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Making Hot Chocolate In The Classroom

November 22, 2017

Making hot chocolate in the classroom is my favorite thing to do each winter. Perfect for chilly days, as a special reward or for your winter class party!
This article (and most) on primary playground, does contain affiliate links that we do earn a commission off of.  clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps our website to keep great articles and freebies like this coming your way.

I love making hot chocolate in the classroom! I’ve been making it this way for years now and I promise it is super simple. No more hot water, opening packets, mixing, etc, and tastes sooo much better! This will make a full crockpot and should serve approx 30 students.

This article works well with these resources from Primary Playground.

  • Hot Cocoa / Hot Chocolate Counting Mats 1 – 20
    $3.00
    Add to cart
  • Cooking Class How To Make Hot Chocolate / Hot Cocoa
    $3.00
    Add to cart
  • Hot Chocolate / Hot Cocoa Craft With Writing Prompts/Pages
    $3.00
    Add to cart

Let’s get to the yummy part!

ingredients

1 cup of white sugar

1 cup of cocoa powder

2 cups of water

10 cups of milk

whipped cream and mini marshmallows

small Styrofoam cups

making hot chocolate in the classroom

Instructions

You’ll need to do the “hard” part at home the night or morning before. You’ll mix the sugar, cocoa powder and water in a saucepan and bring to a slight boil. Let it cool and put it in a container to bring to school with you. When you’re ready to put it together in the classroom, pour your chocolate mixture in the crockpot and add in 10 cups on milk. Turn your crockpot on low. It’ll take about 2 hours on low for it to be hot. You may want to turn it off about 20 minutes before you start serving so it’s not quite as hot for the students. You’ll have a couple of cups of milk leftover, and if you’re getting low on the hot chocolate as your serving, you can add some of the leftover milk. It will still be plenty chocolaty.

How to make hot cocoa in the classroom

After you make it this way, you’ll never want to go back. I even use the same recipe for Christmas at home too. Let me know if you try it!

One of our favorite activities to have hot chocolate with is when we’re working on our hot chocolate craft and writing prompts. They get to enjoy their hot chocolate while making their craft and writing about it. They look adorable all hanging up on the bulletin board!

Hot Chocolate Craft

And our Cooking Class How To Make Hot Chocolate is another favorite of the kids. Cooking class is a fun way to incorporate many different learning standards. In this pack, the students are learning writing, sequencing, retelling, life skills and much more. It’s a great hands-on activity to get the students excited to learn.

Cooking Class How To Make Hot Chcoolate

I hope your students enjoy their hot chocolate as much as mine do!

Making Hot Chocolate In The Classroom

Jenette

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Filed Under: Christmas, December, Parties, Primary Playground On TPT, Room Parent - Room Mom, Winter 53 Comments

Comments

  1. Juli says

    December 11, 2017 at 11:40 am

    Thank you. I love the writing activity. I do a hot chop plate bar every year as we watch polar express. I’m going to do the writing activity you suggested this week. I give my students snow man soup as their gift from me. I find travel mugs in the dollar store and they use those. Love this. Thank you.

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 13, 2017 at 1:52 pm

      I love the snowman soup gift idea! Have a wonderful time!

      Reply
    • Morgan says

      October 28, 2022 at 12:17 am

      Could you make this in an instant pot?

      Reply
      • admin says

        October 28, 2022 at 6:01 pm

        Hi there. I’m sure you could but I have never done it myself. I do know that I’ve seen recipes specifically for making hot chocolate in an instant pot, so you may want to read through one of them just to see what any differences would be.

        Reply
        • Holly says

          December 12, 2022 at 5:52 am

          Hello! Not sure how to post my own comment, so I’m just replying. Is this hot chocolate pretty bittersweet like a dark chocolate, or is it more sweet like a milk chocolate?

          Reply
          • admin says

            December 12, 2022 at 3:58 pm

            Hi there. It’s more sweet like a milk chocolate since it uses cocoa powder and sugar as the chocolate base. Hope that helps!

  2. Kirsten says

    December 14, 2017 at 2:05 am

    Can I make the chocolate base 2 days ahead?

