Holiday entertaining season is in full swing, which means we’ll have several opportunities to gather and celebrate. Aside from spending time with my friends and family, I relish the chances to get fierce and festive for holiday parties. And doesn’t everybody enjoy the food and drinks? Being the hostess with the mostest can get stressful, though, so any hack that saves me time in the kitchen and gets me out into the party is golden in my book. Today, I’m going to teach you how to make creamy, dreamy hot chocolate with just the right touch of refreshing peppermint flavor for a crowd…in your slow cooker. Does it get any easier than that? Whether you’re hosting or going to a potluck type of party, this slow cooker peppermint hot cocoa will be a hit with everyone who sips and will be so easy for you to make!
Hot chocolate is such a comforting, festive treat during the holiday season but not something most of us think to prepare for large groups, especially when travel is involved. I first created this slow cooker hot chocolate recipe for an office potluck and the process was easier than you might imagine. Just tote your ingredients (there are only six) along with your slow cooker. After only five minutes of prep, let the slow cooker peppermint hot cocoa do it’s thing and you’ll soon have hot holiday drinks for a crowd with minimal effort and very easy cleanup. This slow cooker cocoa recipe is even easier to make than my popular red wine hot cocoa and, undoubtedly, more office appropriate. 🙂
Notes on Making Slow Cooker Peppermint Hot Cocoa
- You can use the dairy or plant-based milk and cream of your choice in this hot chocolate recipe. I have used dairy, almond, and coconut milks, all with great results.
- For obvious reasons, room temperature milk works fastest in this recipe.
- You can substitute the peppermint extract with vanilla extract for traditional hot chocolate flavor.
Peppermint Hot Cocoa Toppings and Mix-Ins
- Candy canes
- Chocolate shavings
- Crushed peppermint
- Festive sprinkles
- Liquor (So long as everyone is of legal drinking age, of course)
- Marshmallows
- Whipped cream
Aren’t the merry marshmallows cute?! I picked them up at Nordstrom Rack. Here are a few more options you will love:
More Popular Potluck Recipes
- Champagne & Greens Salad
- Deviled Egg Dip
- Hot Turkey Sausage Dip
- Skillet S’more’s Dip
- Trader Joe’s Cheese Board
What’s your hot holiday drink of choice? Got any questions on how to make hot chocolate? Let me know below. As always, thanks for reading!
- 1/2 gallon milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tablespoon peppermint extract
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or unsweetened dark cocoa powder
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Add cocoa powder, sugar, sea salt, and heavy cream to crock of slow cooker. Mix vigorously until dry ingredients are dissolved and mixture is uniform.
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Add milk and peppermint extract and stir until uniform.
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Cover and allow to cook for about two hours on high or four hours on low.
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Stir before serving and enjoy carefully.
This looks yummy. Do you think it would translate the same with oatmilk?
Absolutely! Oat milk is the closest to dairy milk.
I love that I can make hot cocoa less fussy by using the slow cooker!
This recipe sounds amazing! Especially with this cold weather!
I’ve since fallen in love with my slow cooker so this recipe looks like a perfect thing for me to try soon! Peppermint and Chocolate always go perfectly together!
This looks so good and perfect for season and weather!!!
This is perfect for entertaining this holiday season. Looks tasty!
The perfect holiday party drink! I love the festive marshmallows, too, I need some of those.
Oh how i love this tome of year. Peppermint hit chocolate is so yummy!
This is the perfect potluck recipe!! Everyone loves hot chocolate!
Thanks for sharing! I’ve been on the hunt for good slow cooker recipe for my Christmas brunch! I would actually like to do a hot chocolate bar!
You’re welcome! This method makes a hot chocolate bar really easy and low maintenance.