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You are here: Home / Recipes / Chocolate Milk for One

Chocolate Milk for One

04/28/17 | Beverages, Recipe for One, Recipes

1.3Kshares

This recipe for Chocolate Milk for One makes one cup of amazing, delicious, really good chocolate milk with just four ingredients.

Chocolate milk for one is the perfect single serving option when you are craving chocolate milk.

Hey, did you know that (under very specific circumstances) chocolate milk can be considered a “health food”?

A couple summers ago, I was putting on some serious running mileage and struggling with crashing after my long runs. I did a little research and discovered that the most easily accessible recommended recovery drink for distance runners is actually chocolate milk!

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! <–That was my reaction.

I added 8 to 12 ounces of chocolate milk to the end of anything over 12 miles and I never crashed again. It was *amazing*. Plus, my local dairy sells some absolutely killer chocolate milk, so it was fun to have an excuse to indulge.

Two years and an injury later, and my long runs are not all that long anymore, so I don’t have a good excuse to buy a gallon of the stuff. But I still get a craving for some really good chocolate milk every once in a while.

So now I make just one cup.

Craving chocolate milk? Try this chocolate milk for one recipe made with pantry staples in less than two minutes!

This recipe makes 8 ounces of really good chocolate milk. And you can make it in your microwave.

There are only four ingredients, milk (the higher fat the tastier), cocoa powder, sugar, and a tiny bit of water. You heat 1/4 of the milk with the rest of the ingredients to make a chocolate syrup and then mix it with the remaining milk which cools everything down so it’s ready within about two minutes.

It’s great if you need a long-run recovery drink–just throw it together while you are shoveling down breakfast, and have it waiting in the fridge for when you can back.

And it’s perfect if you are just craving a glass of chocolate milk, because maybe your long run wasn’t all that long today, but darn it, you still deserve something delicious. 😉

This recipe for Chocolate Milk for One makes one cup of amazing, delicious, really good chocolate milk with just four ingredients.

This recipe for Chocolate Milk for One makes one cup of amazing, delicious, really good chocolate milk with just four ingredients.

Chocolate Milk for One

This recipe for Chocolate Milk for One makes one cup of amazing, delicious, really good chocolate milk with just four ingredients.
4.97 from 84 votes
Print
Course: Beverage
Prep Time: 1 minute minute
Cook Time: 1 minute minute
Total Time: 2 minutes minutes
Servings (Hover or Click to Change Yield): 1 cup
Calories: 177kcal
Author: Tracy

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon (5g) cocoa powder*
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 cup milk , divided (any percentage*)
  • 1 tablespoon (12g) sugar

Instructions

  • In a microwave-safe cup or mug, combine cocoa powder and water. Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, until steaming, and stir until very smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the milk and the sugar, and microwave for an additional 15 to 30 seconds, until steaming. Stir until completely mixed. Stir in remaining milk and enjoy.

Notes

*I find that lumpy cocoa powder can sometimes lead to chocolate lumps that settle at the bottom of the glass. If that bothers you, you can sift your cocoa powder before mixing or pour your finished milk through a tea strainer. 
*Chocolate milk is always better with a little fat in it. This recipe is great with non-fat milk, but it's best when made with whole milk or non-fat with a splash of cream or half and half.
If making ahead of time, be sure to give the milk a good stir before drinking as the syrup may have settled.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag @BakingMischief or hashtag it #BakingMischief.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.

Comments | 71 comments

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Comments

  1. Vicky @ Avocado Pesto says

    April 28, 2017 at 6:45 pm

    5 stars
    Never would have guessed that chocolate milk would be great for long distance runners! Probably haven’t had a glass myself since I was about 8! It’s been a while

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      May 1, 2017 at 1:20 pm

      I hadn’t had it since I was a kid too. I wasn’t even sure if I liked chocolate milk anymore or not when I first tried it again. But then it was like oh wait, I DEFINITELY DO. 😉

      Reply
      • Adianna says

        September 14, 2022 at 5:17 pm

        Yea i haven’t had chocolate milk for a long time and its so good

        Reply
  2. Matt @ Plating Pixels says

    April 28, 2017 at 8:52 pm

    Yum! Love that’s it’s just a few natural ingredients. Lovely photos too.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      May 1, 2017 at 1:19 pm

      Thank you, Matt!!

