Custom DIY Hot Cocoa on a Stick Wedding Favors

Guests love favors that they can take home and enjoy in the days or weeks after your wedding, and we have just the thing! This recipe, adapted from King Arthur Flour, is easy to make – and oh-so-tasty! With only a handful of ingredients, these favors will be easy to make, and still look amazing. Package in clear boxes or cellophane bags tied with colorful twine and watch the child-like joy in your guests’ faces as they enjoy these sweet treats. You may want to leave some out at your coffee bar for guests to enjoy during your reception, because they are not going to want to wait to break into these.

Recipe for Hot Cocoa on a Stick

Yields 36 – 48 blocks (It all depends on how large you cut them)

Ingredients:

½ Cup Heavy Cream

14-Ounce Can Sweetened Condensed Milk (1 1/4 cups)

3 Cups Semisweet Chocolate (chopped chocolate bars or chips)

3/4 Cup Unsweetened Baking Chocolate

Plastic or Wooden Sticks (We used personalized swizzle sticks for a special touch!)

Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper.

Heat the cream and condensed milk in a crock pot, on a low setting, until steaming – about 1-1.5 hours.  

We chose to use a crockpot so that we could work on some pretty packaging while the cream and condensed milk were warming. It also helped to keep the chocolate from burning, and keeps a nice even temperature throughout the entire process.

Once the cream and condensed milk are steaming, add both the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate. 

Stir gently to mix and cover the crockpot. Allow the chocolate to gradually melt with the lid on for about 10 minutes. 

Remove the lid and whisk vigorously until the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is thick and shiny. 

Pour the chocolate mixture into the pan lined with parchment paper. Shake the pan gently to level. Set aside overnight to slowly set up, and then pop in the fridge for a bit to firm up before cutting. (If you want yours to set up more quickly, place in the refrigerator for a few hours until firm.)

Lift out of the pan using the parchment paper, and then turn out onto a clean cutting surface.

Cut off any rough edges to get make sure all of your cubes are smooth. Slice into ½” cubes. (You will need 2-3 blocks for each mug of milk at this size, but they melt more easily than larger cubes. If you would rather just cut them larger, that works too!) Heat a knife in hot water and wipe dry before each cut for smoothest cuts.

Stick a plastic or wooden stir stick into the center of each block.

Swirl into steaming hot milk – make sure it is steaming!

Add marshmallows if desired. Enjoy!

If you're feeling adventurous, we love these variations:

While the chocolate is melting, add a few drops of flavoring oil if you like; hazelnut, coffee, and vanilla are popular flavors.

Once you pour the mixture into the pan and smooth it out, sprinkle with cocoa powder.

After cut, roll in cocoa or crushed peppermint candy.

Add marshmallows to the top of each block using a dot of melted chocolate under each marshmallow, or add before your chocolate mixture sets up all the way.

Note: Hot cocoa on a stick will keep at room temperature for two weeks in an airtight container. If you are making them for your wedding and you want to keep them longer, put them in an airtight container and pop them in the fridge or in the freezer, where they will keep up to 30 days.

Speaking from experience, these are absolutely delicious - so much more smooth and creamy than powdered cocoa! You can also get really creative with your packaging! To order custom printed plastic or wooden swizzle sticks, click here.