This easy crockpot hot chocolate is the best hot chocolate you’ll ever sip. It’s creamy, rich, and completely decadent. Make it in your slow cooker for easy hands-off cooking or on the stovetop if you’re running short on time.
I have a ton of hot chocolate recipes on the site, but today I’m sharing my family’s absolute favorite hot chocolate recipe with you. A friend shared this recipe with me when I was in college, and I’ve made it for my family on Christmas Eve every single year since.
We call it our Polar Express Hot Chocolate because it’s so extremely rich and creamy that it tastes just like the sort of thing you’d drink on a magical train on your way to Santa’s workshop.
Why make hot chocolate in a crockpot?
You don’t have to make this hot chocolate in a slow cooker. You can cook it on the stovetop and it will turn out just as well, but using a slow cooker means you can start your hot chocolate and mostly forget about it as it cooks.
Give it a stir once or twice an hour when you walk past the kitchen, but otherwise, no need to babysit it.
And during the holidays, when you’re running around or busy cooking other things, it’s nice to have something low-maintenance.
Ingredient Notes
- Milk: Any percentage milk will work just fine in this recipe. I typically use whole milk. Sweetened condensed milk: Instead of using sugar, this recipe uses condensed milk. If you don’t regularly buy sweetened condensed milk, you can usually find it in the baking aisle or near the coffee and tea aisle. It’s sold in cans, and be sure to double check to make sure you’ve grabbed sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk since they’re typically sold side by side.
- Semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate: All of the chocolate flavor for the hot chocolate comes from real chocolate (there’s no cocoa powder in this recipe) so be sure to use high-quality chocolate you enjoy the taste of. Chopped chocolate from a bar melts a little easier and nicer, but good-quality chips like Ghirardelli or Guittard will also work (and is what we usually use).
- Heavy cream: A generous amount of heavy cream is what makes this recipe so rich and creamy. I do not recommend trying to replace it with milk, though if you really want to make crockpot hot chocolate with no heavy cream, half and half would probably be okay. If you have leftover heavy cream, check out my post What to Do With Leftover Heavy Cream for ideas to use up the extras.
How to Make Crockpot Hot Chocolate
- Combine all ingredients in your crockpot. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
- The hot chocolate is done when it is piping hot and chocolate is completely melted.
Toppings
This recipe makes such a rich hot chocolate that it really doesn’t need any toppings. But toppings are fun, so feel free to load your glasses up with them. Try:
- Whipped cream
- Marshmallows
- Candy canes
- Shaved or chopped chocolate
- Chocolate sauce
- Warm milk (to cut the sweetness and richness)
Can I make this without condensed sweetened milk?
No. While you absolutely can make hot chocolate without sweetened condensed milk, you cannot make this hot chocolate without it. If you don’t have (or want to buy) any, try one of the other hot chocolate recipes on the site like my Rich and Thick Hot Chocolate .
How to store leftover hot chocolate?
Leftover hot chocolate stores very well. Transfer it to an airtight container like a mason jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 or 3 days.
You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop or drink it chilled.
Leftovers tip: My mom likes to pour leftover hot chocolate into her coffee on Christmas morning and make a homemade mocha .
What to serve with crockpot hot chocolate?
This recipe makes an extremely rich and sweet drink. At home, we always warm a couple cups of milk on the stove right before serving so people who like their hot chocolate a little less decadent can add more milk to theirs and cut the sweetness.
Otherwise, serve this alongside your favorite Christmas cookies. I recommend Chai Sugar Cookies with Eggnog Glaze , Snickerdoodles , and (small-batch) Snowball Cookies .
More Hot Chocolate Recipes
- Hot Chocolate (Classic)
- Pink Hot Chocolate
- White Hot Chocolate
- Chai White Hot Chocolate
- Baileys Hot Chocolate
- Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate
- Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
- Frozen Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
Hot Chocolate
- ▢ 6 cups milk any percentage, plus more for serving*
- ▢ 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- ▢ 2 cups ( 12oz ) chopped semisweet chocolate, high-quality chips are fine
- ▢ 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
Optional Toppings
- ▢ Whipped cream
- ▢ Marshmallows
- ▢ Candy canes
Instructions
- Combine all hot chocolate ingredients in the slow cooker and stir together.
- Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or high for about 2 hours. Stir once 15 minutes after starting the hot chocolate and then again every 45 minutes or so.
- Hot chocolate is done when the chocolate is completely melted and mixture is steaming hot.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
This pork stroganoff is tender slices of pork tenderloin simmered with mushrooms, onions, and garlic in a creamy and tangy sour cream sauce.
We’re deep into comfort food season at this point, and today I have a new version of one of my absolute favorite comfort foods for you, stroganoff!
