Instant Pot Hot Chocolate Recipe

There's nothing quite like a mug of hot chocolate on a winter day. Whether you're treating yourself after snow-blowing your driveway, sharing a mug with a friend or family member, or just making hot chocolate because it's a little chilly and you have a sweet tooth, it always hits the spot. But did you know that you can make hot chocolate in your Instant Pot? You can, thanks to this simple and delicious recipe from recipe developer and photographer Susan Olayinka.

Not only is this recipe quick and easy to prepare, but you can also make this Instant Pot hot chocolate ahead of time and use the Instant Pot's "keep warm" setting, making this recipe a perfect option for gatherings or parties. Or for when you get back from scraping ice off your windshield — whatever works! You only need a handful of ingredients, an Instant Pot, and a mere four minutes, so let's get going!

For this recipe, you'll need the hot chocolate staples, namely whole milk and your hot chocolate mix of choice. If you'd like to swap out the whole milk for a plant-based milk, oat milk will give you the most creamy texture. You'll also need milk chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and some heavy cream. Coconut cream is an excellent vegan substitute for heavy cream if you need one.

Olayinka also suggests that, if you really want to go all out, you might want to get some spray-can whipped cream, cocoa powder for dusting, and some mini marshmallows.

To begin this recipe, set the Instant Pot to sauté on low, or "less" mode. The Instant Pot sauté setting has three modes, with, according to Instant Pot's website, the first being for "simmering, thickening, reducing liquids and for foods that may burn easily." Milk can burn easily, so please don't try to "hack" this recipe and crank up the heat.

If you're an occasional Instant Pot user, you might be wondering if you need to use its lid to make hot chocolate. Fortunately, you do not need to deal with your Instant Pot's lid for this recipe.

Pour the whole milk, hot chocolate mix, chocolate chips, and heavy cream into the Instant Pot. Stir for two minutes, and then pour into a heat-resistant measuring cup. You already have your Instant Pot basic hot chocolate.

If you want to try a variation on a theme, let your taste buds be your guide. "You can put different extracts in [the hot chocolate]," says Olayinka, suggesting that hot chocolate-makers try out "mint extract [or] orange extract to change the flavor."

Now that you've made your Instant Pot hot chocolate, all that's left to do is pour it into two cups and garnish with optional whipped cream, marshmallows, and/or cocoa powder. When asked if there were any tricky parts to this recipe, Olayinka could only say, "No, it's pretty easy!" Delicious, creamy hot chocolate in only four minutes, a minimal number of dishes to clean up afterward — is there anything the Instant Pot can't do?