You know what's better than a mug of rich, creamy hot chocolate on a cold winter evening? A Hot Chocolate on a Stick that you can gift to friends, family, or keep stashed in your fridge for those nights when you need something cozy and comforting.
I first made these a few years ago when Emily's school was doing a holiday craft fair, and I needed something homemade but not too complicated (because let's be real, I'm not spending three days in the kitchen). These hot chocolate sticks were a HUGE hit! Parents kept asking me for the recipe, and Emily's teacher actually requested them again the next year.
What I love most about this recipe is how it combines the fun of a DIY project with the deliciousness of homemade hot chocolate. Plus, it's one of those recipes that looks way more impressive than it actually is to make. When people see these cute chocolate cubes on sticks topped with marshmallows, they think you spent hours making them. Little do they know it's mostly just waiting for chocolate to set!
If you're looking for more treats to pair with your hot chocolate, check out my small batch chocolate chip cookies – they're perfect for dunking.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Hot Chocolate On A Stick Recipe
- Ingredients For Hot Chocolate On A Stick
- How To Make Hot Chocolate On A Stick
- Storage For Your Hot Chocolate Sticks
- Tips And Variations For Hot Chocolate On A Stick
- Hot Chocolate On A Stick FAQs
- Recipes You May Like
- Wrapping Up Your Hot Chocolate On A Stick
- Hot Chocolate on a Stick
Why You'll Love This Hot Chocolate On A Stick Recipe
- Super easy to make – No fancy equipment needed, just a bowl, spoon, and some patience while they chill
- Perfect for gifting – Wrap these in cellophane bags with a ribbon and you've got the cutest homemade holiday gifts
- Makes 28 servings – Great for parties, gift exchanges, or keeping your fridge stocked all winter long
- Ready in about 15 minutes of active time (plus chilling)
- Customizable toppings – Use marshmallows, crushed candy canes, sprinkles, or whatever makes you happy
- Rich and creamy – Way better than store-bought hot chocolate mix, I promise you that!
Ingredients For Hot Chocolate On A Stick
Here's what you'll need to make these adorable hot chocolate sticks:
- 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Nestle Toll House chips)
- 4 ounces bittersweet baking bar (60% cacao), broken into small pieces (Ghirardelli is my go-to)
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1½ cups mini marshmallows (or your choice of toppings like crushed candy canes or sprinkles)
- 28-30 lollipop sticks
- 1 gallon whole milk (for serving – you'll use 1 cup per mug)
You'll also need 2 silicone square molds (the kind with 15 squares each, about 1.5 inches per square). I found mine at a craft store, but they're all over Amazon too.
How To Make Hot Chocolate On A Stick
Prep Your Workspace
- Place 2 silicone molds onto a rimmed baking sheet. This makes it easier to move them to the fridge later without spilling chocolate everywhere (learned that one the hard way!).
- In a large bowl, add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and broken pieces of bittersweet chocolate. Set this aside.
Make The Chocolate Mixture
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream. Heat the mixture until it reaches about 120-130°F. This takes roughly 3-4 minutes. You'll know it's ready when you see steam rising and it's hot to the touch but not boiling.
- Pour the hot milk mixture over the chocolates in your large bowl. Make sure all the chocolate pieces are completely covered by the hot liquid. Here's the important part – let it sit undisturbed for 3-4 minutes. Don't touch it! This waiting time lets the heat do its job melting the chocolate.
- After those few minutes, whisk everything together until you have a smooth, glossy chocolate mixture. It should be completely incorporated with no lumps. If you see any stubborn chocolate bits, just keep whisking – they'll melt.
Fill The Molds
- Transfer your melted chocolate to a large piping bag or a gallon zip-top bag with one corner snipped off. Pro tip: Keep the open end pointing up until you're ready to pipe, or you'll have a chocolatey mess (yes, I've done this too).
- Pipe the chocolate into each square opening, filling them about ¾ full. You want to leave room for your toppings!
- Top each square with 4-5 mini marshmallows, gently pressing them down into the warm chocolate so they stick. If you're using other toppings like crushed candy canes or sprinkles, now's the time to add those.
Add Sticks And Chill
- Insert one lollipop stick into the center of each chocolate square. The marshmallows actually help keep the sticks upright while everything sets, which is a nice bonus!
- Carefully transfer your baking sheet with the filled molds to the refrigerator. Let them chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight if you're making them ahead. They need to be completely firm before you try to pop them out.