      Reply
    • Alexander Pruss says

      March 7, 2022 at 9:19 pm

      I dislike milk, and yet need the calcium, so for the past month I’ve been regularly drinking a variant of this recipe. My variation is that I haven’t been bothering to heat the 1/4 portion of milk (after the initial heating of the water + cocoa + sugar). I’m also using a bit more milk than in the recipe–a mug instead of 8 oz. I prefer the taste of store-bought chocolate milk (store-bought has less of a milky flavor), but this is slightly cheaper, and doesn’t take up extra fridge space.

      Today I found that I could simplify the recipe even more: just skip the microwaving entirely. I think it tasted more or less the same, though stirring took a bit longer and there were a few more lumps. I am thinking the microwaving is not worth the effort.

      Tomorrow I will experiment by skipping water, to have one fewer ingredient to deal with. 🙂

      Reply
      • Tracy says

        March 8, 2022 at 7:30 am

        Glad to hear the recipe worked out for you!

        Reply
  3. Luci's Morsels says

    April 28, 2017 at 9:57 pm

    What a great idea and this looks delicious! I had no idea that it was acceptable and helpful to drink chocolate after running! Thanks for that tip! I can’t wait to try this! Luci’s Morsels | fashion. food. frivolity.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      May 1, 2017 at 1:19 pm

      Thanks, Luci!

      Reply
  4. Lucy @ Supergoldenbakes says

    April 29, 2017 at 1:02 am

    5 stars
    Well who would have believed it. That little fact has made my day. Love this recipe – so simple and perfectly sized.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      May 1, 2017 at 1:18 pm

      Hehe, so glad I could share it with you then. 😉 Thanks, Lucy!!

      Reply
  5. Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine says

    April 29, 2017 at 2:49 am

    5 stars
    I love having recipes for single servings of treats like this– makes it easy to just have that amount!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      May 1, 2017 at 1:17 pm

      Right!? Thanks, Michelle!

      Reply
  6. Agness of Run Agness Run says

    May 5, 2017 at 5:38 am

    Yummy, this chocolate milk seems so finger-licking, Tracy!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      May 11, 2017 at 12:08 pm

      Thanks, Agness!!

      Reply
  7. NickSurplus says

    August 11, 2017 at 2:38 am

    5 stars
    Damn near drank the whole glass before I even made it out the kitchen!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      August 11, 2017 at 11:24 am

      Hehe, well at least it sounds like you enjoyed it! 😉

      Reply
  8. Parbynarble says

    March 2, 2018 at 2:29 pm

    5 stars
    Omg….this is wonderful!!!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      March 4, 2018 at 3:32 pm

      Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Jennifer Barr says

        November 28, 2021 at 10:17 pm

        My grand baby is sick and wanted chocolate milk so it was unacceptable, when I went looking for chocolate syrup or nestle quick, (Just saw some 2 days ago in my kitchen) and there wasn’t any. Thank you. Sick baby is gonna get his chocolate milk. Even if Mimi had to wrestle a billy goat..

        Reply
  9. Faith says

    March 19, 2018 at 7:40 pm

    5 stars
    This is such a great convienient recipe! I love how it makes the perfect amount. I was so sore before I drank it and I almost can’t believe how much better I feel immediately after a cup
    This actually explains why they always give out chocolate milk after meets… thank you so much 4 this recipe!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      March 20, 2018 at 8:45 am

      It’s amazing what some carbs and protein will do for you. 😉 So glad you enjoyed this, Faith!

