The Best Way To Serve Hot Chocolate To A Crowd Is Too Easy

Whether scooped and stirred or richly prepared on the stovetop, the best mugs of hot chocolate are served and shared amongst friends. But despite hot cocoa's convivial spirit, its preparation has proved decidedly singular — no matter how many mugs you're making, you often have to mix them one at a time. Until now. Enterprising hosts have found a slow-simmering answer to serving decadent hot chocolate for a crowd: the slow cooker.

Slow cookers and Crock-Pots aren't just for soups and stews anymore. Inventive home cooks have found ways to make everything from berry cobbler to apple cinnamon steel-cut oatmeal completely hands free. And now you can pull out your favorite kitchen gadget to scale up your favorite hot chocolate recipe. Prep your cocoa for guests and friends before a long walk outside, ahead of a book club meeting, or in advance of an epic slumber party. Then simply pop your Crock-Pot's top off when people are craving something sweet and dish up as many as 10 still-warm servings.

For the best, most luxurious results, mix chopped chocolate (bittersweet or semisweet), whole milk, heavy cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt, then taste to your liking. A scoop of added cocoa powder will thicken your mixture and add a stronger chocolatey flavor. An extra tablespoon of sugar will sweeten it. You may want to avoid replacing the chopped chocolate with chocolate chips as they struggle to melt smoothly (you may see some telltale separation), but if that's what you have on hand, don't worry, your concoction will still taste delicious. Cover and let your hot chocolate simmer for three hours on low or five hours on high, giving it a stir every once in a while.

Once you've mixed together your hot cocoa base, the opportunities for mix-ins are endless (just think how much more room you have to work with in a slow cooker). If you're cooking up cocoa for an older crowd, try a few flavor enhancers like caramel or dulce de leche. Or take a few grown-up cues from Ina Garten and add instant coffee or espresso before you begin your slow simmer to balance out the sweet chocolatey flavor with slightly bitter notes. For a boozy upgrade to your hot cocoa, add Kahlúa, dark rum, peppermint schnapps, or amaretto right before serving to kick your cozy party into higher gear. If you're dishing up cocoa for a younger crowd, stick with classic toppings like whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate shavings, or sprinkles.

As a final note, there's no need to despair if you don't have a slow cooker (or don't want to unearth it from the highest shelf). If you're going to mix and serve your decadent hot cocoa right away, a large dutch oven on the stove top will also do the trick. If, however, you'll have guests coming and going or popping by at unexpected times, a Crock-Pot, like the brand's 7-quart manual model, is your best hot chocolate bet.