Growing up, we always made stroganoff with beef top sirloin, but in college, I learned that you can make an absolutely killer pork stroganoff with the WAY cheaper and very tender pork tenderloin. Best of all, the pork version is just as easy to make and satisfying as the beef version.
Ingredient Notes
- Button or white mushrooms: I prefer to use button/white mushrooms in stroganoff, but use whatever mushrooms you prefer.
- Pork tenderloin: If you don’t usually cook with pork tenderloin, it’s a thin, cylindrical cut of meat that comes from the loin of the pig. It cooks up quick and tender and is typically extremely reasonably priced. Don’t try and substitute pork loin chops here. They are not interchangeable.
- Tomato paste: A little tomato paste adds flavor to the sauce. This recipe won’t use a full can so check out my post What to Do With Leftover Tomato Paste for storage tips and recipe ideas for the leftovers.
- Dry sherry: I love using sherry in stroganoff, but any dry white wine can be substituted.
- Egg noodles: Egg noodles are the classic stroganoff pairing, but you can also serve it over mashed potatoes or rice.
Trimming Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin will typically come with a small amount of fat and silver skin (the thin silvery-blue membrane that sticks tightly to the meat) attached.
You’ll want to trim these away as silver skin won’t cook down in the sauce and has a chewy and unpleasant texture. If you’ve never removed silver skin, it’s very simple. Just slide a sharp knife between the silver skin and the meat and cut it away in strips. Go watch this video for a good tutorial on removing the skin.
How to Make Pork Stroganoff
- Cook mushrooms, onions, and garlic in butter until tender.
- Add pork and cook until just browned before adding tomato paste and flour.
- Stir in sherry, beef broth, and lemon juice and simmer for 15 minutes, until pork is cooked through.
- Temper sour cream, stir it into the sauce, and serve over egg noodles.
- Enjoy!
Tempering Sour Cream
This step is optional but creates a smoother, more luxurious looking sauce and only takes an extra minute or two to do. To temper sour cream, you stir spoonfuls of hot cooking liquid into cold sour cream to slowly raise its temperature. This allows you to add the sour cream to the simmering sauce without it breaking.
What to serve with pork stroganoff?
Pork stroganoff is a pretty rich dish, so stick with light and simple veggies like roasted broccoli , butter and garlic green beans , or roasted zucchini .
Can I freeze stroganoff?
Yes! As long and you just freeze the sauce and not the pasta, stroganoff freezes extremely well. Transfer the stroganoff to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge or submerge the bag of sauce in warm water, changing the water as necessary, and it should defrost in about 15 minutes. Reheat in the microwave or gently on the stovetop. Make a fresh batch of noodles (2-3 ounces per serving) and enjoy!
More Comfort Food Favorites
- Ham and Potato Soup
- Easy Carnitas
- Country-style Pork Ribs
- Pork Ragu
- Cheesy Sausage Potato Soup
- American Goulash
Ingredients
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 28g ) butter
- ▢ 8 ounces button mushrooms sliced
- ▢ ½ medium white or yellow onion diced
- ▢ 2 cloves garlic crushed or minced
- ▢ 1 pork tenderloin trimmed of silverskin, sliced in half lengthwise and sliced across into ¼-inch strips
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt plus more as needed
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 16g ) tomato paste
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 15g ) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 2 cups beef broth
- ▢ ¼ cup dry sherry
- ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper plus more as needed
- ▢ 8 ounces ( about 4 cups ) egg noodles
- ▢ 1 cup ( 240g ) sour cream
Instructions
Start Stroganoff
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and add mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add pork tenderloin to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and cook until lightly browned.
- Stir in tomato paste until well mixed. Stir in flour.
- Add beef broth, sherry, lemon juice, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.
Start Pasta
- While your sauce simmers, bring a lightly salted pot of water to a boil and cook egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Finish Stroganoff
- Once stroganoff has simmered for 15 minutes, remove it from heat. Measure sour cream out into a medium bowl and add a ladle full of the hot cooking liquid (about 1/4 cup) to the sour cream. Stir until well combined. Repeat until the sour cream is very warm to the touch. Stir the sour cream mixture into the stroganoff.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the stroganoff over egg noodles and enjoy!
These easy one-bowl, no-chill Snickerdoodles are crispy around the edges, soft and chewy at the centers, and so so good.
Hey, friend. I hope your day is off to an excellent start, and if not, don’t worry. It could be about to get a lot better.
Because today you could be making snickerdoodles.
And not just any snickerdoodles.
The best snickerdoodles.
Crispy around the edges, soft and chewy at the centers, spicy-sweet, and totally perfect snickerdoodles.
And if you don’t know exactly what a snickerdoodle cookie is or have never tried one before (no shame, I’d never had one till I was in college), I am so excited for you because now you get to try one for the first time.
What are Snickerdoodles?
