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There’s nothing more comforting than a warm mug of slow cooker hot chocolate on a chilly day. This rich and creamy drink is perfect for holidays, parties, or cozy nights in. Just toss the ingredients in and let your slow cooker do all the work.
This slow cooker hot chocolate recipe is the easiest way to serve a crowd. It’s smooth, indulgent, and loaded with chocolatey flavor. If you’re looking for an easy crock pot hot chocolate that’s always a hit, this is it
What Makes This Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate Work
This slow cooker hot chocolate is rich, creamy, and incredibly easy to make. The slow heat melts everything together into a smooth, indulgent drink without any fuss. It’s the perfect hands-off recipe for cold days or holiday gatherings.
What makes it shine is how customizable it is. Keep it warm for hours and let guests top their mugs with marshmallows, whipped cream, or crushed peppermint. Simple, cozy, and always a crowd-pleaser.
What Goes Into This Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
This slow cooker hot chocolate uses simple pantry staples to create a rich and creamy drink that tastes like a warm hug in a mug. Whether you’re hosting a party or just want to stay cozy at home, these ingredients deliver maximum comfort with minimal effort.
- Milk: Use full cream or 2% milk as the base for a luscious, silky texture.
- Evaporated Milk or Heavy Cream: Adds extra richness and body—choose heavy cream for an ultra-decadent version.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: These melt slowly in the crock pot to give deep, chocolatey flavor without bitterness.
- Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened cocoa deepens the chocolate flavor and balances the sweetness perfectly.
Note: Please see recipe card for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make This Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
- Combine Ingredients: Add all ingredients into a slow cooker, including milk, evaporated milk, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and vanilla.
- Whisk Thoroughly: Whisk vigorously for about 5 minutes until the cocoa powder is fully dissolved and everything is smooth and well combined.
- Slow Cook: Cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours, whisking occasionally to prevent chocolate from settling or burning at the bottom.
- Finish and Serve: Once creamy, stir in marshmallows and let them melt. Serve warm with toppings like whipped cream or extra chocolate chips.
This slow cooker hot chocolate is perfect with cozy treats like Chocolate Chip Cookies, Snickerdoodles, or Mixed Berry Nutella Brownies. The creamy richness pairs well with buttery or spiced baked goods.
Recipe FAQ’s
Not at all. The gentle heat of the slow cooker keeps the milk from boiling, so it stays smooth and creamy without curdling.
Chocolate chips add a rich, velvety texture and deeper flavor that cocoa powder alone can’t deliver. You can skip them, but the result won’t be as indulgent.
Absolutely. Almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk work well—just make sure to choose unsweetened versions to control the flavor.
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Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1.5 quarts milk full cream or 2%
- 24 oz evaporated milk or 2 cups heavy cream
- 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 pinch coarse salt optional
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup marshmallows optional
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients into a 6-quart slow cooker bowl.
- Whisk vigorously until cocoa powder has dissolved and ingredients are well combined (about 5 minutes).
- Cook for 2-3 hours on low setting while whisking occasionally to prevent the chocolate from burning on the bottom.
- When hot chocolate is ready, add marshmallows into the hot chocolate and let melt little before serving.Additional toppings: finely chopped (or flaked) chocolate), chocolate fudge sauce, chocolate chips, smashed candy canes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hot chocolate is also amazing with Liqueurs such as Peppermint Snapps, Chocolate Liqueur, Creme de Mint, Chambord, Kahlua or a “mixture of Liqueurs or almost anything you can think of, for of course
adult drinks and added to the indivdual cup of hot chocolate. Just something to think about!
Chris
This was amazing… like a melted fudgesicle. Everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
This looks amazing and I will serve this both Christmas Eve with the family and Christmas morning with the kids and hubby! Easy to bring along in a crock pot! The kids and i always look for new traditions and maybe this crockpot hot chocolate on Christmas morning can be our new one! We do make hot chocolate ornaments for our tree and we make them Christmas morning but perhaps we could fill them now with the chocolate chips and cocoa and add them to the crockpot in the morning. Thank you for all of your recipes. 95% of my dinners weekly come from you! You’ve made me a great cook!
Brandie that’s so GREAT TO HEAR! You made my morning! I LOVE your idea re filling hot chocolate ornaments. So clever, creative and fun! I’m so so happy you’re enjoying my recipes. Sending you a virtual high five! Happy holidays to you all!
This sounds incredible.
Thank you Betsyros!