Do-It-Yourself Hot Cocoa Kit

Looking to save this holiday season? Feeling crafty? Tired of giving gifts that require you to simply click “Complete my order” or “This item contains a gift”?

I came across the cutest recipe for DIY hot chocolate mix wedding favors at BridalGuide.com and fell in love. They (almost) made me wish I’d waited another 5 months to get married in December just so I could give these little nuggets as favors! Easy as (wedding?) cake, you can make these using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Simply layer the ingredients in a pretty clear canister or antique-looking glass jar, and fasten a recipe tag on with some pretty, festive ribbon. Ta-da! Half your Christmas list is covered. These would be especially great for grandparents or those folks that you never know what to get because they don’t need anything (and would probably enjoy something homemade more than store-bought). You know, that whole “it’s the thought that counts” thing.

The original instructions were designed for pint-sized favors, just enough for two mugs of hot chocolate. I decided to multiply the recipe by two and a half in order to fill the 33 oz jar I had gotten from Sur La Table and figured it would serve about six using the entire jar. Feel free to adjust the recipe based on your own needs! I layered sugar, cocoa powder, powdered milk, and salt (see label below for amounts of each) and topped it all with Christmas-colored chocolate chips and some mini marshmallows.

I made up a little tag to fasten around the jar with a navy ribbon, listing the ingredients and instructions for serving. Here’s your chance to get creative and personal! The label reads:

“Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
Cozy Cocoa Recipe

Ingredients:
1 ½ c. sugar
1 ½ c. unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ c. powdered milk
1 pinch of salt

Family Movie Night (serves 6):
Mix contents of jar in a large bowl with 8 cups boiling water. Stir well and serve!

Romantic Date Night (serves 2):
Combine ½ cup of each layer (sugar, cocoa, powdered milk) in bowl with 2 2/3
cups boiling water. Top with marshmallows and chocolate chips!

Again, play around with your own wording to make it as personal as you can! For example, I was making this for a friend as a Secret Santa gift, and because she was going home to visit her family and boyfriend for the holidays, I decided to make it a “Baby It’s Cold Outside- Hot Cocoa Date Night” theme. I also gave her some pretty painted floral mugs from Anthropologie, a half-dozen freshly baked thumbprint jam cookies (her favorite), extra mini marshmallows, a peppermint bark Ghirardelli  chocolate bar, and two cute little porcelain bunny spoons for “stirring up some romance” with her beau.

I had so much fun making these- I hope you do too! Happy gifting 🙂