Crock Pot Hot Chocolate

By Elizabeth Waterson // Dec 31, 2021 (Updated Jun 9, 2025) // 3 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen!

Making homemade hot chocolate in the crock pot is a quick and easy way to warm up in the winter. Double or triple the recipe to serve a large crowd! Step-by-step photos teach you how to make this rich hot chocolate!

marshmallow topped hot chocolate in a large glass mug on a white marble surface next to chocolate chips, marshmallows and more hot chocolate

During the winter, here in California, that means below 70F haha, I am always in the mood for a warm drink. Green tea or black teas are normally my drink of choice but sometimes I want something special. Often something special means chocolate. That's when this slow-cooker hot chocolate comes into play. You dump a few ingredients in together turn it on and let it cook.

You can double this batch to serve more or stick with the recipe amount for a few cups. Once the chocolate has melted you can turn it on to the keep warm setting and let it go for a couple of hours- but you don't want to keep it on the low setting as that can potentially burn the chocolate.

And like ice cream, toppings are half the fun, so add some marshmallows, chocolate chips, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce- the works!

Kids love this one, and it's perfect for a winter party! The crock pot is perfect to make hot chocolate for a large crowd.

Let's get to this hot chocolate recipe

Jump to:

Ingredients
Instructions
Can you double
More chocolate recipes
Recipe Card
Recipe Ratings & Comments

Ingredients

You'll need:

Whole Milk. Now you could use 2% milk but the higher fat content creates the richer flavor.
Heavy Whipping Cream. In my opinon if you're going to drink a cup of hot chocoalte it might as well be the best dang cup you've ever had. Adding heavy cream creates a really rich and creamy base.
Granulated Sugar. Just a bit of sugar helps sweeten it up nicely.
Good Quality Chocolate. Chocolate is in the name of this recipe so of course using good quality is key! You'll want it small-ish so if it's a chocolate bar then make sure you chop it finely. I like to use Callebaut Chocolate Callets. They are pure chocolate but in little drop forms so no need to chop them! I like to use more semi-sweet or dark chocolate since we are adding so much milk and cream to it.
Good Quality Cocoa Powder. Adding a bit of cocoa powder really packs the strong, intense chocolate flavor! You'll need to really whisk it in to incorporate it properly. I prefer to use unsweetened cocoa powder, if you use sweetened cocoa powder then I wouldn't add any of the sugar.
Pure Vanilla Extract. Vanilla brings out the chocolate flavors and lets them shine!

For toppings, I love adding mini marshmallows, milk chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, and my homemade whipped cream but store-bought works just fine too!

For another warm chocolate, treat check out my chocolate rice pudding recipe!

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients except the vanilla into a slow cooker.

milk, cream, cocoa powder, and salt added to crock pot on a white marble surface

Whisk together to dissolve the cocoa powder then turn on low and cook for 2-3 hours.

cocoa powder mixed in and combined in slow cooker on a white marble surface

Check the mixture at 1 hour 30 minutes to see if your chocolate has melted, if so whisk to combine until all the chocolate is incorporated into the liquid. You can taste it at this point and add a little more sugar if you want it a bit sweeter!

hand mixing hot cocoa together in a crock pot on a white marble surface

Turn the setting to "keep warm" and stir every 30 minutes or so to keep the chocolate from separating. Avoid using the "high" setting as it can burn the chocolate. I find it easiest to use a soup-style ladle to serve the cocoa.

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.