Homemade S’mores Hot Chocolate (Hot Cocoa) Mix Recipe

S’mores Hot Chocolate Mix

Get ready to elevate your hot chocolate game with this easy-to-make, utterly delicious recipe for making your very own s’mores hot chocolate mix!

As the winter chill sets in, there’s nothing quite like a steaming mug of hot chocolate to warm the soul.

But why settle for ordinary, when you can elevate your hot cocoa experience to extraordinary heights?

Image the delight of having the delicious campfire treat – rich chocolate, gooey marshmallows, and graham cracker goodness – infused into a velvety, chocolatey elixir.

Even better when you can make that mix in advance, at home with just a few basic ingredients!

But don’t hog all the soul-warming comfort just for yourself – this mix makes a FABULOUS gift for friends and family, too!

Ingredients for S’mores Hot Chocolate Mix

For this hot chocolate recipe, you’ll need a few basic items. You can get most of these from your local grocery without too much fuss, with a few exceptions.

You’ll need:

• instant nonfat dry milk
• powdered sugar
• powdered coffee creamer* (chocolate variety if possible, although regular will work fine)
• cocoa powder
• Girl Scout S’mores Seasoning Blend
• dehydrated mini marshmallows

While most of the ingredients for this recipe are pretty straight-forward, there are couple things you may want to consider when making your hot cocoa mix.

Cocoa Powder

There are two kinds.

The generic stuff at the grocery store is a natural process cocoa powder, and is slightly acidic with a sometimes “sharper” taste.

Dutch-processed cocoa powder is less acidic and lends to a “smoother” taste.

I highly recommend taking the time to find a Dutch-processed cocoa powder. The package will specifically list “Dutch-process” or “Dutch-processed” on the front to distinguish it from the regular natural-process kind.

Either kind will work in a pinch, you’ll just get a slightly different flavor profile depending on which you use.

Coffee Creamer

I know, I know, this is the not the healthiest stuff for you.

If you aren’t averse to using powdered coffee creamer, it’s your easiest option here. My family overwhelming liked the Chocolate Creme variety of coffee creamer, so that what’s I’ve included in the recipe, although regular or vanilla-flavored creamer will also work.

For those who would like to avoid this stuff, there IS an acceptable alternative, and I will post the instructions for that down below in the recipe card notes.

Girl Scout S’mores Seasoning Blend

This is exactly what it sounds like – a seasoning that tastes just like a s’mores!

I don’t usually like to call for very specific ingredients like this in recipes, but in this case, there is not a good alternative.

(I tried to find a s’mores flavoring powder but even the big commercial providers only had it in liquid form which wouldn’t work well for this. And using the s’mores ingredients themselves just didn’t give a strong enough flavor, no matter how much I tried to add.)

You can find it online, or many Walmart locations have started carrying this on the shelf with the other spices and seasonings.

Dehydrated Mini Marshmallows

These are the same little marshmallows that you find in the commercially prepared hot chocolate mixes, and in things like s’mores-flavored granola bars.

You can buy them commercially now and they aren’t as hard to find as you might think.

Kraft sells them in a canister and I’ve seen them at Walmart and Target.

Craft stores that sell candy-making supplies will often have these in stock as well, especially around the holidays.

But for the most consistently-available option, I recommend buying these online. There isn’t a lot of difference between brands, so get whatever is cheapest.

Hoosier Hill Farms and Sarah’s Candy Factory are both brands we have tried and liked.

Now, on to…

Making Your S’mores Hot Chocolate Mix

This part is about as easy as it gets!

You’re going to want a BIG bowl. And I do mean big. Like 20 quarts (or bigger) if you’ve got it.

And a large, sturdy whisk. Or a big mixing spoon will also work.

Measure out each of your dry ingredients (EXCEPT the mini marshmallows) and pour them carefully into your large mixing bowl.

(Be care not to dump them as they can create a mess and splatter dust everywhere!)

Using your whisk or mixing spoon, carefully blend your hot cocoa mix until it is thoroughly combined. Be sure to break up any clumps, and make sure to scrape the sides and bottoms of the mix so that you don’t get left with any pockets of unmixed ingredients.

Once your mix is combined, add in your mini marshmallows and stir gently.

That’s all there is.

Storing Your Hot Chocolate Mix

You’ll want to store your homemade S’mores Hot Chocolate Mix in a large airtight container.

This recipe will make about 16 1/2 cups of mix, which is 33 servings.

Your mix is shelf-stable as long as you keep it dry and as airtight as possible. It will last for up to 6-months on the shelf. Although I doubt it will hang around that long… 😉

Gifting Your Hot Chocolate Mix

If you’d like to give this mix as a gift, the recipe will make enough to fill 4 wide-mouth quart mason jars.

I have created a PDF file with instruction labels. Print this out on printable sticker paper or shipping label sheets and then affix to the lid of each mason jar.

I have also created a PDF file with gift tags! You can print these out on white or colored cardstock, cut, and tie onto your mason jars with some pretty ribbon or even twine.

Or, since I am not much of a graphic designer, feel free to make your own. 🙂

Now, the part you’ve all been waiting for…

How to Make Your S’mores Hot Chocolate!

When you are ready for some soul-warming comfort, all you need to do is heat up some water.

Grab your favorite mug, and add 1/2 cup of your homemade hot chocolate mix. (You may need to stir or gently shake your mix container if the marshmallows have tended to settle a bit.)

Then add 1 cup (8 ounces) of your hot water and stir gently (and carefully) until mixed.

I like to put the mix in the mug first, and then add the water (rather than the other way around) because I find it to be less messy and easier to stir this way. But if you want to be a rebel, feel free to do it the other way!

If you REALLY want to indulge, you can use hot milk (whole milk, 2%, even skim milk will work) in place of water. This will give you a very rich hot chocolate!

(I have not tried this with half-and-half or heavy cream because, well, it would kill me [dairy allergy and all that] but theoretically that would make for one heck of a rich and creamy indulgent hot beverage! If you try it, let me know!

And I know it’s a little over the top, but my kids love to add whipped cream on top as a garnish. I mean, can you blame them?

If you want to get fancy, garnish your s’mores hot cocoa with a drizzle of melted chocolate or chocolate syrup, semi-sweet chocolate shavings, a toasted marshmallow or two, or even class it up with a graham cracker rim!

Be sure to save additional graham cracker crumbs to make your floating whipped cream mountain super fancy!

Now all that is left for you to do is to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your hard work!! 🙂