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 14, 2017 at 2:46 am

      Absolutely! Just put it in the refrigerator. I save leftovers all of the time of the actual hot chocolate in the refrigerator when I make it at home and just warm up what I need that day for my kids. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Rebecca says

    December 14, 2017 at 7:08 pm

    How many cups does this make? We have a class of 20 kids and I am wondering if I should double the recipe.

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 14, 2017 at 8:19 pm

      This will serve approx 28 students in the regular Styrofoam size cups. If you’re using the larger cups with lids, I’d make a double batch using 2 crock pots. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Denise says

    December 15, 2017 at 1:27 am

    Could you mix this completely (milk & all together)and then just dump the complete mixture into the crock pot the next day at school?

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 15, 2017 at 2:58 am

      Yes, you most definitely can!

      Reply
  5. Melissa says

    December 15, 2017 at 3:05 am

    Is it unsweetened cocoa powder?

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 16, 2017 at 12:31 am

      Yes,
      unsweetened cocoa powder. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Kelly Riggs says

    December 15, 2017 at 12:36 pm

    I’m a room parent in my sons class and will have an hour in the classroom before the party begins. I know it says two hours in the recipe but can I cook it for just one??

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 16, 2017 at 12:33 am

      You can do it in an hour if you put it on high. Make sure to stir it every 15 minutes or so so the milk doesn’t scald. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Lindsey says

    December 15, 2017 at 4:49 pm

    What kind of cocoa mix do you use? I have a ton of the Swiss Miss packets in my cupboard but I’m not sure about adding sugar to that.

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 16, 2017 at 12:32 am

      Just unsweetened cocoa powder. You can find it in the baking isle at the grocery store.

      Reply
  8. Stephanie says

    December 17, 2017 at 1:16 am

    Hi! Can you make the entire recipe the night before? Can I mix/cook all ingredients together and then cool to place in fridge to be able to reheat in crockpot the next day?,

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 17, 2017 at 12:25 pm

      Yes you can! 🙂

      Reply
      • Stephanie says

        December 18, 2017 at 12:36 am

        Awesome! Thanks for your quick reply! Hope you have a very happy holiday!

        Reply
      • Donna says

        December 19, 2017 at 12:27 am

        I want to do this on Thursday. Thanks for sharing. If I combine all of it together including the milk would you recommend still the 2 hours on low?

        Reply
        • admin says

          December 19, 2017 at 1:51 am

          It should be ready after one hour on high or 2 hours on low. Stir it occasionally so the milk doesn’t scald if you put it on high. 🙂

          Reply
  9. Cynthia says

    December 18, 2017 at 6:32 pm

    This recipe sounds great and I’m really excited to try it in my classroom! 🙂 I have a probably stupid question though….what is white sugar? Is that considered regular sugar or white powdered sugar? I’m sorry to ask such a silly question, but I just want to make sure that I make it correctly. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 19, 2017 at 1:52 am

      Granulated sugar. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Betsy Jones says

    December 19, 2017 at 10:30 am

    Does the cocoa mixture need to be refrigerated until you put it in the crockpot with milk?

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 19, 2017 at 1:54 pm

      I make mine the night before and pop it in the fridge over night and leave out until I put i together at school. If you make it before school and take it to go with you, it will be just fine with not refrigerating it. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Rebecca says

    December 20, 2017 at 5:37 am

    What is your crockpot size? Thanks!

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 20, 2017 at 1:04 pm

      6 quart. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Linda smith says

    January 11, 2018 at 4:27 pm

    I make this every year in my classroom. My students love it and drinking hot chocolate in 3rd grade has become a tradition. (We drink got chocolate every week during the winter months)

    Last year, we complete your hot chocolate activity as a book. I took a picture of each student supplying hot chocolate and included it in their book. What a hit! I included it in our annua open house and the parents loved it!

    Reply
    • admin says

      January 11, 2018 at 7:20 pm

      What a fantastic idea! Such a special tradition that is for the students. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
  13. Catherine Hatch says

    October 12, 2018 at 8:10 pm

    I was wondering where to source the Cup and Marshmallow and writing line templates that you use?

    Reply
    • admin says

      October 12, 2018 at 9:00 pm

      Hi there, you can find the hot chocolate craft/writing source here https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hot-Chocolate-Craft-With-Writing-PromptsPages-3410386 🙂

      Reply
  14. Dev says

    November 7, 2018 at 1:29 am

    Hi!

