I haven’t been happy with the weight or flavor of packaged hot chocolate. After a little experimenting, I settled on the following recipe. Just as with my coffee recipe, this might not be for everyone, but if you want a healthy hot beverage to sleep on, this is the ticket!

Mix the following ingredients in a bowl and measure into ziplock bags for the trail. Pictured above are three servings in the ziplock. Weight is less than 1.5 oz. 

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups coconut milk powder (I like Anthony’s Organic Coconut Milk Powder)
• 1 cup confectioners powdered sugar (2 cups for less bitter flavor)

Pour a small amount of hot water in the cup and stir in 2 rounded teaspoons of the mix. My titanium cup is small (8 oz.), so adjust your mix to taste. After stirring thoroughly, add remaining water. Disclaimer: I like my drinks dry, so you might prefer that second cup of powdered sugar if you like a more traditional flavor. I find that the coconut milk powder mixes well and I like the flavor.

In the photo above, I used a Wendy’s spoon, similar to the one I found in a Ouachita Trail shelter several years ago. There’s a story behind this spoon I now carry in addition to my titanium spoon for good luck. It reminds me that the trails provide. I hope you enjoy your Backpackers’ Hot Chocolate! Let me know if you find good variations that I might want to try.