One of my favorite things about December is after Christmas sales. I’m able to get Christmas candy for 50% off the day after Christmas. I stock up on some of my favorites and use them to make delicious recipes for the rest of the winter. (Hint: All that red candy? It’s great for low-cost Valentine’s Day Treats. The green candy can be used for St. Patrick’s Day.) This year I found some of Red Hots on sale for 50 cents a bag and tossed them into my buggy. I wasn’t sure what I would use them for but knew I would find something. The “something” turned out to be this Cinnamon Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe.
Cinnamon Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe
I’ve been a fan of hot cocoa since I was a child, but I rarely have the chance to drink it as an adult. Then, this record cold snap hit. Sitting in the house with my hands seemingly frozen, I wanted something warm to wrap them around. Since I rarely drink coffee, (yes, I know that’s weird,) I decided I needed a steaming cup of cocoa. And why not elevate it from its lowly classic status to something with a twist? Since I’m a fan of cinnamon candies, this seemed like the perfect pairing. If you don’t have any red hots on hand, you can substitute crushed hard cinnamon candies. Ground cinnamon can also be substituted. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons to the mix, depending on how much of a cinnamon taste you would like.
Printable Recipe
- 2 cups (16 ounces) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (8 ounces) cocoa
- 2 1/2 cups (20 ounces) powdered milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup (2 to 4 ounces) cinnamon candy (I used Red Hots)
- 1/2 cup mini marshmallows (optional)
- Mix powdered sugar, cocoa, powdered milk, salt, and cornstarch together in a large bowl until blended. Place the cocoa mix in an airtight container and top with candies and marshmallows, if desired.
- To make cocoa: Heat one cup of milk over medium heat until warm. You want the mixture to be very hot, but not boiling. Add one tablespoon of cocoa powder to milk, along with one to two teaspoons red hots. Stir until mixture is combined. Top with mini marshmallows, if desired.
What is your favorite way to serve Hot Chocolate? How are you staying warm this winter?
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This looks super yummy! I would love to try it
Ooh, yum, this sounds really good! I don’t like cinnamon in my coffee, but I think I’d like it in hot cocoa! Also I think there are Oreos now with this flavor!
This is going to be a favorite beverage in my house now. I love this recipe for hot cocoa. The cinnamon would really give it a nice twist!
I love hot coco but I’ve never used it with cinnamon. I’ll have to try it after my travels.
That is a really nice beverage idea. I love hot chocolate.
You just give me a great idea on what to add to pour boring hot coco in the morning. My daughter love cinnamon so she’ll be thrilled to taste it.
This is a cute idea. My daughter has a winter theme bday party this weekend. I’m going to make this into a great bag.
Hot Cocoa is so soothing especially on cold winter days. Embellishing it with cinnamon makes it even more tasty.
This is so delicious as it looks perfect for this freezing weather. Everyone in my family would love this, my husband loves cinnamon . So I knew this is can be his favorite drink.
Delicious! Hot cocoa with cinnamon and marshmallows! Oh my, I would easily down two cups of that yummy drink. If you can only “drink” comfort food, then this must be it!
What a nice additional to cocoa. I’ve never had hot chocolate with red hots before. I’ll have to try that.
Cinnamon is good for lowering blood sugar levels and I always add a dash in my morning coffee. I have to try that on hot cocoa too.
This looks really comforting! And I love after Christmas sales too!
I’m always looking for sales on holiday items for other occasions. I found some cute black placemats at Dollar Tree at Halloween.
That’s a good idea to snap up the colored candies to use for other holidays. This cocoa sounds scrumptious. A nice treat for not a lot of money!
I would love to try this. Cinnamon is a nice twist!
My kids love hot cocoa and have been enjoying it nightly. I bet they would so enjoy this recipe!!
ooh, this looks really great. Perfect for this cold snap!
The weather down here in Florida has definitely called for hot cocoa! I’ve never had any with Red Hots before. It sounds yummy!
What a unique spin on a classic winter treat. I bet my kids would really enjoy the added touch of spicy cinnamon!
I should bookmark this because I am ALWAYS trying to think of little gifts to give my friends. We have a birthday party coming up and this would actually be a really cute treat.
The Winter season was made for hot chocolate. Love the fact that you’ve included cinnamon – how creatively delicious!
My other half is a hot chocolate fiend at the moment he is just drinking it by the bucket load and he adores cinnamon so I am going to have to try this out for him thank you.
Hot cocoa is a treat in our house but we rarely make it from scratch. I will keep this recipe on hand for the kids and to warm up on cold nights.
That sounds like the perfect way to warm up on a cold winter day. I really love that I can make it just as easily as opening a package. I mean, once it’s all mixed together.
I would give this a try. We love hot chocolate here and drink it often. This would be a fun twist!
Hot chocolate is a favorite in our house! We love it when we come in from playing in the snow.
Love hot cocoa! I always toss a dash of cinnamon, or make mine with a cinnamon stick in it because cinnamon pairs so well with the chocolate.
I love hot cocoa almost anyway you can make it. Making it from scratch taste the best and throwing some cinnamon in there is perfect.
One of my favorite hot cocoa recipes is my great grandmother’s made with Hershey’s unsweetened powder, milk, sugar and vanilla. It’s rich and creamy and a great way to stay warm on a cold winter’s day.
I have a recipe for hot cocoa that I keep around during the winter time. It doesn’t include powdered milk so I’ll have to try your version. There’s nothing like a nice cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter day.
I keep homemade hot chocolate on hand all winter long just for me. No one else drinks it. Love mexican hot chocolate with cinnamon added.
I love hot cocoa! Aside from coffee it’s one of my favorite hot beverages and I can drink it year round. This one sounds flavorful.