      Reply
  10. Barbera Stevens says

    June 28, 2018 at 11:22 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe. This chocolate milk tastes so much better than the stuff made with syrup.
    I do have some advice to eliminate the chocolate lumps. Mix the sugar into the cocoa and water before adding any milk. The sugar raises the melting temperature of the cocoa water and leaves you with a syrup. When the milk is added, it mixes together with no lumps.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      June 28, 2018 at 3:09 pm

      Thank you. So happy you enjoyed it! And thanks for the tip. Absolutely trying it the next time I make this!

      Reply
    • Paula says

      November 27, 2018 at 7:27 pm

      5 stars
      I also added sugar and water in first step and only microwaved 20 secs total. I thought a little too much cocoa and could decrease a little or add more almond milk. I made dairy free version.

      Reply
  11. Henry says

    November 17, 2018 at 2:48 pm

    5 stars
    This was the best chocolate milk I have ever tasted!! I made it far a smoothie, and I just HAD to try some and by the end, there was none left over for the smoothie. 🙂

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      November 19, 2018 at 7:53 am

      LOL. Glad you enjoyed the recipe, even if non of it made it into your smoothie. 😉

      Reply
  12. Kg says

    December 30, 2018 at 6:45 pm

    5 stars
    I would suggest adding just a tiny bit of vanilla extract in there too, really brings out that classic cocoa taste

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 1, 2019 at 11:53 am

      Agreed. This is excellent advice!

      Reply
  13. P says

    January 26, 2019 at 1:37 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious and so easy. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      January 29, 2019 at 4:01 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  14. Brett says

    March 6, 2019 at 6:46 pm

    I’m pregnant and was intensely craving Nesquik. This was honestly exactly what I needed. THANK YOU! 🙂

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      March 11, 2019 at 3:28 pm

      Aw, so glad this was able to hit the spot!

      Reply
  15. Miles Stone says

    March 7, 2019 at 6:24 pm

    4 stars
    Accidentally used my Mayan cocoa powder, but the kick of spice at the end of the sip is actually quite nice.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      March 11, 2019 at 3:26 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it. Mayan cocoa powder sounds like an excellent accident. 😉

      Reply
  16. Brae says

    March 20, 2019 at 1:08 am

    This is a helpful recipe and healthier. Thanks! Easy to follow. Was looking for recipe of how make it. So again, thanks!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      March 25, 2019 at 4:23 pm

      Thanks, Brae! So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  17. Daisy Frey says

    September 12, 2019 at 10:17 am

    4 stars
    Makes it way better if you add a sprinkle of salt, trust me, you’ll be happy you did it. It balances out the flavors and brings it all together. If it makes you feel any better, just think about salted caramel when you do it. Most people don’t realize that you need salt in your sweets, they won’t be right without it. But this is definitely better than Hershey’s; they need to step up their game. Their syrup is nasty…

    Reply
  18. Amber says

    October 23, 2019 at 11:46 am

    5 stars
    Craving chocolate milk and forgot to pick up mix, this was surprisingly good!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      October 23, 2019 at 12:04 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it, Amber!

      Reply
  19. Julie says

    March 1, 2020 at 3:32 am

    5 stars
    Thanks for the smile that I needed right about now

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      March 5, 2020 at 8:35 pm

      Happy to help! 🙂

      Reply
  20. Jessica says

    March 19, 2020 at 2:06 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! Now I don’t need to buy chocolate milk separately! Thank you!

    Reply
  21. Aria says

    April 18, 2020 at 6:41 am

    It was so delicious!! Can’t wait to make it again!!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      April 18, 2020 at 3:08 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  22. Raena says

    May 14, 2020 at 5:46 am

    5 stars
    Hi Tracy,

    I stumbled across your recipe last night while looking for a gluten free chocolate milk mix. My daughter and I both have issues with wheat and gluten. We have not had chocolate milk in years do to this becasue so many store bought chocolate milk mixes either contain wheat or could possibly.
    We tried your recipe this mornng… I have to say it is the best choclate milk I have ever had!! We made it using hershey’s dark cocoa powder. I hope you don’t mind… have printed your recipe and labeled it Tracy’s Delicous Choclate Milk and it is going in the family cookbook!
    Thank you again for this most wonder recipe!!! : )

    Raena

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      May 14, 2020 at 10:09 pm

      This comment genuinely made my day! Thank you so much, and I’m so thrilled that you and your daughter enjoyed the recipe!!

