Creamy Crockpot Hot Chocolate Recipe
Crockpot hot chocolate is the easiest way to make rich, creamy hot cocoa for a crowd.
Just stir milk, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and vanilla into your slow cooker and let it heat on low for about 3 hours.
There’s no scorching and no constant stirring, and it stays warm for hours. Prep takes only 5 minutes.
This crock pot recipe is perfect for Christmas morning, holiday parties, tree trimming, or a snowy day.
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How to Make Hot Chocolate in a Crock Pot
- Add the ingredients. Pour the milk, heavy cream, and sweetened condensed milk into the slow cooker. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla.
- Cook on low. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, stirring every 30 to 45 minutes so the chocolate melts evenly.
- Whisk and serve. Give it a good whisk until smooth, then ladle into mugs.
- Keep it warm. Switch the crock pot to the warm setting so guests can serve themselves.
Add a pinch of cinnamon or a splash of peppermint extract for a seasonal twist.
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Crockpot hot chocolate takes about 2 to 3 hours on low, or about 1 to 1½ hours on high. Low is better because it heats the milk gently and melts the chocolate without scorching. If you use high, stir every 20 minutes or so. Once it’s hot, it holds on the low or warm setting for up to 4 hours.
Whole milk plus heavy cream gives the creamiest result, and that’s what this recipe uses. Sweetened condensed milk adds sweetness and body.
Yes. Use 1 hot cocoa packet per cup of milk, then stir in a splash of cream or a handful of chocolate chips to make it richer. Cook on low for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. It’s a good shortcut, but the packets taste sweeter and less chocolatey than the chip-based recipe above.
This recipe makes eight 8 oz servings, so it’s easy to scale up. For a bigger group, double the recipe in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker, and don’t fill it past about three-quarters full. A 6-quart crock pot holds about 16 servings, and if you need more, run two crock pots at once.
You can keep crockpot hot chocolate warm for up to 4 hours on the low setting. After that, switch to the warm setting so it doesn’t overcook or thicken. Stir it now and then, and whisk before serving if a skin forms on top.
How to Serve Crockpot Hot Chocolate at a Party
Once the hot chocolate is hot and smooth, switch the crock pot to the warm setting so guests can help themselves. Stir occasionally, and keep a ladle and a stack of mugs nearby.
Set up a toppings bar so everyone can customize their cup:
- Mini marshmallows
- Homemade whipped cream
- Chocolate chips
- Crushed candy canes
- Caramel drizzle
- Flavored syrups
Pair the hot chocolate with a few sweet treats for a complete dessert spread.
What Goes with Hot Chocolate at Christmas?
Serve a variety of festive treats to make the cozy atmosphere even better. Here are some great options:
- Marshmallows: A classic choice to serve with hot chocolate.
- Peppermint sticks: A refreshing twist for stirring.
- Whipped cream: Makes any hot chocolate recipe feel extra indulgent.
- Christmas cookies: Gingerbread, sugar cookies, or peppermint bark cookies are great options. Find more in our cookie recipes.
- Brownies: Rich and fudgy brownies pair perfectly with hot chocolate.
- Croissants or cinnamon rolls: Serve these for a cozy Christmas brunch or dessert spread.
- Crushed candy canes: Sprinkle on top for an extra festive crunch.
More Hot Chocolate and Slow Cooker Recipes You’ll Love
If you enjoyed this recipe, try these next:
- Starbucks Copycat Frozen Hot Chocolate: A cool, creamy twist on hot cocoa that’s perfect in any season.
- Slow Cooker Desserts: Easy, hands-off treats that are sure to impress your guests.
- Christmas Party Food Ideas: Festive recipes to round out your holiday gathering.
- Christmas Hot Chocolate Recipes: Cozy, festive mugs of cocoa to sip by the tree all season long.
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Crock Pot Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 6 cups milk
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips 12 oz
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in your crock pot
- Cook on low for 3 hours, stirring occasionally
- Serve once the chocolate is melted and combined
- Top your crock pot hot chocolate with whipped cream or marshmallows!
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
- Make ahead: Keeps warm in the slow cooker for up to 4 hours.
- Double it: Use a 6-quart or larger crock pot.
I give them medicine and chicken noodle soup and they cuddle up with a nice cozy blanket and watch a movie and rest.
It’s important to keep them home, and in bed..away from other family members too.
Warm, cozy and age appropriate meds for symptoms
i make sure my daughter washing her hands
I bundle her up in blankets, give her Children’s Advil and watch movies on the couch with her when she is sick.
I would love to try making hot chocolate in the crock pot! My family has been using Children’s Advil for years and it is effective!
With hot chocolate #SickJustGotReal
Dimetapp is my go to medicine, even for my teens! I love it when I find a coupon and can combine it with a sale. When 1 child gets sick, 8 more will soon follow!! We go through a lot of tissues and medicine, in a short amount of time.
I love the idea of hot chocolate in the crock pot. We always have Advil products here, for colds or regular Advil for aches and pains.
Nice looking hot chocolate recipe for child to have when sick, or even not sick.
Looking good love hot chocolate
Hot chocolate always makes you feel better.
