Make your own Chocolate Milk Powder Mix (like Nesquick)! Super simple & cheap to make with just 3 ingredients you probably already have!
Love Nesquick? Make Your Own Chocolate Milk Powder!
I’m always experimenting in the kitchen trying my hand at copycat recipes.
Two reasons.
First – NOTHING is getting cheaper. It seems I spend more & more money every time I go grocery shopping.
Second – it’s a wonderful thing if I can make something at home that’s less processed & with less mystery ingredients.
This Homemade Chocolate Milk Powder Mix is a win-win.
It takes just a few minutes to make with ingredients most of us already have on hand.
Prefer the syrup for your chocolate milk? Check out my Chocolate Syrup recipe!
Ingredients & Instructions
Making your own Chocolate Milk Mix couldn’t be much easier. Mix together sugar, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt.
I kept it super simple and threw everything together in a mini food processor and gave it a whirl for a minute or two. (Mixing cocoa powder is far more pleasant when you’re not inhaling lungfuls of cocoa powder dust.) You could also mix it up in a capped jar or whisk it together.
It certainly looks and smells like your average chocolate milk mix. As for taste – it’s spot on. It’s picky kid approved.
Here’s the thing though, you can’t mix this into milk “as is”. You can try – but you’ll end up with a lot of gritty sugary cocoa floating on top of your chocolate milk that won’t mix in.
There is a simple solution. Start your glass off with a bit of warm water and mix in the chocolate milk mix – this dissolves all the mixture. Now add your milk, stir and enjoy.
Hope you enjoy!
Amanda ♥
Chocolate Milk Powder
Ingredients
- 2/3 Cup Sugar
- 1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder unsweetened
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients. I threw all 3 in a mini food processor and mixed for a minute or two.
- Store in a sealed container.
- Plan on 1-2 tablespoons (to taste) chocolate milk mix to per 8 ounces of milk.
- When making chocolate milk : Add 1 – 2 tablespoon warm water to cup/glass, stir in chocolate milk mix until dissolved.
- Add milk, stir and enjoy.
Angela Chu
I made this today and let me tell you, it was delicious!
Amanda
Awesome! So glad you liked it! It will definitely always be in my house from now on – no more Nesquick!
Georgia
I just made this chocolate milk a few minutes ago I use the Coco and I use Splenda instead of sugar put it in the blender and it tastes fantastic the only thing I did different was instead of 2/3 of cocoa I used three fourths a cup so what have more chocolate taste it is really good
Jean
Did you use the same amount of Splenda (2/3 cup)?
Anthony avila
In order to make it dissolve you need to blend it in a blender works perfectly in my restaurant!!works better with regular sugar!!try it out hope it solves all your problems
kevin
If you use powdered sugar instead of granular sugar you can skip the warm water part. Try it 🙂
Amanda
I have been meaning to try that – mostly because I have a 9 year old who keeps forgetting to add warm water and then complains, lol. Will give it a try – thanks 🙂
Marsha
Good idea
Ashley
If using powdered sugar, am I right in assuming the amount would be the same? Just wanted to check before doing it.
Amanda
Hi Ashley. I haven’t tried it with powdered sugar yet, but I would use the same amounts. You can easily add a bit more cocoa if it needs more chocolate power 🙂
Kris
The sugar is not the problem, the Coco is.
Jennifer
I tried it with both powdered sugar and granulated sugar and with both it had the foamy chocolate grit problem.
Jennifer
Oh and to add to that, I tried both WITHOUT the dissolving trick before adding the milk. Just saying that powdered sugar did not resolve that issue for me.
Kaitlin
I put mine in the blender and it took care of that problem 🙂
Patty
Do NOT use powdered sugar in this, unless you only want to make hot cocoa. The cornstarch in the powdered sugar will not dissolve in cold milk, and is hard to dissolve even when you when warm the milk. Stick to finely ground white sugar, baking sugar, for the best result. I will be using the cocoa and powdered sugar blend to make frosting for my next batch of brownies, LOL.
