This Slow Cooker Hot Cocoa is one of my favorite easy crock pot recipes.
*Disclosure: This post is sponsored by PPL Electric Utilities. I am a Project Envolve Ambassador and have received product/compensation to facilitate this post. This post may also contain affiliate links. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.
One of my family’s favorite holiday traditions is to go around looking at Christmas lights. We all pile into the car, armed with big, steaming mugs of hot cocoa and our favorite holiday tunes.
MY LATEST VIDEOSWe drive around checking out all of our favorite neighborhoods. I’m always amazed by the creativity and beauty of holiday light displays. My son is amazed by the houses that have dancing lights set to music where I’m more of a minimalist. There is nothing like an evergreen wreath and a few strands of white twinkle lights and candles in the windows.
We usually end up laughing hysterically when my little guy breaks out his air saxophone for Bruce Springsteen’s Santa Claus is Comin to Town or I channel my inner Louis Armstrong and belt out Winter Wonderland.
During the holiday season (and all winter long) I make big batches of this Slow Cooker Hot Cocoa. It’s super easy to make and tastes so much better than the powdered mix.
If we have any leftover (which is rare), I stash the leftovers in the fridge and reheat it in the microwave. It’s a scrumptious holiday treat. Plus, it’s easy to make a big batch for a crowd.
Because I’m using my slow cooker for this recipe, it’s pretty energy efficient. My slow cooker is one of my most used small appliances. It uses a lot less energy than my stove or over and, because it’s smaller, clean up is super easy (and uses less hot water).
My Favorite Slow Cooker Tools
- My favorite slow cooker
- My favorite casserole slow cooker
- Disposable slow cooker liners (I can’t live without these!)
- Slow cooker travel bag
My Favorite Slow Cooker Cookbooks
- Slow Cooker Revolution
- Fix It and Forget It Big Cookbook
- The Magical Slow Cooker: Recipes for Busy Moms
During the holidays, we tend to use more energy. Here are some other ways you can save energy (and money) during the season:
- Use LED lights in your holiday decor. They use 90% less energy than regular incandescent light strings, last about 10 times longer, are cooler and are more durable all while still being super-bright. Also, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, LED holiday lights only cost 27 cents to run for 12 hours a day for 40 days, compared with $10 for incandescent bulbs. That’s a huge savings! I purchased all of our LED lights during the after-Christmas sales when decorations are usually 50-90% off.
- Use timers for your decorations. Don’t forget to turn on your holiday lighting display, or worse, forget to turn it off and end up wasting electricity during late-night hours or during the day. I use timers for all my holiday lights, indoor and outdoor. Not only does it help save energy but I don’t have to think about turning our lights on and off.
- Embrace your inner minimalist. Instead of going all Clark Griswold with your holiday light display, consider a simple LED candle in each window with an evergreen wreath or bough and a big red bow. Not only will this save you energy, but it won’t take hours to decorate. It’s a win-win!
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Slow Cooker Hot Cocoa
Ingredients
- 4 oz . unsweetened chocolate - chopped
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 oz can sweetened condensed milk - 14-.
- 8 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Instructions
- In 3 1/2 or 4-quart slow cooker, combine first three ingredients and mix well.
- Cover; cook on high setting for 30 minutes, stirring every occasionally until chocolate is melted.
- Whisk in stir 2 cups of milk until smooth.
- Gradually stir in remaining 6 cups milk and vanilla.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or until hot.
- Before serving, whisk until cocoa is full combined.
- To serve, leave in slow cooker and reduce heat setting to low or warm.
- Top with your favorite toppings.
- Want to scale a recipe up or down? Simply type in a new serving amount and the recipe will automatically adjust!
- When a recipe call for House Seasoning Blend, you can use this recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- I always use unsalted butter in my recipes.
- I always use a meat thermometor to test for doneness when cooking meat. This one is my favorite.
- When a recipe is made in the oven, it should be pre-heated to the temperature in the recipe, unless otherwise noted.
- The nutritional information provided in this recipe is an estimate. Learn more on how I calculate nutritional information for my recipes.
For more energy saving tips check out PPL Electric Utilities Project Envolve and visit PPL on Pinterest.
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