Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa Mix (Dairy Free Option Included)
A homemade hot cocoa mix with real salted caramel depth — Dutch-process cocoa, brown sugar, and butter powder create a rich, buttery chocolate drink that's better than any packet. Stir into hot milk or water and you're done.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered milk or powdered oat milk or coconut milk
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar or erythritol, allulose or monk fruit
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar or brown swerve
- 3 Tbsp butter powder (dairy-free butter powder (or 2 Tbsp coconut oil powder)
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips (dairy free chips)
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- To make one mug:
- Combine ¼–½ cup mix with 1 cup hot milk or water (depending how rich you like it).
- Stir until smooth and creamy.
- Top with whipped cream, a caramel drizzle, and a tiny pinch of salt for that café-style finish.
- Storage: Keep sealed, cool, and dry for up to 6 months.
Notes
Use Dutch-process cocoa for the smoothest, richest flavor. Dry milk powder in the mix means it works with hot water alone, but whole milk produces a noticeably richer cup. Store away from steam and humidity — dry milk powder can clump. Shelf-stable up to 12 months. For gifting, layer in a clear half-pint jar; for batch making, mix fully and store in a sealed quart jar.