    Has anyone tried this with just water? I have 30 kids and a few are lactose intolerant.
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • admin says

      November 7, 2018 at 12:14 pm

      Hi there. I would not suggest using water with this recipe. You could, however, replace the milk with soy or almond milk if either of those would be safe for the students. 🙂

      Reply
  15. Cynthia Mayberry says

    December 15, 2018 at 3:08 am

    What kind of milk do you use? Whole milk or 2%?

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 19, 2018 at 12:20 am

      You can use whichever you’d like. 🙂

      Reply
  16. Lauren says

    December 20, 2018 at 10:45 pm

    Can I substitute cacao powder for cocoa powder, or are they very different?

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 22, 2018 at 7:38 pm

      I would stick with cocoa powder to be safe. 🙂

      Reply
  17. Sheila says

    December 27, 2018 at 4:19 am

    Thank you for sharing! I am going to make this at home during Christmas break, then make it for our New Year Party I do with my class when we return.

    Reply
  18. Skylore says

    December 6, 2019 at 1:47 am

    Can’t wait to try next week in my classroom with our writing activity!

    Reply
  19. Starlene says

    December 21, 2019 at 7:32 pm

    Actually just wondering if you could use Splenda instead of Sugar? I want to make this for our church family tomorrow, but too many cannot have sugar.

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 21, 2019 at 8:01 pm

      Great question! I have never tried it that way, but with Splenda, you should be able to substitute it as a 1 to 1 ratio/replacement so my guess would be it would work just fine. Let us know if you try it!

      Reply
  20. Matti says

    October 27, 2020 at 6:11 pm

    Thanks this is perfect! Doing this for the “H” letter of the week cooking activity! I made a test batch first and it was delicious!!!

    Reply
  21. Amelia says

    December 17, 2022 at 10:25 pm

    We have 37 first graders. What should I do to make enough because doubling it would obviously be way too much?

    Reply
    • admin says

      December 18, 2022 at 9:47 pm

      Hi there. For 37 kiddos, you could give each of them a bit less to make up for the extra kids, or you could make an additional half recipe. You would have some extra to share with some other people at the end, offer seconds, or if you have parent volunteers coming in. If you are going to do the recipe plus another half recipe, I’d suggest using 2 crock pots though as the original recipe does pretty much fill the crockpot full.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Free Printable Reindeer Food Bag Topper - Primary Playground says:
    December 9, 2018 at 6:06 am

    […] If you’re looking for some more fun ideas you could use during a holiday party, you might like How To Make Hot Chocolate In the Classroom. […]

    Reply
  2. Hot Chocolate Activities for Kids - Hojo's Teaching Adventures says:
    September 16, 2019 at 4:03 pm

    […] Making Hot Chocolate in the Classroom – One wonderful way to celebrate the season while making your students feel extra special is by making Hot Chocolate in your classroom. This recipe is simple and makes a crockpot full of chocolatey goodness to share with your students – perhaps while reading their favorite holiday book! […]

    Reply
  3. Winter Minute to Win It - Primary Playground says:
    October 31, 2019 at 4:56 pm

    […] down with from the party fun with some hot chocolate in the classroom. It’s always a […]

    Reply
  4. Literacy Snack Idea Train + Free Printable - Primary Playground says:
    December 2, 2019 at 11:25 pm

    […] And don’t forget the hot chocolate! See how we make it in the crockpot here. […]

    Reply
  5. Free Printable Reindeer Hat - Primary Playground says:
    December 13, 2019 at 9:18 pm

    […] After your students have made their hats, read aloud to your class, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer while sipping some yummy hot chocolate. […]

    Reply
  6. 15+ Ways To Use Your Teacher Mug Collection - Primary Playground says:
    December 26, 2019 at 4:22 pm

    […] Have a mug exchange in your classroom. Wrap the mugs, play a game, have the students open the mugs and enjoy some hot cocoa. […]

    Reply
  7. Ease Back into Classroom Routines and Procedures - Primarily Kate says:
    January 2, 2020 at 11:30 pm

    […] am going to try the crockpot recipe I found on The Primary […]

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