Jen
This is wonderful!
Amanda
Thanks Jen – that’s great to hear 🙂
trisha gault
can we use unsweetend coco mix
Amanda
I used regular, unsweetened baking cocoa. Hope this helps 🙂
Alyssia
Definitely not bad, but there is no measurement for how much cocoa to water ratio. I ended up with unsweet cocoa milk. But it’s not bad, and it’s the best chocolate milk mix recipe I’ve seen yet. And it’s so simple!
Amanda
Hi Alyssia. Ohhhh…you’re right – I didn’t list a measurement for the cocoa mix. I like a very lightly sweetened chocolate milk and add a heaping tablespoon to a pint glass of milk (16 oz). I’m pretty sure my kiddo, who likes a very chocolately glass of chocolate milk, doubles to triples that amount for hers. Sorry there was no measurement – I’ll update the recipe. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Bonnie
I was in dire need of a glass chocolate milk and no Quik in the house. Found your recipe and am enjoying a nice glass of my favorite beverage. Thanks for sharing.
disappointed chocolate milk lover
I am actually disappointed with this. I was really looking forward to a nice cold glass of chocolate milk. But instead I was greeted with a cup of lies and sadness.
Amanda
Hmmmm…sorry to hear this. What weren’t you happy with?
Selene
Don’t know what you did wrong. Mine is delicious! Thanks Amanda and yes, Goodbye Nesquick!
Amanda
Glad you enjoyed it, Selene. I was talking to a friend the other day about the hit & miss of this recipe. She suggested that perhaps some of the people were chocolate milk drinkers made from syrup instead of powder. The two do yield a very different drink. The syrup is a much darker & sweeter drink, while the powder is a lighter and more cocoa flavored drink…
JP
Hahaha! A cup of lies and sadness? Don’t be so dramatic, she doesn’t work for the government.
Amanda
😉
Peter Smith
I want my money back (very sad face)
Peter Smith
The I want my money back was in reference to the cup of sadness and lies. It worked perfectly for me… Thanks
Amanda
Hi Peter! Glad you enjoyed it – this recipe certainly gets mix reviews 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
vicki roudonis
Of course it’s getting mixed reviews. Its a recipe for a mix haha 😀
Amanda
Hehehe 🙂
Rashell
Used a blender to mix instead of water, workes great. Taste good, thanks 🙂
Amanda
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by Rashell 🙂
Julia Von Vanity
Amazing! I was almost certain this wouldn’t work because it was so basic, but I was wrong! Thank you!
Amanda
So glad you enjoyed it, Julia 🙂
Leslie
Just made it….awesome and son approved which is even better! Thank you so much!
Amanda
Yay! So glad you and your son enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by, Leslie 🙂
Fran Papero
If I wanted to use Stevia, do you know what the amount would be? With all I am reading about sweeteners, natve I am better off using sugar.
Amanda
Hi Fran. Honestly, I’m not sure. I’ve just started using Stevia and have been working on baking with it. I haven’t tried it in any type of drink recipes. If I get to try it out – I’ll definitely update the recipe. If you try it, I’d love to hear the amounts you use 🙂
vicki roudonis
Seriously, forget the stevia and go with Swerve. It measures, tastes and bakes like sugar, has 0 glucose response, no aftertaste and no digestive upset which the others can cause for some people
Kathryn
This is a dangerous recipe for me to have learned…it’s delicious!
Chocolate milk is one of my absolute favorite drinks, a major indulgence that is usually stopped by the fact that I can’t afford to buy chocolate syrup all that often.
Now that I can make it with just chocolate powder I’m in trouble!
On the bright side, now maybe now I’ll drink more milk, it’s never too late, right?
Amanda
LOL! So glad to hear you love it, Kathryn! I love chocolate milk too and am not a fan of the super thick and sweet stuff they sell bottled in the stores. I’ve always favored the powdered mixtures. You’re right – it is never too late! I’m going to go work on a chocolate milk “mustache” now lol 🙂
Leah
Worked like a charm! Perfect recipe to fix that chocolate craving.
