Made using real ingredients, this rich, creamy, and delicious, Instant Pot Hot Chocolate gets ready in under 10 minutes. Make this gluten-free drink for cold winter evenings, holidays, and family gatherings.
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About Instant Pot Hot Chocolate
Instant Pot Hot Chocolate (Drinking Chocolate) is the easiest and most convenient one-pot method of making hot chocolate. It’s a perfect cozy drink for cold winter or monsoon evenings, family gatherings, and holiday get-togethers.
The best part is that the instant pot (electric pressure cooker) keeps it warm until you are ready to serve it.
To make hot chocolate in the instant pot, all you have to do is to add the ingredients to the pot, stir it a few times and your rich, creamy, chocolaty hot chocolate will come together in under 10 minutes.
We don’t pressure cook the hot chocolate but just use the SAUTE setting to cook it and KEEP WARM mode to keep it warm.
Hot chocolate made in an Instant Pot also works perfectly for a crowd. You can make a big batch and let the instant pot keep it warm all through the party.
I used my 3-quart instant pot to make instant pot hot chocolate recipe for 4 people but you can easily make it for 8-10 people in it. If you want to serve even more people, then use a 6-quart instant pot.
Make this gluten-free comforting drink using real ingredients at home with my perfect recipe.
Here are some more drink recipes that you may like
- Beaten Coffee
- Turmeric Latte
- Saffron Milk
- Indian Masala Chai
- Kashmiri Tea Kahwa
- Herbal Saffron Tea
- Filter Coffee
- Baileys Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
Milk – I always use whole milk (full-fat milk) to make hot chocolate as it turns out creamy and rich. Having said that, feel free to use skim or low-fat milk.
To make creamier and richer hot chocolate, you can add some heavy cream to it.
Cocoa Powder & Chocolate Chips – Always go for the best quality unsweetened cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips. Milk or semi-sweet sweet chocolate chips also work fine.
You can also replace cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips with white chocolate chips or melted white chocolate to make white hot chocolate.
To make the chocolate flavor even stronger, add some chocolate sauce to it.
Vanilla Extract – Choose the best!
Sugar – I like to use brown sugar as it gives a nice caramelized taste to the hot chocolate. Feel free to use granulated white sugar or any other sweetener like maple syrup, coconut sugar, or honey, or sugar-free substitutes like stevia or monk fruit.
How To Make Instant Pot Hot Chocolate
Press the SAUTE button on the instant pot.
Pour
- 4 cups of whole milk
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
and cook until the milk comes to a boil. Stir frequently to prevent the milk from scorching at the bottom of the pan.
You may have some small lumps, but these will melt and go away as the mixture heats up.
Add ½ cup dark chocolate chips and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and cook until they dissolve and the hot chocolate is creamy, stirring continuously.
Pour into serving mugs and serve immediately.
Tip – To make the homemade hot chocolate extra thick and creamy, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with ¼ cup milk, add it to the pot, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the cornstarch is cooked and the hot chocolate is thickened.
Note – If you don’t want to serve the hot chocolate immediately, you can press the KEEP WARM setting on the instant pot and serve whenever you are ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because It is an easy and quick way to make a big batch of hot chocolate for a larger crowd. The best part about making it in Instant Pot, you can keep it warm, until you are ready to serve it. Amazing, isn’t it?
To make it vegan, replace dairy milk with dairy-free milk options such as almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or cashew milk. Chocolate is vegan but still make sure to check the label as some brands may add dairy to their products.
Technically, this recipe is a mix between hot cocoa and hot chocolate as it has both cocoa powder and chocolate added to it. These days, these terms are used interchangeably.
Variations
Peppermint – Add half a teaspoon of peppermint extract and give it a mix.
Cinnamon – Add in a little cinnamon powder and give it a mix.
Espresso – Once your hot chocolate is ready, stir in a shot of espresso.
Caramel – Add ¼ cup of caramel sauce to the creamy hot chocolate recipe with the other ingredients. Reduce the sugar as the caramel syrup is quite sweet.
Boozy – Make an adult version by adding Bourbon, Kahlua, or Dark Rum to the ready hot chocolate.
Topping Ideas
Here are some of my favorite toppings
Serve the hot chocolate with some mini marshmallows as I did. You can also keep candy canes as a stirrer.
You can also top it with whipped cream and sprinkle some cocoa powder on top.
Top it with white, dark, or milk chocolate chips, chocolate shavings, jimmies, sprinkles, crushed peppermint chips, cocoa puff cereal, coconut shavings, or roasted peanuts.
You can set up a hot chocolate bar for parties where people can top their hot chocolate with the toppings of their choice. Just keep the toppings in small bowls next to the hot chocolate and let everyone customize their own drink.
Storage Suggestions
Leftover hot chocolate will keep good in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan over the stovetop until hot and serve.
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Recipe Card
Easy Instant Pot Hot Chocolate Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot/ Electric Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk (full-fat milk) (you can use skim,-low fat, or plant-based milk too.)
- ½ cup brown sugar (you can use any other sweetener that you like)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet chocolate chips)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Press SAUTE button on the instant pot.
- Pour milk, brown sugar, and cocoa powder, and cook until the milk comes to a boil. Stir frequently to avoid scorching at the bottom of the pan.
- Add dark chocolate chips and vanilla extract and cook until they dissolve and the hot chocolate is creamy, stirring continuously.
- Pour the hot chocolate into serving cups and serve immediately.
- Tip – To make the hot chocolate extra thick and creamy, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with ¼ cup milk, add it to the pot, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the cornstarch is cooked and the hot chocolate is thickened.
- If you don’t want to serve the hot chocolate immediately, you can press KEEP WARM and serve whenever you are ready.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!