I Tried 9 Hot Cocoa Mixes and This Is the One I’ll Always Buy From Now On

Hot cocoa is one of those beloved drinks I enjoyed as a kid, usually after a few hours of playing outside in the snow. My mom would heat the water—sometimes milk—and hand a mug and packet of cocoa mix to my brother and I. We’d add the contents to our mugs and she’d pour the water or milk right on top, telling us to stir until it magically dissolved. If we were lucky, she’d also have a bag of mini marshmallows that we could take from and drop as many as we wanted into our warm mugs.

We didn’t have many options for hot cocoa when I was a kid. These days, we have dozens of hot cocoa mix options to choose from and it can be overwhelming trying to figure out which one to buy. So, to help you and me, I’ve decided to test what’s out there to find the best one.

How I Selected the Hot Cocoa Mixes

As with other taste tests, I chose brands of hot cocoa mix that were readily available at large chain grocery stores. The mix could either be in packet or loose form, but it couldn’t have any additional flavors, such as cinnamon or peppermint. 

How I Tested the Hot Cocoa Mixes

I prepared an 8-ounce mug of each, following the instructions as written on the package. Most claimed that either water or milk could be used, so I used milk (2%) for all hot cocoa mixes. I served the mugs of hot cocoa, without any toppings or add-ins, to my group of testers and asked them to pick their favorite. I didn’t give specific parameters but asked them to share their reasoning behind their selections. Here are the results.

The Results

For a little perspective, I’ve included the amount of added sugar and serving instructions and sizes for each cocoa mix.

9th place: Aldi

• Added sugar per serving: 23 grams
• Serving instructions: Add 1 envelope (39 grams) to 8 fluid ounces

If you like sugar, then you’ll like Aldi’s brand of hot cocoa. One of my testers, a self-proclaimed “sugar lover,” even commented that this mix was too sweet. We also couldn’t taste much chocolate, which felt overshadowed by all of that sugar. Mixes come in convenient packets, so if you prefer a less sweet version, use half or a little more than half of the packet.

8th place: Nestle 

• Added sugar per serving: 10 grams
• Serving instructions: Add 2 tbsp (20 grams) to 6 fluid ounces 

This one tasted like how one tester remembered the cups from the school concession stand tasted like. From the way he said it, it didn’t sound like high praise. Other testers called it bland and thought it was sweet, but didn’t have much flavor. The consensus? Save this one for the concession stand.

7th place: 365 

• Added sugar per serving: 19 grams
• Serving instructions: Add 2 tbsp (28 grams) to 8 fluid ounces

This cocoa mix tasted muddled, with a mild chocolate flavor and not much sweetness. One tester simply said, “It’s not good.” Another person suggested stirring in an additional tablespoon of hot cocoa mix to see if it would “fix things.” Overall, this one didn’t impress.

6th place: Swiss Miss 

• Added sugar per serving: 23 grams
• Serving instructions: Add 1 envelope (39 g) to 8 fluid ounces

Swiss Miss cocoa mix is decent. Testers claimed it was sweet and smooth with a fair amount of chocolate flavor. Nothing stood out about it though, which is why we ranked it in sixth place.

5th place: Equal Exchange 

• Added sugar per serving: 18 grams
• Serving Instructions: Add 3 tbsp (35 grams) to 8 fluid ounces

All of my testers felt this one lacked sweetness, but loved the dark chocolate flavor. One tester even said it tasted a bit bitter—but in a good way. It wasn’t as rich as the top picks on our list, but perhaps using a full-fat milk would help. 

4th place: Starbucks 

• Added sugar per serving: 16 grams
• Serving Instructions: Add 2 1/2 tbsp (28 grams) to 8 fluid ounces

This hot cocoa was chocolatey, smooth, and creamy. It felt rich and only mildly sweet. Most testers enjoyed the flavor, but some wished it had a bit more sugar. Overall, we liked this one, especially after we added some marshmallows to it—after testing, of course!

3rd place: Good & Gather

• Added sugar per serving: 21 grams of added sugar
• Serving instructions: Add 2 1/2 tbsp (28 grams) to 8 fluid ounces

It was “double the chocolate” which is probably why most testers enjoyed the flavor. It was sweet but felt more balanced than the other hot cocoa mixes on the list. One tester enjoyed it so much that she claimed this as her favorite, but other testers found the top two on the list better.

2nd place: Lake Champlain 

• Added sugar per serving: 20 grams
• Serving instructions: Add 2 tbsp (28 grams) to 8 fluid ounces of milk

All the testers enjoyed Lake Chaplain’s hot cocoa mix, commenting on the fact that it was both rich and full of flavor. One tester even commented that it tasted like “hot chocolate milk.” It wasn’t overly sweet and everyone agreed it was a hot cocoa mix they’d have no problem enjoying over and over again.

1st place: Trader Joe’s 

• Added sugar per serving: 15 grams of added sugar
• Serving instructions: Add 3 tbsp (28 grams) to 6 fluid ounces

It was almost too close to call, but Trader Joe’s hot cocoa mix beat the competition to win this taste test. We all loved its rich and creamy texture, but also how it was perfectly sweet and chocolatey. “It tastes like a melted chocolate bar,” exclaimed one tester. It’s a fantastic option—one that will now be stocked in all of our pantries.