Making Your Hot Chocolate
- Once the hot chocolate squares are fully set, gently remove 2 squares (still on their stick) from the silicone mold. This makes one serving.
- Place the two chocolate cubes on a stick into a large 10-12 oz. mug.
- In a microwave-safe measuring cup with a spout, heat 1 cup of whole milk on high for 2 to 2½ minutes. You want it scalding hot but not boiling – hot enough to melt your chocolate cubes quickly.
- Pour the hot milk over the chocolate cubes in your mug. Use the lollipop stick to stir everything around until the chocolate is completely melted and you have a rich, creamy cup of hot chocolate. Remove and discard the stick once everything is melted.
Storage For Your Hot Chocolate Sticks
These homemade hot chocolate sticks store beautifully! Once they're fully set, remove all the individual servings from the molds and place them in a lidded plastic container.
You can keep them in the refrigerator for up to one month. Just make sure the container is airtight so they don't pick up any fridge odors.
Honestly? They never last that long in my house. Emily and her friends go through them pretty quickly on weekends.
Tips And Variations For Hot Chocolate On A Stick
Let me share some things I've learned from making these multiple times:
Use quality chocolate! This is SO important. The chocolate you use is exactly what your hot chocolate will taste like, so don't cheap out here. I love Ghirardelli, Nestle, Lindt, or Guittard. If you wouldn't eat the chocolate bar on its own, don't use it for this recipe.
Don't use all milk chocolate. I tried this once thinking it would be sweeter and better. Wrong! The squares didn't set up properly and were super difficult to remove from the molds. Milk chocolate has less cocoa and more milk fat, which makes it too soft for this recipe. Stick with semi-sweet chips, but you can swap the bittersweet bar for milk chocolate if you want it a bit sweeter.
Whole milk works best for making your hot chocolate. You can use 2% if that's what you have, but don't go lower than that. I tried skim milk once and it was just... sad. If you need a non-dairy option, use unflavored and unsweetened varieties.
Get creative with toppings! Sure, mini marshmallows are classic (and my personal choice), but you can use mini M&Ms, holiday sprinkles, toffee bits, or crushed candy canes. Whatever you use, press it lightly into the warm chocolate so it stays put.
No silicone molds? No problem! You can line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and pour all the chocolate in there. Once it's partially hardened, score the top into 1½-inch squares and insert your sticks. After it's fully set, cut along your score marks. Or skip the sticks entirely and just cut squares to drop directly into hot milk!
Make sure you have the right sticks. Use food-grade lollipop sticks or popsicle sticks from the baking aisle, NOT the craft section. The craft ones aren't meant for food and can have weird coatings or treatments on them.
Hot Chocolate On A Stick FAQs
Hot chocolate sticks can be stored in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Yes! These make-ahead treats can be prepared up to a month in advance, making them perfect for holiday gifting or party planning.
No, you can use a parchment-lined 8×8 baking pan instead and cut the chocolate into squares after it sets.
Use 1 cup of hot milk per serving, with 2 chocolate squares (on one stick) per mug.
Recipes You May Like
If you enjoyed making these hot chocolate sticks, you might also love:
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies – Perfect for dunking in your hot chocolate!
- Cookie Monster Cookies – Another fun treat that makes great gifts
- Fudgy S'mores Brownies – Rich, chocolatey, and perfect for winter
Wrapping Up Your Hot Chocolate On A Stick
There you have it! A super simple way to make hot chocolate on a stick that looks fancy but is actually really easy. These make wonderful gifts, party favors, or just something special to have on hand for cozy winter nights.
I can't tell you how many times I've gifted these and had people text me later asking for the recipe. They're impressive without being complicated, which is basically my cooking philosophy in a nutshell!
The best part? You can customize them however you want. Go classic with marshmallows, festive with crushed candy canes, or fun with sprinkles. Whatever you choose, you'll end up with a delicious cup of homemade hot chocolate that beats any store-bought mix.
Try making a batch this weekend and let me know what you think! Save this recipe to Pinterest so you can find it again when you need last-minute holiday gifts.
