Heating milk in microwave for hot chocolate

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I have some really good hot chocolate mix that I want to bring to work as a perk in the afternoon. It calls for milk. I usually heat the milk slowly on the stove before mixing in the hot chocolate, but the office only has a microwave. I have the following questions:

1. Is it safe to heat milk in a microwave?

2. If so, what's the best way to heat the milk?

3. Will the hot chocolate taste bad if I use the microwave?

Making homemade hot chocolate is fun, easy, and very quick. And, when using a microwave, you can indulge in this creamy drink even sooner. But, if you don’t know the tricks, you can easily over-boil your milk.

So, in this article, we will take a look at how to make hot chocolate from scratch in a microwave. But specifically, we will focus on the heating times.

If you like this beverage, you will fall in love with my Peurto Rican Eggnog,  Batido De Trigo Shake, and Dalgona Whipped Coffee.

Hot chocolate, also called drinking chocolate or hot cocoa, is not the same as chocolate milk. The key difference is their temperature and how they are made.

Chocolate milk is cold and takes a while to make. Hot chocolate is, well, hot and can be whipped together in a couple of minutes. Hot chocolate is also less sweet and much thicker in consistency.

Traditionally, this hot drink is made on the stovetop. This technique, while still not exceptionally lengthy, still takes about 5-10 minutes, depending on the amount you are making.

Naturally, that’s an excruciating amount of time to wait for your uber chocolatey semi-sweet hot drink. So, people started developing shortcuts.

Today, you can easily just microwave milk for hot chocolate to create your hot drink. This method takes less than 5 minutes from start to finish. And it creates equally creamy, thick, and tasty hot chocolate.

Factors To Consider

Now, as you may know from first-hand experience, milk is a tricky thing to heat. Let alone in the microwave! The amount of times I’ve had to deep-clean my microwave because the milk boiled over is almost countless.

So, if you do want to consider this method, some things will affect how long to microwave milk for hot chocolate.

Microwave Powder

Your average microwave will have a maximum wattage of between 1000 and 1200. At the “high” power setting, it uses as many watts as it can to heat your dish (and in this case, milk).

The higher the wattage, the quicker the ingredient will heat. However, for milk, it could have some other side effects.

While it will heat quicker, it may also cause the milk to overflow and get a burning flavor. 

The medium setting is, in my opinion, the best option to use. It will take a little longer, but it will also avoid the risks above. Medium settings usually run between 700-900 watts.

And the low setting, which I don’t recommend at all, is around 500-600 watts. This setting will take far too much time to heat the milk, which just isn’t necessary.

Amount Of Milk

This is quite an obvious one, but sometimes you simply forget how important it is. The more milk you are heating, the longer it will take to heat.

So, one cup of milk for hot chocolate may take 1 minute to heat up at a “high” setting. But, a large cup with 8 cups worth of milk will take about 3-4 minutes.

Starting Temperature Of Milk

Ice cold milk will take a couple of seconds in the microwave to reach room temperature. Yes, we are talking seconds, but it does still apply.

So, if at all possible, use room temperature milk when making hot chocolate in the microwave.

Finishing Temperature Of Milk

Some people like their hot chocolate lukewarm and others like it scorching hot. Naturally, the hotter you want to make it, the longer it will need to stay in the microwave.

Again, it’s a matter of 30 seconds at the most. But the seconds do add up.

Heating Up Milk For Hot Chocolate

So, the technique I like to use for making hot chocolate from scratch in a microwave is as follows;

1. Combine your cocoa powder and sugar
2. Add a little bit of milk to create a slurry
3. Add the remaining milk to make chocolate milk
4. Set the microwave to “medium” and microwave the hot chocolate for 30 seconds. Stir the hot chocolate.
5. Then, continue heating the hot chocolate in 15-second intervals for another 30-60 seconds. Continue until you are happy with the temperature.

The intervals help the milk cool down slightly to prevent it from boiling over It’s also a technique that helps promote an uber creamy texture.

How Long To Microwave Milk For Hot Cocoa?

At medium heat (700-900 watts), one cup of milk will take between 45-60 seconds using the technique above.

If you use a larger container, you can add about 15 seconds per cup. So, for a jug with 2 cups of milk, you can heat it for about 60-75 seconds. A jug with 4 cups of milk will take about 90-105 seconds.

Anything more than 4 cups will still take about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

At a high temperature setting (1000-1200 watts), a cup of milk will take about 40-50 seconds to heat. And again, for every added cup to a single container, you can add 10 seconds. So, for 4 cups of milk at “high,” it will take 70-80 seconds.

Homemade Quick And Easy Microwave Hot Chocolate

There are few things better than homemade hot chocolate. One of them is making it in the microwave to save even more time! This recipe is quick, easy, and uber creamy!

Prep Time 3 mins

Cook Time 2 mins

Total Time 5 mins

Servings 2

Calories 207 kcal

• 2 tbsp sweetened cocoa powder
• 2-4 tbsp granulated white sugar
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, optional but recommended

• Stir together the cocoa powder and granulated sugar in a microwave-safe jug. Alternatively, divide it evenly between two microwave-safe mugs.

• Add about 1/2 cup of milk to the jug. If you're using mugs, add a couple of tablespoons. Whisk with a fork until you have a smooth paste.

• Once you have a paste, add the remaining milk into the jug or mugs. Add the remaining milk slowly and while whisking constantly.

• Finally, add the hot chocolate mixture into the microwave. The mugs will take about 1 minute in total at high (100% power). The jug will take between 1 1/2 and 2 minutes.

• At 30-seconds, stir the milk. Then, continue heating it in 15-second intervals to avoid it boiling over.

• Once the milk is properly heated, stir in the vanilla extract.

• Allow the homemade microwave hot chocolate to cool slightly. Then, serve with some mini marshmallows.

Calories: 207kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 9gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 95mgPotassium: 449mgFiber: 2gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 401IUCalcium: 311mgIron: 1mg

Is it OK to boil milk for hot chocolate?