Kid’s Favorite Cocoa

person moving cocoa from bowl too jar

This blend of cocoa and hot chocolate is kid-designed and kid-tested. It’s sweet and chocolaty with just a hint of Mexican spice. It’s cheap and easy enough for kids of all ages to enjoy a cup or two daily. Plus, cocoa, the main ingredient, contains a lot of antioxidants and encourages digestive balance. So, not only is this a cheap and easy solution to the hot chocolate conundrum, it’s a healthy choice, too.

Our favorite cocoa is Hershey’s baking cocoa. It’s rich for a low price and pretty easy to find in most groceries. We use NestlĂ© Abuelita brand Mexican Chocolate, which is easy to find in most groceries and mercados.

This recipe offers kids an opportunity to learn a bit about kitchen skills, like using a scale and mixing well. It also gives them a starting point for creating their own blends and expressing their creativity in the kitchen, which helps build positive skills they’ll use in later life to make healthy food choices. My boy’s been making his own since around age 8. I recommend adult supervision and some help with chopping the chocolate for younger ages. By middle school, he was making this all on his own…and even doing the dishes afterward!

Ingredients

  • 1 oz. Mexican chocolate
  • 4 oz. Cocoa powder
  • 7 oz. Brown sugar

Equipment

  • Food processor or cutting board with knife
  • Scale
  • Medium-sized mixing bowl
  • Spoon
  • Funnel
  • Seal-able quart-sized jar, like a canning jar with lid

Procedure

  1. Weigh and add the cocoa to the mixing bowl.
  2. Weigh and carefully chop the Mexican chocolate as finely as possible.
  3. Add the Mexican chocolate to the bowl.
  4. Weigh and add the brown sugar to the bowl.
  5. Stir carefully, mixing all ingredients well.
  6. Use the funnel to pour the mixture into your jar.
  7. Seal and label your mix.

Storage and Use

Make a cup of hot chocolate by adding 3 teaspoons of the cocoa blend to a few tablespoons of milk in a mug. Stir them until they become a paste. Add enough milk to fill your mug. Heat it in the microwave and enjoy. If you have the luxury, you can heat it using a milk frother or the steamer attachment for your espresso machine. Or, if you like the traditional way better, heat it in a small pot on the stove or over the fire. However you do it, enjoy!

This blend stores well in the pantry. It doesn’t last long in our household, but in theory, it would keep for a year or more so long as it’s well-sealed and stored in a dark place, like the baking cabinet.

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