nights at home.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 6 cups (48 fl oz) whole milk
- 1 ½ cups (12 fl oz) heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups (12 fl oz) evaporated milk
- 10 ounces (283g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, ideally around 60–70% cacao
- 2 tablespoons (10g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons (10g) pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
For Serving
- Whipped cream
- Mini marshmallows
- Chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips
- Crushed peppermint, optional
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients. Add the whole milk, heavy cream, evaporated milk, chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Whisk until the cocoa powder is evenly incorporated.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 2–3 hours, whisking every 30–45 minutes, until the chocolate is completely melted and the hot cocoa is smooth and steaming. Do not allow the hot cocoa to boil.
- Turn the slow cooker to WARM.
- Ladle the hot cocoa into mugs and top with whipped cream, mini marshmallows, chocolate shavings, or your favorite toppings.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 323Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 130mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 5gSugar: 14gProtein: 10g
*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*
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