Amanda
Wonderful! So glad you loved it! Thanks for stopping by, Leah 🙂
Jericho
It’s good, but it’s no Ovaltine….
Michelle
It’s not meant to be compared to ovaltine..that is a completely diff taste than even nesquick, which this is meant to be compared to. To each his/her own, I guess. To me this is DELICIOUS.
Amanda
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by Michelle 🙂
Brion
Thank you. Enjoyed the results. I added about a scant tablespoon of Carnation Instant Breakfast mix to the overall recipe to impart a slight vanilla flavor. I would be careful of timing when using a food processor as it invites heat through friction heat and can melt the sugar and cocoa powder. For me, less than a minute was sufficient. Also, a small whisk is helpful with the blending with the warm water.
Amanda
Glad you enjoyed it Brion! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Tamra
Thank you for this recipe! It satisfied the big kid in me who wanted a glass of chocolate milk but didn’t want to drive to the grocery store for syrup or nesquick. I added just a pinch of cinnamon to the mixture and it really punched it up a bit!
Amanda
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Tamra! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Samantha
Winner! I knew it was easy but needed some ratios, so this was a big help. I threw in a small amount of vanilla extract, really just because I put it in everything. Then filled it with ice cubes to get my nice cold chocolate milk I was craving!
Amanda
Awesome! So glad it helped! Thanks for stopping by Samantha 🙂
Christina
I realize I’m 4 years late to this party (and what a party it’s been!) but maybe will help someone passing by. I have vanilla powder that I bought to make—er—something I can’t remember—and have tons leftover. I’ll put it in this mix. Thanks for the memory jog!
VICTORIA BOZARD
Very tasty! I just mixed & then use a stick blender for every glass. No warm water needed & the result is a fluffy, yummy glass of chocolate milk! Perfecto!!
Amanda
Hi Victoria. So glad you you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
Samantha
I’m 8 weeks pregnant and needed a glass of chocolate milk so bad. All I had was dark chocolate cocoa powder but it worked wonderfully! Thank you for the recipe!
Amanda
Hi Samantha. Yay – so glad you enjoyed the chocolate milk! Totally get the pregnancy cravings – chocolate milk was one of mine too! Congratulations on your pregnancy! Hoping this wonderful time is filled with health and lots of love ♥
Thanks for stopping by!
Nicholas
Thank you so much, it cured my chocolate craving when I had nothing in my house!
Amanda
Awesome – glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by Nicholas 🙂
Teresa
I can not say how happy I was to find this, and then freaking ecstatic when it turned out awesome! I NEED my coffee in the morning, but can’t stand it w/o enough flavoring not to taste it! Mixing this into my hot coffee and then adding about 8-10oz cold milk? PERFECTION. 🙂 The only thing I did do differently is substitute vanilla sugar for the regular stuff. Thank you so much!
Amanda
FANTASTIC!!! So glad you enjoyed it and totally love your flavored coffee idea!!! Thanks for stopping by Teresa 🙂
Bamdiggity
Can’t stop laughing at the “Cup of lies and sadness”comment. This is a great recipe which I’ve used frequently, even before I saw it here.
Amanda
I shared that comment in a recipe for chocolate syrup I recently made – just so readers could get an idea of how some people really feel about the powdered version. Lol.
Glad to hear it’s a tried & true recipe for you 🙂
Thanks for stopping by.
Roger from Indy
I used your recipe and then placed it into a liquid tight container, added some hot tap water, and then shook the heck out of it. Now I have a chocolate syrup that I keep in the ‘fridge. Ends the grit problem. I guess if you want to get fancy you could blend the mixture together in a blender or by use of a mixer before pouring it into the container.
Amanda
Great idea Roger! Glad you enjoyed it & love the innovation 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Rebecca
I made a glass an its great!
But for one glass i did 1 scoop of unsweetened coco powder an 1scoop of suhar 1cup mixed into 1cup of warm water an slowly pour an mixed into milk it was great thankyou for the recipe!