Lots of fluids
I always dab some vasoline on the end of his nose to prevent chafing. Cooking all his comfort foods as well.
I feed them soup, give them a blanket and let them watch movies.
I let them snuggle with me and pick and movie. I also give them medicine and gatorade.
Recipe looks amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Orange juice, chicken noodle soup and lots of love.
Definitely some warm soup cough drops and a nice pillow ! thats my essentials when i get sick
Mmm!! Fresh Homemade chocolate sounds like it would make ANYONE feel better when they’re feeling sick!! We hate the sickies but really have a good system for making him feel better! We have lots of cuddles and give meds for pain and fever. Lots of fluids when we can and read a ton of books!
I keep them bundled up at home resting..give meds and water.
I give them what medicine they may need and make sure they are comfortable. My girls have been really sick this week and it’s been awful. I can’t do enough to make them feel better.
With healing chicken soup 🙂
Makes me want hot chocolate
I love chocolate, thank you so much for the great offer!
Thankfully, my 19 month old has yet to get sick in any way. If he were to get a cold, I would probably give him some warm soup and have cuddletime and a movie
Warm blanket, hot soup, plenty of fluids. Vitamin C drops, appropriate cold meds, and a favorite animated movie on the big screen.
My daughter is a big bath person so we usually do lots of baths when she is sick and sleep.
A humidifier.. Medications.. snuggly blankets, and lots of hot soups
My daughter has a bad cold now and I made her the honey lemon water recipe that I found on the internet.
we recently were awarded custody of our 3 yr old grandson and when he gets sick we give him childrens pain reliever and he usually wants me to cuddle him.
This sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing
I make sure they are warm and snuggly. I give them plenty of fluids and vitamin C.
I would give them medicine and make soups also teas to help them get better
I have recently been restocking my winter medicines. Mmm crockpot hot chocolate is so rich and creamy. I love it.
That looks so rich and delicious! I think it’s time I bust out the crock pot!
Nothing is better than homemade hot chocolate. It’s so much more rich than the stuff you get out of a pouch.
I keep pain reliever and cold meds on hand for when they get sick.
Our children usually just sleep when they’re sick and usually don’t want anything to eat.
I’ll make them oxtail stew and read to them!
Recipe looks good although I tend to avoid condensed milk. Any ideas for how I could substitute?
The best thing: chicken noodle soup! There’s nothing like chicken noodle soup to make kids (and grown ups) feel better. As an adult I also love some gingerale or herbal tea, but for kids, I’m a firm believer in soup!
I’ve always loved hot chocolate, but not the Swiss Miss kind and the fact that this recipe has heavy cream in it tells me it’s gonna be rich as all get out, which I like! Pinned it! 🙂 Thanks for sharing! Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Love homemade hot chocolate. It always tastes so much better. I love the idea of doing it in the crock pot!
This hot cocoa recipe looks amazing!! I love that it is easy to make and stays warm for a long time.
This sounds amazing right now. I’ve always wanted to try this in the crockpot. Looks like I now can give it a try!
This season is not complete if there’s no hot chocolate!!! I really enjoy recipes like this because it’s easy to make! If you have guests over they’re going to love it too.
Hot chocolate would be so good right now. I totally have to make some in my crock pot this way!
I love hot chocolate! I can’t recall ever having it made in a crock-pot! So cool!
Real hot chocolate made in a slow cooker is such a great idea! I usually just use the powder stuff, but I know how much richer this stuff would be.
I try to make my daughter comfortable and check her temperature often. I also encourage her to drink a lot of water and take naps.
That hot chocolate looks so good. Hot cocoa is a favorite of ours in the winter months. Can’t wait to try your recipe.
This looks so so great! This sounds perfect for Christmas!
Oh, my! You don’t mess around with your hot chocolate! It sounds absolutely delicious and rich and decadent!
Hot chocolate is the best! My kids love when I whip up a batch in the slow cooker. I love that it makes tons!
I never even thought of whipping up hot chocolate in a crock pot! I know exactly what we will be doing this weekend! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I never thought of making hot chocolate in the crock pot. I will definitely , we love it during this time of year.
I am in love with this idea! We are having a Christmas party and there will be a lot of kids, so I will totally be making crock pot hot chocolate! Maybe I will make an adult one too with some baileys lol
Crock pot hot chocolate is so great. I have made it for when we decorated for christmas. My kids love it. IT is also great that it is just there, ready and waiting for refills.
age appropriate meds to treat the symptoms and lots of juice
I can’t wait to make hot chocolate. Coming in to have it ready to serve is fantastic.
Mmm, hot chocolate. I could go for a cup of that right now. When my kids got sick I would give them a flannelette blanket to curl with. I still use them myself.
We give my niece medicine and tea.
Never thought about making hot chocolate in a crock pot before! Looks great!
Dimetapp was a staple in my house growing up. We used it every time we got sick and the grape taste did seem to make us feel so much better. Having a cup homemade hot chocolate would also make getting sick not feel as awful.
Lots of rest and meds when my babies get sick!
Hot chocolate in a crockpot is a great idea!
Soothing meds, bed/blankets/rest, and soup
Giving them medicine and plenty of fluids.