Hot Chocolate on a Stick
Equipment
- Silicone molds (15 squares per mold)
- Medium Saucepan
- Piping bag or zip-top bag
- Lollipop sticks
Ingredients
- 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips I used Nestle Toll House chips
- 4 ounces bittersweet baking bar 60% cacao, broken into small pieces (I used Ghirardelli brand)
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk 1 can
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows or other toppings like crushed candy canes or sprinkles
- 28-30 lollipop sticks
For Serving
- 1 gallon whole milk 1 cup of milk per mug of hot chocolate made
Instructions
- Place 2 silicone molds (15 squares per mold, approximately 1.5in x 1.5in x 1.5in per square) onto a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
- In a large bowl add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and the broken up pieces of the bittersweet chocolate baking bar. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, add the sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream. Heat the mixture until it reaches about 120-130°F. This will take about 3-4 minutes.
- Pour the milk mixture into the large bowl with the chocolates. Your chocolates should be completely covered by the hot milk mixture. Allow this to sit, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes before whisking it to completely incorporate the hot milk and chocolate to make a smooth chocolate sauce.
- Transfer the melted chocolate mixture to a large piping bag, or zip top plastic bag with the corner snipped off. You will want to make sure that you keep the open tip facing up until you are ready to pipe the chocolate into the silicone molds.
- Pipe the melted chocolate into each of the square openings about ¾ full. You want to leave some space to top each of your chocolate squares with 4-5 mini marshmallows, gently pressing them down. If you choose to omit a garnish topping then you can fill your squares all the way full.
- Place 1 stick into the center of each chocolate square. Place the tray of hot chocolate squares into the refrigerator to chill, and firm up, for 3 hours up to overnight.
- Once the hot chocolate squares have firmed up you will remove 2 individual squares from the silicone mold to make 1 mug of hot chocolate.
- To make the hot chocolate you will place two hot chocolate cubes on a stick into a large 10-12 oz. mug. This will serve 14-15 (1 cup) servings of hot chocolate drink (2 squares per 1 cup milk).
- In a microwave safe, 2 cup measuring cup with a spout, add the whole milk and heat on high for 2 – 2 ½ minutes. This will scald, not boil, your milk so that it is hot enough to melt your hot chocolate cubes. Pour the hot milk into the mug, over the hot chocolate cubes. Using your lollipop sticks you will stir around the chocolate until it is completely melted and you have a rich cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows. You will discard the lollipop sticks once you have made your mug of hot chocolate.
Notes
- I highly recommend you use good quality chocolate chips, and baking bars, for this recipe. Use brands that you enjoy eating on their own because this is the flavor that will be very forward in your mug full of hot chocolate. I like Ghiradelli, Nestle, Lindt, Guittard or any other high quality chocolate.
- I tried this recipe swapping out the semi-sweet chocolate chips for all milk chocolate. I will note that the hot chocolate squares did not set-up firmly so they were very difficult to get out of the silicone molds. This is due to the lower amount of cocoa and the addition of milk in the milk chocolate chips. The semi-sweet chips have a higher cocoa content and no added milk or milk fat to them, making them a better choice for this recipe. However, you can swap out the bittersweet chocolate bar for a milk chocolate bar in the recipe. The squares may still be a little difficult to remove from the silicone mold but it is not terrible. This will give you a slightly sweeter hot chocolate.
- Using whole milk or 2% milk is best for this recipe however, if you prefer a non-dairy option then I would stick to an unflavored/unsweetened variety. I do not recommend low-fat, skim milk or water for this recipe.
- You can add any variety of toppings to your hot chocolate cubes other than the mini marshmallows. Some great options are mini m&m's, holiday sprinkles, toffee bits or crushed candy canes. I am a traditionalist and prefer the mini marshmallows the most, plus the mini marshmallows help to keep the lollipop sticks upright while the chocolate chills and sets so that is a bonus to using them. No matter which topping you choose you will want to make sure they are lightly pressed into the warm chocolate so they stay put once the chocolate has hardened.
- You can substitute food grade popsicle sticks for the lollipop sticks. Make sure to get them from the baking/candy aisle of your grocery or craft store. You DO NOT want to use the kind from the arts and craft section.
- If you do not want to use the silicone molds, you can use a parchment lined 8x8 baking pan and pour all the warm chocolate mixture into the prepared pan. Once the chocolate has partially hardened, you can score the top in a grid of 1 ½ in. x 1 ½ in. squares. You can then place your sticks into the middle of each square to set fully. Alternately, you can just cut the firmed up chocolate into squares, add 2 squares into your mug with hot milk and stir with a spoon to completely dissolve the chocolate. You can top your mug of hot chocolate with a handful of mini marshmallows.