Amanda
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by Rebecca 🙂
Anuradha
Hi! After reading nesquik is not gmo free, I’m on a mission to make my own for my toddler! Thanks for this recipe. Which cocoa powder did you use?
Amanda
Hi Anuradha. I’ve used Hershey’s, Wilbur, King Arthurs & numerous other “gourmet” brands – basically whatever I have on hand.
Hope you enjoy! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Katie Lawrence
Take 1/2 c. cocoa powder, 1/2 c. water, 1/2 c. white sugar and put in saucer, heat for 3-5 mins on low, stirring constantly, until everything melts. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla once melted. Take a large mason jar, and add 4 cups of cold milk. Then add the warm chocolate mixture. Put cover on mason jar and shake well. Refrigerate. You then have the best chocolate milk with no grit, ready in the fridge.
Amanda
Sounds great – I’ll definitely give it a try! Thanks for stopping by Katie 🙂
Dana
I used powdered sugar. Mixed with milk in a blender bottle. Served in a glass chilled in the freezer. Absolute perfection!
Amanda
Sounds wonderful Dana! The blender bottle is a great idea 🙂
Sarah peck
I am going to try this for sure! I found out nes’quik is made with GMOs so I have to get my chocolate milk fix another way. Thank you for the recipe and other tips in the comments!!!
Amanda
Glad to help Sarah! The comment section really does have so many useful tips. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
mindy
Tried to rate this a 5 star but only let me give 3 stars. EASE is the key for me. Simple 3 ingredients and I can make this Nestle Quick chocolate milk mix with quality ingredients!!! YUM! a Winner!
Amanda
Awesome! So glad you love it! Thanks for stopping by Mindy 🙂
NewMom
Just made this exactly as described for a very picky 2 year old…He loved it! I passed the recipe on to his mom; she plans to ditch the Nesquik now, too. I’m pretty excited about finishing off the batch I made as well
Amanda
Yay! So glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Donna
Just made this and my husband loved it!
Amanda
Yay! Glad to hear!
Thanks for stopping by Donna 🙂
Sheena Boyette
Ran out of chocolate powder for my daughters nap time cuppy,found this and decided to give it ago.She is happily drinking her milk right now,so I’d say it was a big hit in this house.Thank you.
Amanda
So glad you all enjoyed it!
Thanks for stopping by, Sheena 🙂
Emily
I tried using powdered milk instead and it didn’t mix too well. I think I’ll just add warm water to it and that should help.
Lexie Marie
If you add warm milk it makes a great Hot Cocoa too!! I tried giving this 5 stars but it wouldn’t let me.
Jaime
I’ve always added warm water to my chocolate milk powder mix (normally I used hot cocoa mix). My Meemaw alsways made it that way. I’m going to make this tonight, because I’m craving chocolare milk!
Ace
Don’t know if anyone mentioned this, but if you put the cocoa mix + water in the microwave for ~30 seconds, it creates a perfect chocolate milk base! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
dave
I haven’t tried this but I have been experimenting with my own recipe. I heat 1/4 of the milk then add cacao, sugar, salt and cornstarch. I return it to the heat and whisk it for about five minutes, allowing the mixture to thicken. Then I add in the rest of the milk (which helps to cool it down) and add a tiny splash of vanilla and xanthan gum. I mix it thoroughly and put it in the fridge for a few hours. What I end up with is a somewhat thick, creamy, chocolatey, chocolate milk. It is much better than anything you can get at the store.
Jen
FYI… the type of cocoa you use will make a difference. Look for alkalized cocoa; that dissolves better in liquids. Also, the powdered sugar shouldn’t be 1:1, as it’s sweeter than regular sugar. It also contains cornstarch, which could change the flavor a bit.
Tanya
This just saved me! I am making massive amounts of hot chocolate mix for gifts and only had 1/2 of the chocolate milk mix (store bought) that I needed. Whipped this up to make up the difference and it just saved me a trip back to the grocery store!! Thanks!
