Quick Answer: Land O Lakes Chocolate Supreme won two taste tests. Richer: Ghirardelli Double Chocolate (about $5.68). For a crowd: Swiss Miss 50-count (about $9.68). Dairy-free: Lake Champlain.
Our top picks
We read nine taste tests and picked the mixes that keep winning.
All 8 picks
Prices are single store listings checked October 2026.
Best overall
Land O Lakes Cocoa Classics Chocolate Supreme
- Made with
- Hot water only
- Servings
- 10 per pouch
- Won
- Taste of Home, Parade
Why it's here: Rich and creamy even with water, so no milk to heat for a crowd.
Watch out: Pack sizes vary on Amazon, so check the count.
Why we picked it (sources)
Taste of Home named it Best Overall in a blind test (Taste of Home), and Parade ranked it first of 12 (Parade via AOL). Walmart lists the 14.8 oz pouch (Walmart).
Best rich
Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa
- Size
- 10.5 oz, about 12 servings
- Contains
- Cocoa and unsweetened chocolate
- Made with
- Milk
Why it's here: Three chefs picked it independently, and it placed top 5 in two tests.
Watch out: Buy the Double Chocolate; Ghirardelli's Premium Indulgence placed lower.
Why we picked it (sources)
Tasting Table ranked it 5th of 18 (Tasting Table) and Eat This 2nd (Eat This); three chefs named it in The Kitchn (The Kitchn). H-E-B lists $5.68 (H-E-B).
Best for a crowd
Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate, 50 packets
- Count
- 50 envelopes
- Per packet
- One 8 oz mug
- Where
- Sam's Club, Costco
Why it's here: Individual packets are the easiest way to stock a self-serve board.
Watch out: It placed mid-pack in head-to-head tests.
Why we picked it (sources)
Sam's Club lists $9.68 for 50, one 8 oz mug each (Sam's Club). Tasting Table ranked it 15th (Tasting Table).
Best value
Trader Joe's Organic Hot Cocoa Mix
- Where
- Trader Joe's only
- Kitchn
- Runner-up, milk chocolate
- Sporked
- 8.5 / 10
Why it's here: A top finisher at the lowest price.
Watch out: Some tasters found it a bit thin.
Why we picked it (sources)
The Kitchn named it runner-up at $3.99 (The Kitchn), and Sporked called it the best budget pick (Sporked).
Best café-style
Starbucks Classic Hot Cocoa
- Count
- 8 servings
- Where
- Target, Walmart, Amazon
- Won
- Food Network Best Overall
Why it's here: Food Network's pick, and it placed in several other tests.
Watch out: Prices vary a lot between listings.
Why we picked it (sources)
Food Network named it Best Overall (Food Network), and Serious Eats called it the most nostalgic (Serious Eats via AOL).
Best dairy-free
Lake Champlain Traditional Organic Hot Chocolate
- Ingredients
- Sugar, cocoa
- Servings
- About 16
- Make with
- Dairy or plant milk
Why it's here: The only highly ranked mix sold as vegan friendly.
Watch out: Check the label for allergen statements if dairy is a strict no.
Why we picked it (sources)
Eat This ranked it first (Eat This), Tasting Table second (Tasting Table), and The Kitchn named a Lake Champlain dark its winner (The Kitchn). Vegan Essentials lists it (Vegan Essentials).
Best Mexican-style
Nestlé Abuelita Instant Mexican-Style
- Size
- 8 × 1 oz envelopes
- Contains
- Milk, cocoa
- Sporked
- La Monarca beat it
Why it's here: The most widely stocked Mexican-style option.
Watch out: Sporked preferred La Monarca, and Eat This ranked Abuelita 8th.
Splurge
Williams Sonoma Classic Hot Chocolate
- Contains
- Chocolate shavings
- Make with
- Hot milk
- Won
- Food Network best milk chocolate
Why it's here: A gift-worthy tin that two test kitchens singled out.
Watch out: Several times the price of grocery mixes.
Why we picked it (sources)
Food Network named it Best Milk Chocolate (Food Network), and Taste of Home called it best grown-up pick (Taste of Home). Williams Sonoma describes the shavings (Williams Sonoma).
How to set up a hot cocoa board
- Offer two mixes: one crowd-pleaser (Swiss Miss packets or Land O Lakes) and one rich one (Ghirardelli or a real-chocolate mix).
- Check milk or water on each package. Water-only mixes already contain dry milk.
- Keep it hot in a slow cooker on warm or an insulated carafe, and let guests stir the mix into their own mug.
- Toppings: marshmallows, whipped cream, crushed peppermint, chocolate chips, caramel sauce, cinnamon sticks, and a bowl of chopped dark chocolate.
See the full setup in our hot cocoa board guide.
Hot cocoa questions
Milk or water for hot cocoa mix?
Follow the package. Water-only mixes like Land O Lakes already contain dry milk. Real-chocolate mixes like Williams Sonoma's are meant for hot milk. Most testers preferred milk when a mix allowed it.
How many packets per person for a hot cocoa board?
One packet makes one 8 oz mug. Plan on one to two mugs per guest over a party, so a 50-count box covers 25 to 35 guests.
What goes on a hot cocoa board?
Two or three mixes, marshmallows, whipped cream, crushed peppermint, chocolate chips, caramel sauce, cinnamon sticks, cookies, and a bowl of chopped dark chocolate that melts into the cup.
How do I keep hot cocoa warm for a party?
Heat the milk or water and hold it in a slow cooker on the warm setting or in an insulated carafe. Let guests stir their own mix into each mug so the cocoa doesn't scorch.
Hot chocolate vs hot cocoa: what's the difference?
Labels use the words loosely. Read the ingredients: cocoa powder only (Swiss Miss, Lake Champlain) or real chocolate (Ghirardelli Double Chocolate, Williams Sonoma), which tastes richer.
How we picked these, and sources
Picks come from nine published tests: Serious Eats (via AOL), The Kitchn (The Kitchn), Tasting Table, Sporked, Food Network, Taste of Home, Eat This and Parade, plus a chef survey. We favored mixes that placed well in more than one. America's Test Kitchen has a homemade mix if you'd rather make your own (ATK). Mix-in ideas from The Kitchn (The Kitchn). Checked October 26, 2026.
- Serious Eats via AOL: 19 hot chocolate mixes tested
- The Kitchn: best hot cocoa mixes
- The Kitchn: chefs name the best hot cocoa mix
- Tasting Table: hot cocoa mixes ranked
- Sporked: best hot cocoa mix
- Food Network: best store-bought hot chocolate mixes
- Taste of Home: best hot chocolate brand
- Eat This: best hot chocolate mix
- Parade via AOL: 12 hot chocolate mixes
- Walmart: Land O Lakes Chocolate Supreme
- H-E-B: Ghirardelli Double Chocolate
- Sam's Club: Swiss Miss 50 ct
- Vegan Essentials: Lake Champlain Traditional
- Nestlé: Abuelita instant
- Williams Sonoma: Classic Hot Chocolate
- The Kitchn: hot cocoa mix-ins
- America's Test Kitchen: best-ever hot cocoa mix
Build the rest of it with our hot cocoa board guide and the Christmas charcuterie board ideas. Every guide is on our charcuterie buying guides page.
