The Easiest Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate for Winter Parties

When I’m hosting, I think it’s important to have at least one beverage available for all guests. Often, it’s hot mulled cider or a fruity punch, but this year, I think I’m going to call an audible and go with this viral TikTok recipe for slow-cooker hot cocoa.

If you’ve never made hot chocolate in a slow cooker before, I can tell you: I will never make hot chocolate without a slow cooker again! The recipe I tested came from creator @kristyehmer, whose video has about a million views. She uses cream, sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate chips for cocoa that's far better than the packets I typically use.

Why Everyone Loves This Slow Cooker Cocoa

I think the reason everyone is obsessed with slow cooker hot cocoa recipes like Kristy’s is that they’re easy to make, endlessly versatile, and downright delicious. 

To make hot chocolate in a slow cooker, I combined all ingredients and warmed them on low, stirring occasionally until the chocolate was melted. Then I turned the Crockpot to its ‘keep warm’ setting. It’s really that simple.

To enjoy this decadent cocoa, serve it with mini marshmallows or whipped cream. If you're feeling ambitious, offer a fully stocked hot cocoa buffet. Include a few bottles of flavored syrups, such as peppermint, caramel, or gingerbread, along with an array of toppings. Crushed peppermint candies, mini chocolate chips, colorful sprinkles, and hot fudge sauce for drizzling are all wonderful ideas. 

For adults, you can pair this luscious cocoa with Kahlúa, homemade coffee liqueur, Irish cream, peppermint schnapps, dark rum, or a hazelnut liqueur.

What Do You Need To Make Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate?

While countless versions of this viral TikTok recipe exist, most begin with a combination of dairy, sweetener, and chocolate chips. This particular recipe calls for six cups of milk, one and a half cups of heavy cream, a 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk, and one bag of milk chocolate chips.

The sweetened condensed milk is a truly genius one-ingredient upgrade because it makes the cocoa incredibly rich, thick, and smooth. Since the sugars are already dissolved, you don’t have to worry about the cocoa being gritty or grainy. As soon as the chocolate chips melt, you’re good to go.

Tips for Making Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate

• Stir often. Burning the chocolate is the main risk of making this recipe in a slow cooker. Chocolate can be fickle if it's heated for too long or at too high a temperature. Stir the hot chocolate every 15 minutes on low to ensure the chocolate melts evenly and smoothly.
• Keep warm. The low setting on a slow cooker is great for melting the chocolate, but when serving, make sure to bump the heat down to your machine’s ‘keep warm’ setting. This keeps the hot chocolate warmed to a temperature that’s perfect for sipping—and it won’t cause the hot chocolate to separate, seize, or form a skin on top.
• Use the right chocolate. Since this recipe uses sweetened condensed milk and milk chocolate chips, it's very indulgent. For cocoa that's not so sweet, use semisweet or dark chocolate chips.
• Scale the recipe. This homemade hot chocolate recipe can be scaled to any event size. The basic recipe will fit nicely in a six or eight-quart slow cooker, but you could cut the recipe in half to fit a smaller crock or double it for a 10 or 12-quart slow cooker.