Here’s a simple cocoa hot chocolate recipe in 7 steps.

Warm the milk, in a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until warm but not boiling.

Combine dry ingredients, in a separate bowl, mix cocoa powder, sugar, and salt.

Make a paste, add 1-2 tbsp of the warm milk to the cocoa mixture and stir until it forms a smooth paste.

Add paste to milk, pour the cocoa paste back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, stirring continuously.

Simmer, heat the mixture gently, stirring constantly, until it’s hot but not boiling.

Add vanilla, stir in vanilla extract if desired, then remove from heat.

Serve, pour into a mug, top with whipped cream or marshmallows, and enjoy your homemade hot chocolate.