Snickerdoodle cookies are basically sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar made with one extra ingredient: cream of tartar.
Cream of tartar, which you get as a byproduct of winemaking , gives the cookies a soft and chewy texture and signature tangy flavor.
Ingredient Notes
- All-purpose flour: In this recipe, it’s really important to measure your flour either by weight or the spoon and sweep method (stir flour in its container to fluff it up, spoon it into your measuring cup, and sweep the excess off with the flat of a knife). Too much flour and your dough might not come together.
- Softened butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter–the recipe card has instructions for both. During the summer, make sure not to let your butter get too warm on the counter before using as it can cause your cookies to spread too much in the oven. You know your butter is the correct temperature if you can easily press an indentation into it with your finger but the butter around it still keeps its shape.
- Shortening: If you don’t have shortening, you can still make these cookies by replacing the shortening with the same amount of butter, but I don’t think the texture is quite as good (shortening makes a slightly thicker, more tender cookie). And you might consider adding shortening to your baking pantry . It has a long shelf-life and is a handy ingredient to have around.
- Cream of tartar: If you don’t have cream of tartar in your spice drawer, you can find it at your local grocery store in the spice aisle.
Can You Make Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar?
Yes and no and probably. For this recipe, yes. What comes out of the oven will still be a fully functional cookie–but they will lack that tangy snickerdoodle flavor, still delicious, but not a quite a snickerdoodle, so also no.
For other snickerdoodle recipes, probably. Cream of tartar does more than just add flavor. It also acts as a leavener when combined with baking soda, so omitting it can change the texture of your finished product. The cookie will probably still come out okay, but the texture may be altered.
How to Make Snickerdoodles
- Cream: Cream together your butter, shortening and sugar followed by the remaining wet ingredients.
- Mix: Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until a slightly sticky dough forms.
- Scoop and roll: Scoop dough and form into balls before rolling in cinnamon sugar.
- Bake: Bake until cookie tops are cracked and they look just set. Cool and enjoy!
What does a snickerdoodle cookie taste like?
When you first bite into it, a snickerdoodle tastes like a cinnamon sugar cookie. But as you eat it, you’ll notice that it also has a slightly tangy flavor that is so good. This comes from the cream of tartar.
Do snickerdoodles have nuts?
Classic snickerdoodles do not contain nuts. BUT, if you’d like to add them, go for it.
Can you freeze homemade snickerdoodles?
Yes! Both the baked snickerdoodle cookies and the dough freeze extremely well.
To Freeze Baked Cookies: Transfer the cookies to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Cookies can be eaten frozen right out of the freezer or set on the counter for about 15 minutes to defrost.
To Freeze Dough: After rolling cookie dough balls in cinnamon sugar, place them on a plate or small baking sheet that will fit in your freezer and freeze until solid. After dough is frozen, transfer it to an airtight container or freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To Bake Frozen Cookie Dough: Preheat oven to 400°F and place frozen cookie dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes.
More Snickerdoodle Recipes
- Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate
- Small-batch Snickerdoodles
- Small-batch Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Snickerdoodle Sandwich Cookies with Eggnog Buttercream
- Salted Caramel Snickerdoodle Milkshake
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Small-batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Small-batch Peanut Butter Cookies
- Small-batch Frosted Sugar Cookies
Recipe Notes
This recipe makes 24 small cookies. If you prefer regular-size cookies, the recipe will make a dozen. For the larger cookies, simply extend the baking time by 1 to 2 minutes.
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ Handheld electric mixer optional but helpful
Cinnamon Sugar
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 25g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Snickerdoodles
- ▢ ¼ cup ( 2oz ) salted butter softened*
- ▢ ¼ cup ( 48g ) shortening room temperature*
- ▢ ¾ cup ( 150g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 large egg
- ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 1 ½ cups ( 180g ) all-purpose flour measured by weight or using the spoon and sweep method*
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt *
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
Cinnamon Sugar
- In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon.
Snickerdoodles
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar.
- Add egg and vanilla and beat until well-combined.
- Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined.
- Scoop and roll dough into 24 1 1/4-inch balls. Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture and place on baking sheets. Bake sheets one at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, until cookie tops are cracked and just set.
- Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Adapted from AllRecipes
The Best Crockpot Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
Hot Chocolate
- 6 cups milk any percentage, plus more for serving*
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups ( 12oz ) chopped semisweet chocolate, high-quality chips are fine
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Optional Toppings
- Whipped cream
- Marshmallows
- Candy canes
Instructions
- Combine all hot chocolate ingredients in the slow cooker and stir together.
- Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or high for about 2 hours. Stir once 15 minutes after starting the hot chocolate and then again every 45 minutes or so.
- Hot chocolate is done when the chocolate is completely melted and mixture is steaming hot.
- Serve and enjoy!
