BEST Hot Chocolate With Marshmallows
This hot chocolate with marshmallows is the real deal. Loaded up with chocolate chips, cinnamon, and cocoa powder, you’re sure to feel comforted on a cold winter day! When you don’t have any hot chocolate mix on hand, this recipe will do the trick (and it’s way better too!)

Ingredients
Milk – you’ll need two cups, one for each serving. I just used regular milk but you can try substituting non-dairy milk if you’re allergic.
Dark chocolate chips – just about 2 tbsp will do the trick. Using dark chocolate gives it a nice rich flavor!
Maple Syrup – this is the sweetner I chose to use.
Cinnamon – this is optional, but I love adding a dash of cinnamon – 1/2 tsp to be exact!
Cocoa Powder – this will complement the chocolate flavor in the dark chocolate chips.
Marshmallows – you just can’t have hot chocolate without marshmallows! You can use your favorite kind. 1/4 cup per serving is perfect!
Brown sprinkles – optional, but these are great for garnish if you want it to look fancy.
White chocolate – also optional, but delicious!
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How to Make Hot CocoaWith Marshmallows
Why use powdered hot chocolate mix when you can make your own? Here are the steps to take using chocolate chips and cocoa powder:
Step 1: Melt The Chocolate
Start by stirring together the chocolate chips and the milk in a small saucepan. Keep the heat low and stir it constantly until the chocolate is all melted. Make sure it doesn’t boil.
Step 2: Add Other Ingredients
Next, add the cocoa powder, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Stir it all together and let it cook for another minute or two.
Step 3: Garnish and Serve
Now your hot chocolate is ready! Pour into 2 glasses and top it with marshmallows, sprinkles, and white chocolate if desired.
To make the marshmallows even better, I like to dip them in maple syrup before adding. Yum!

Recipe Tips & Adjustments
You can easily change up the ingredients and customize this hot chocolate to your liking! Here are a few ideas:
- Add or take away maple syrup – you can adjust the sweetness however you desire! I personally like my hot chocolate sweet so I used 3 tbsp plus even a little extra.
- If you like extra creamy and thick hot chocolate, you can use half and half instead of milk—or, half milk and half heavy cream.
- For the chocolate, you can use anything from semi-sweet to dark. I used dark for a rich taste, but semi sweet is also good (and a bit sweeter). You can also use bars of chocolate if you don’t have chips on hand.
- Another great addition to this recipe would be a little bit of vanilla!
- Double or triple the recipe if you’re making hot chocolate for a crowd! Just make sure you have lots of marshmallows. 😉

Serving & Storage
You’ll want to serve the hot chocolate right away, before it gets cold! I also recommend drinking it all right away, not saving any for later.
If you do need to save it for later, make sure it is in an airtight conatiner (like a jar) in the fridge.
But I doubt this would be an issue anyway—who doesn’t want to finish a whole glass of hot chocolate?
More Drink Recipes:
Check out these next!
- Pink Hot Chocolate
- Hot Chocolate With Chocolate Chips
- Strawberry Peach Banana Smoothie
- Mango Cherry Smoothie
Hot Chocolate FAQs
Why put marshmallows in hot chocolate?
Well, first of all it is delicious! But furthermore, marshmallows are light, in comparison with rich hot chocolate. They balance each other out nicely. And of course, the flavors together are just classic!
Do marshmallows melt in hot chocolate?
It will definitely look like they are melting when you put them in! The technical thing that is happening is the marshmallows are dissolving into the hot liquid.
Do marshmallows float in hot chocolate?
Yes, when you put marshmallows in hot chocolate they stay floating right on top!
What can you add to hot chocolate to make it taste better?
There are lots of delicious add-ins for hot chocolate (many of which are included in this recipe!)
You can use spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger. Or you can use things like extra chocolate chips, whipped cream, etc.

Hot Chocolate With Marshmallows
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips
- 2-3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup marshmallows
- 3 tbsp sprinkles (optional)
- White chocolate to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together milk and chocolate chips until fully smooth. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Do not allow to boil.
- Add maple syrup, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Stir and cook for another minute.
- Serve warm with marshmallows coated in maple syrup and sprinkles. Garnish with white chocolate. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to add or take away maple syrup to get the sweetness you like.
- If you don’t have dark chocolate chips, you can also use a regular dark chocolate bar! You can also sub semi sweet chocolate if you prefer that. Dark chocolate gives it a richer taste.
- For thicker and creamier hot chocolate, you can use half and half, or half milk and half heavy cream!
- If making for more people, double or triple the recipe!
Conclusion
Hot chocolate with marshmallows is comforting and warming on a rainy or snowy day. While you can use hot cocoa mix, making it from scratch is just so much more unique and delicious. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I enjoyed creating it!