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I’ve made a ton of holiday gifts in reusable jars to give this year, and one of my favorites is this Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa in a Jar. Who doesn’t love a mug of hot chocolate to warm you up! This gift is not only simple to make and pretty to look at, but a delicious way to say thank you to those you love and appreciate!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Last-Minute Holiday Gift: Need a quick gift? Hot Cocoa in a Jar is your holiday hero! Keep a few prepped or whip one up in minutes for those “oops, I forgot!” moments.
- Customizable and Fun: From marshmallows to chocolate chips, you can tailor each jar to match the tastes of anyone on your list!
- Perfect for Everyone: From cocoa lovers to anyone with a sweet tooth, this jar of chocolatey goodness is a hit with all ages. Looking for another edible holiday gift idea? Try Pumpkin Spice Mixed Nuts and Seeds or Easy Winter Chili In A Jar.
The Ingredients
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: The base of this mix, it gives the hot cocoa its rich, chocolatey flavor. Make sure to use high-quality cocoa for the best results.
- Granulated sugar: Adds just the right amount of sweetness to balance the cocoa’s natural bitterness.
- Chocolate chips: These melt into the hot cocoa for an extra layer of creamy, indulgent double chocolate goodness.
- Cinnamon stick: A fun and festive touch! It infuses a warm, cozy spice when stirred into the hot cocoa.
- 16-ounce mason jar with lid: The perfect size for gifting! It keeps the mix fresh and looks adorable when tied with a ribbon or holiday tag.
How to Make Hot Cocoa in a Jar
Step 1: In the mason jar, layer the cocoa powder, sugar, chocolate chips, and top with the cinnamon stick. To ensure even, uniform layers use a funnel or fashion a makeshift funnel using parchment paper.
Step 2: Place the lid on top and tie a festive bow around the lip if desired. If gifting, include a card with these instructions: To make the hot cocoa, place the contents of the jar in a medium saucepan with 8 cups of milk. Simmer until the chocolate is melted and the hot cocoa is warm and smooth!
Tips for Creating Hot Cocoa in a Jar
- For Perfect Layers: Use a small funnel to get the perfect even layers. If you don’t have a funnel, you can create a makeshift funnel using parchment paper.
- Add Some Personality: Get crafty with your jar! Wrap a colorful ribbon around the lid, attach a cute tag with the recipe instructions, and maybe throw in a candy cane or two for stirring. Let your creative spirit shine as you prepare this lovely gift.
- Cinnamon: If you don’t have cinnamon sticks at the ready, you can substitute with 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
More Edible Holiday Gifts
It’s no secret I love using mason jars for gifting. This hot chocolate recipe is perfect in a jar, or you could use a mason jar gift Easy Winter Chili In A Jar , some festive Sun Dried Tomato Basil Pesto or Pumpkin Spice Mixed Nuts and Seeds too. Here are some more of my favorite edible holiday gifts.
There’s nothing cozier than a hot cup of cocoa during the holiday season. Let me know if you gift this recipe to anyone and leave a comment and rating below!
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DIY: Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa in a Jar
Equipment
- 12-16 ounce mason jar with lid
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 16 ounce mason jar with lid
- holiday ribbon
- gift tag
Instructions
- In the mason jar, layer the cocoa powder, sugar, chocolate chips, and top with the cinnamon stick. To ensure even, uniform layers use a funnel or fashion a makeshift funnel using parchment paper.
- Place the lid on top and tie a festive bow around the lip if desired. If gifting, include a tag with these instructions: "To make the hot cocoa, place the contents of the jar in a medium saucepan with 8 cups of milk. Simmer until the chocolate is melted and the hot cocoa is warm and smooth!"
how do you make a single serving size?
My kids LOVED making these with me. We used the smaller size (pint?) mason jars, and instead of including the cinnamon stick, I cut a circle from waxed paper to put on top of the chips and added mini marshmallows on top (to keep them separate). They turned out really cute! Thanks for a great idea.
Semi-sweet, but you could use any you prefer!
What type of chocolate chips did you use (Semi-sweet, dark chocolate, milk chocolate etc)? Thanks : )
About 1/2 teaspoon! 1 full teaspoon if you like it really cinnamon-y!
How much cinnamon would you use in this if you put ground cinnamon instead of a stick?
You would need to use a milk substitute because the cocoa powder won’t dissolve completely in just water.
Has anyone tried making it with water instead of milk? I have some friends with a lactose intolerance and wanted to know if you could just simmer it with water or if you would have to use a milk substitute?
I just made these for hostess gifts and they looked adorable. I wrapped some ribbon around plain mason jars and attached the directions on the back of a large holiday gift tag. Super simple. Thanks, Catherine!!
You have such great edible gift ideas. I’m thinking next cookbook for you should be: Weelicious Edible Teacher’s Gifts.
Hello! May I know if it’s possible to change the 8 cups of milk into dry powdered milk to put into the jar too? and if so, how much would that be? 🙂 Thank you!
I love making things like this for gifts. People seem to really appreciate the effort that goes into homemade gifts. I love that you used jars with handles. I now need to run out and find those. I’m obsessed with mason jars.
These are so cute! Do you think I can fit them in 8oz mason jars instead of the 16oz? I am looking for something just a little smaller? Maybe if I don’t include the cinnamon stick?
Where to get the lids?
I just wrote the directions on a gift tag!
Is there a link for printing the tag you show in the picture?