DIY Project: Homemade Hot Cocoa Favors

Homemade hot cocoa mix is delicious.  I can't stand the watery little packets of wimpy pretend sort-of-chocolate mix.  Maybe I'm biased because that's what I grew up with, but I don't think so.  As anecdotal evidence, I'll tell you that all my college friends, once they'd tried my stash, never went back to the stuff their parents sent in care packages.  Good thing homemade cocoa mix is so inexpensive to make!

Homemade Cocoa Favor

I use this recipe whenever making homemade cocoa.  It's incredibly easy--but it makes a HUGE batch, so get out your biggest bowl.  Or bowls.  It makes a lot of cocoa.  Perfect for gift-giving for a wedding or the holidays.

Homemade cocoa would make a perfect favor for a fall or winter wedding.  I'm a big fan of consumable favors anyway--I have enough stuff in my house, and don't need any help cluttering it up!  Plus it's delicious, and evokes the season perfectly.  Try packaging it in old jam jars, as shown above (raid Goodwill stores to find them on the cheap), or for an even less expensive option, fill disposable cake decorating cones or cellophane bags and tie with a pretty bow and tag.

How about gourmet flavors?  Mix in a few containers of PB2 powdered peanut butter to your mix for a really scrumptius chocolate peanut butter cocoa.  Or mix in mint powder, or cinnamon,, or any flavored powdered creamer.  The options are basically limitless.  I love a favor that can be customized to really reflect the bride and groom.

Maids of Honor, take note here.  Check out these outrageously fabulous custom silhouette mugs, from Etsy seller BROOKLYNrehab.

If the bride is making cocoa favors, wouldn't it be amazing to tuck a set of these mugs and a couple of the favors into a gift basket to leave in the honeymoon suite?  Or brides and grooms--how about a gourmet cocoa bar at your winter wedding, and the bride and groom get to sip out of these instead of generic mugs?

Let cocoa season begin!