Debbie
This is absolutely AWESOME! Rather than dirtying my blender to mix the cocoa and sugar, I simply put it in a sealed tupperware type of container and shook it up. Worked great with no mess. I have to say this is a wonderful recipe and will permanently replace Nesquick for me. I also found the amount needed in my milk is greatly reduced. Using less than 2/3 of what I would ordinarily use gave me the chocolate taste I am so in love with. Thanks for the recipe!
OMichael
Add a smidge of cinnamon and it’s IMO even better
and yes, the sweetener you use effects ratio….I use stevia some and it’s closer to 1:1
Dana
THANKS SO MUCH!!! I thought I was going to have to give up my coffee. I have always added powdered chocolate milk mix to my coffee for flavor. I don’t want anything with milk or creamer. For me Nesquik and other Nestle mixes are way too sweet. Over years they have been discontinuing other brands, even store brands. The only brand that has been available in the stores or online has just been discontinued. This is just what I was looking for! Thanks again.
Ali
I tried this when we had quiet a bit of milk that was close to expiring and using a little hot water to make it a liquid and adding some vanilla made it a huge hit with my whole family! I even told my sister in law about for her kids.
Val O
Love this! I’ve made it several times now. Tastes just like Nesquik! Thanks 🙂
Troy
Adding a dash of cinnamon was amazing!
TH
Yum! I made it exactly as posted. I like the leftover crunchy bits myself. I’ll never buy the storemade again. Thanks!
Laura Edgerton
Adding nondairy creamer acts as an emulsifier and should combine the cocoa powder into the milk. Nesquik also has a touch of cinnamon.
Todd Wesselhoeft
I Love Chocolate milk so much and the powdered stuff beats the syrup every time, hands down. Cheers!
Dolcettina
I used 2/3c cane sugar, 1/2c of cocoa (I like the chocolate flavor a bit more stronger) the salt. Put ALL ingredients in a blender and rubbed it till all was a fine powder. Then pour soja milk in a glass and using a balloon wisk, I use my two hands to stir it (like you are rubbing your hands together, with the handle in the middle) and it work perfectly. Great recipe. I loved it. I know I will be doing it over and over 🙂
Ai Pierce
I made this just ad printed using same quantities of ingredients. I used ehite powdered sugar from the Dollar Tree and Baker’s cocoa unsweetened powder, snd a good sized pinch of pink sea salt ground fine. All went into a recycled. Instant powder drink mix, I secured the lid and spun twisted it for about 2 minutes to completely mix it sll. Then I mixed 3 tblspns with 4 tblspns hot water in a pint canning jars, s secured lid and shook it to mix. Added cold milk, replaced lid and shook it until totally mixed. Shook about three minutes. Was gone in five minutes too.
I have had No Problems as written above and its the only mix I use now.. I! Use very hot water to dissolve mix h before adding cold milk.
Denise
This is awesome! Followed recipe as directed. My daughter is a Ness Quick junkie and she loves this recipe! I’ve tried buying many other types of chocolate milk and she didn’t like them. But this one was perfect! Thank you!!!
Mike
I did the recipe exactly as instructed, but I added two tablespoons of nonfat dry milk. Then ran it trough a food processor for a good 4 minutes. It can be mixed cold with no warm water paste step.
Kara Sixsmith
I just made this for the first time and I love it. Makes great chocolate milk. Now I’m going to have to get some ice cream and see how it does in a milkshake.
Dawn
I made this recently, but sugar free and had no issues with dissolving. I used 1 cup allulose + 1/2 tsp pure powdered stevia for the sweetness of 1 cup sugar. And then I used 1/2 c cocoa powder. Ran it through the blender and my kids are loving it.
Karen
I’ve been making my own instant hit chocolate mix for over 45 yrs and my boys now make this for their own families. So, here’s my recipe
1 – Regular size Nestle’s Quick
1 – Box of Powdered Milk
1 – Regular container of Coffee Mate
Put all in a plastic or glass jar and shake it up and that’s that. I hope y’all enjoy your hot chocolate