Recommended hot chocolate for hot water?

June 28, 2012 4:47 PM

I'm looking for recommendations for hot chocolate mixes which don't require you to add them to milk (it's probably best if they already contain the milk, but that's not required as long as it doesn't taste thin and watery when you put it in hot water). I'm not lactose intolerant, but I don't usually have milk around, plus it's much easier & more convenient to heat up water.

I used to have a container of this incredible mix from Coco-Luxe but they have since closed, sadly.

Mixes that taste "fine" in water would be helpful answers too, but of course it's better if it's recommended to mix them in water vs. milk.

posted by cybertaur1 to Food & Drink (15 answers total)

Cadbury Instant Hot Chocolate! If you don't have a store nearby that sells it, you can get it from Amazon.
posted by Sidhedevil at 4:56 PM on June 28, 2012

If you don't want to keep fresh milk around - maybe use sweetened condensed milk and a less-sweet mix?
posted by kickingtheground at 4:57 PM on June 28, 2012

Alton Brown has a recipe that uses powdered milk
posted by RonButNotStupid at 4:59 PM on June 28, 2012

I don't drink milk but I do keep Carnation Dry Milk Powder. I add it to regular hot chocolate mix (and other things). One tip - it doesn't keep as well in the box as you'd think. I usually portion out a cup or two into a plastic zip top bag and then store them all in a larger bag in an old flour canister.
Or see RonButNotStupid's Alton link.
posted by jaimystery at 5:00 PM on June 28, 2012

Are you opposed to making your own hot chocolate mix? That's what I do. It's easy (just a bit messy to mix up) and you can customize it once you figure out what qualities you like the best.

This is a recipe my mom uses:

1 8 qt. box Carnation powdered milk (I use a bit (maybe a quart or two worth?) more than this)
1 (11 oz. or 16 oz.) tub powdered Coffeemate (non-flavored)
1 lb. Nestle's Quik powdered chocolate drink mix
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. powdered (confectioner's) sugar (I use slightly less than a pound)
1/2 jar Carnation powdered chocolate malted milk mix (this is notoriously hard to find these days. Malted ovaltine will do)
1/3 cup Hershey's powdered cocoa (I use closer to a half cup)
1 small box Jello instant pudding mix (Devil's food or chocolate) (I use two boxes)

Mix together in a LARGE bowl--a whisk will actually mix it up pretty evenly--and store in an airtight container. Add about a third of a cup of mix to an 8oz mug of hot water. Mmmm.
posted by phunniemee at 5:02 PM on June 28, 2012

Most of the cocoa mixes in the US are "just add water". Swiss Miss, Carnation, Publix Brand.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:07 PM on June 28, 2012

Whole Foods' 365 brand is pretty good and doesn't require milk.
posted by Ralston McTodd at 5:34 PM on June 28, 2012

I make Alton Brown's hot cocoa mix all. the. time. Even in the summer.

Two keys to making good home made hot cocoa mix:

1. use whole powdered milk, not non-fat. Nestle Nido is what I usually buy.
2. get good cocoa.
posted by ephemerista at 5:59 PM on June 28, 2012

You can buy shelf stable milk now. No refrigeration needed, lasts forever, comes in small, single-serving packages.
posted by latkes at 6:27 PM on June 28, 2012

I think all the suggestions on here sound great; however, I would suggest also adding a bit of instant coffee to the hot chocolate. It shouldn't be enough to make the hot chocolate taste like coffee, but just enough to make it taste fantastic. I wish I better knew how to describe the difference, but it's well worth trying.
posted by jamincan at 7:33 PM on June 28, 2012

Ditto ephemerista--whole fat powdered milk is tough to find, but if you can find it--the hot cocoa I've made with it actually tastes better than the stuff made with regular milk.
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:42 PM on June 28, 2012

And if you live in the San Francisco Bay area, Rainbow Grocery sells it in their bulk section.
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:43 PM on June 28, 2012

whole fat powdered milk is tough to find, but if you can find it

Not all grocery stores carry it, but the ones that do tend to keep it somewhere in an "ethnic" aisle. It can take some looking, though, because they tend to stash it in odd places -- is it near the Jewish baking section, the Mexican coffee section, or hidden near the Chinese noodles? There's no rhyme or reason, but it can often be found.
posted by Forktine at 9:55 PM on June 28, 2012

If the other options don't work, you could also try making it with slightly less water and then add some cream to it. The cream lasts much longer in the fridge than milk.
posted by jamincan at 4:59 AM on June 29, 2012

The mix from Tim Horton's is pretty good even when made with water.
posted by workerant at 8:47 AM on June 29, 2012