This looks so yummy! I love hot cocoa 🙂
Plenty of fluids and lots of rest
Give them their favorite foods, lots of water, snuggles and soft blankets.
Perfect for the holidays and especially when you’re not feeling so good! You need something warm on your throat because it’s so soothing!
People think of LA where I live as always balmy, which it mostly is. Still, it’s a desert and can be very cold at night. We love having a fire and some hot cocoa. When folks are sick they get that plus complete control of the TV remote.
give them chicken noodle soup, a cozy blanket and have them rest and maybe watch a movie.
This hot chocolate recipe looks good.
Lots of rest & medications if needed. Also, lots of fluids & warm chicken noodle soup.
I used to give my daughter chicken noodle soup and kept her away from other kids. When one kid gets sick they all get sick
We usually get lots of rest when everyone is sick.
Lots of love, rest, fluids, medicine and foods that can help depending on what ails them. Thanks for the awesome giveaway and Happy Holidays 🙂
This looks like an amazing cup of hot chocolate.
Pampering them and making their favorite soup.
I have them get rest and drink a lot of fluids.
I must say that my children didn’t get sick when they were little..I know, it’s weird. But if they were little today I would make them my husband’s famous Chicken Napalm Soup, put on some audible story books, have hot honey lemon drink for them and make sure they have plenty of rest.
Plenty of vitamins. She prefers hot ramen instead of chicken noodle and hot tea with lemon!!
Lots of rest, fluids, washing hands and soup!
I never imagined making it out of a crockpot, between the heavy cream and the condensed milk I bet its creamy and smooth!
juice, soup and lots of tissue and hugs always helps.
That hot chocolate sure looks good – never thought of making it in a crock pot before. It sure helps when the kiddos aren’t feeling good as does Robitussin which we always have on hand. Good stuff.
That hot chocolate would be good to fix for a party.
I always make sure that they get plenty of fluids and rest when they are sick. My kids are young still, so lots of mommy cuddles help as well. 🙂
With hot chocolate
Lots of rest, soup and fluids.
I give her medicine to relieve her symptoms and let her rest.
I make sure they get lots of rest and fluids. I also give them lots of attention to comfort them when sick gets real.
Lots of sleep and water!
Books and a vaporizer!
I let my daughter enjoy some screen time when she’s sick.
This hot chocokate looks wonderful! Warm things help–clear soups and teas are great for colds and flu
I use the old tried and true method for anyone. Get plenty of rest and liquids.
Stay warm and sip on chicken noodle soup,
We cuddle and watch movies.
When my kids get sick, we spend a lot of time cuddled up on the couch or curled up in my bed. Rest and sleep seem to help the most.
I make sure she washes her hands, gets a lot of rest, and drinks a lot of water.
I give them medicine and let them get plenty of rest.
No kids!
I give them plenty of liquids and make sure they get plenty of rest.
Give them chicken soup and make sure as comfy as possible
We set up camp in the living room. Get blankets, pillows, and favorite stuffed animals and spend the day watching movies. Give them meds as needed and make sure they drink plenty of fluids. #SickJustGotReal
Give them lots of soup and tea!
love the recipe. i have never made hot chocolate with chocolate chips, that’s a great idea.
WHEN MY KIDS GET SICK, I STAY HOME FROM WORK AND TAKE CARE OF THEM 🙂 MAKE SURE THEY GET PLENTY OF REST AND HOMEMADE SOUP 🙂
I make sure that the kids get plenty of liquids and rest.
The recipe sounds great. Children love hot chocolate.
I make them comfortable letting them get enough rest and nourishment. I give them age appropriate medicine to relieve the symptoms.
She drinks lots of tea and soup. Also plenty of sleep/rest!
Elderberry syrup and some hot chicken noodle soup works well.
This looks really good I will have to make this Christmas eve 🙂
I keep them warm with snuggles, in bed with movies, lots of fluids and warm soup.
Lots of netflix and soup and warm blankies and lots of love from me #SickJustGotReal
TV and soup!
I give my little ones warm tea with honey in a straw sippy cup. My preschooler keeps telling me he’s sick because he wants tea!
I would definitely would love to try the Crock Pot Hot Chocolate Recipe. I think it is a great plate, of which it’s on my menu later in the week.
I help my children when #SickJustGotReal with rest and cuddles
Chicken soup and camomile tea.
I ensure she is getting enough fluids, i keep a watch on her fever, and I ensure she has the best medicine!
No children!
#SickJustGotReal I make a lot of soups, teas and make sure they get enough rest.
I give my children some ginger tea with a teaspoon of raw honey. Lots of liquids, chicken soup, advil or Dimetapp. Thanks for the chance to win such an amazing giveaway and happy holidays.
Lots of fluids are at the top of the list. Also important is some chicken noodle soup.
I help them by staying by their side when they are not feeling well.
I have them rest a lot and no stimulation from television or electronics. I give them orange juice and pain relievers along with a lot of cuddles
I could tell it’s made out of dark chocolate because of how dark it is.
I love hot choc anytime of the year but this is the best yet to get your bones warm again after enjoying a day of sleighing or snowball fighting with the kiddos!!