      Reply
  23. Christy says

    May 28, 2020 at 1:57 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! I like the short ingredient list. Much healthier better than store mixes.

    Reply
  24. Frances Hale says

    June 2, 2020 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    This is delicious, but I preferred mine over some ice.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      July 15, 2020 at 6:36 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  25. Abigail says

    October 28, 2020 at 9:11 am

    4 stars
    My chocolate milk wasn’t as good Mostly because I used the Hershey’s cocoa powder and I gave it a like a weird tasting but if I would’ve use regular cocoa powder it would’ve made it taste a lot more like chocolate milk so I’m still gonna give it a good rating and I hope that I can see more of your recipes in the future future.

    Reply
  26. daaniya says

    November 1, 2020 at 1:04 pm

    Best chocolate milk ever!! Not complicated at all and tastes so good.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      November 2, 2020 at 10:57 am

      So glad you enjoyed it!!

      Reply
  27. Linda Muse says

    December 18, 2020 at 8:46 am

    I googled “How to make chocolate milk with cocoa powder” and yours was one of tree recipes I decided to try. I tried yours first and still have yet to try the others! I was thrilled to have a recipe for just one glass and this was just what I was wanting. It’s just the hubs and me now, and I’m excited find recipes that are on a smaller scale. I look forward to browsing through your recipes!

    Reply
  28. Kay says

    February 7, 2021 at 10:25 am

    I don’t own a microwave, so can I use a saucepan instead? So excited to try this recipe!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      February 8, 2021 at 12:32 pm

      Yup, you can make it in a saucepan no problem. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  29. Liz says

    February 17, 2021 at 9:40 pm

    5 stars
    When I had first made it it was a bit bitter so this time I made it with 3 tablespoons of sugar and it tasted so much better

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      February 18, 2021 at 12:05 pm

      So glad you figured out how to make it work for you, Liz!

      Reply
  30. Kate says

    March 12, 2021 at 7:46 am

    5 stars
    So rarely do I try a random recipe online and immediately think, “Oh, HECK yeah!” And yet, that was my reaction to this recipe 🙂

    So great and simple!

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      March 13, 2021 at 7:53 am

      Lol! So happy to hear it, Kate!

      Reply
  31. Mark says

    July 8, 2021 at 12:57 pm

    What would the measurements be for multiple servings and how would you go about storing it?

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      July 8, 2021 at 1:27 pm

      Click on the number of servings in the recipe card, and it will automatically adjust the ingredient amounts. For storage, just store in an airtight container (like a mason jar) in the fridge. Give it a good shake before serving because it will separate a little while sitting.

      Reply
  32. Leo says

    August 11, 2021 at 2:35 pm

    5 stars
    Chocolate milk is chocolate milk, right? WRONG. This recipe is so much better than storebought. I’m often really picky about the taste or texture of things with preservatives or smoothers, or some of the other things that storebought chocolate milk or chocolate syrup have in them, but I’ve been craving choccy milk because of the heat here, so I decided to try this out and it’s really good! Some slight clarification, for anyone out there who’s an overthinker like I am: use baking cocoa, not hot chocolate mix! Although hot chocolate mix makes a pretty good cold drink too…

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      August 24, 2021 at 8:10 pm

      Lol I’m so glad this hit the spot!

      Reply
  33. Hayden says

    October 22, 2021 at 10:40 am

    5 stars
    I did know that chocolate milk was one of the best post exercise recovery. However, i could not find a good recipe anywhere and couldn’t keep wasting money on it. Best chocolate milk i’ve ever had!

    Reply
  34. Tom D says

    January 18, 2022 at 11:38 am

    I like my chocolate milk ice cold. Warm milk is a no go for me. Stuck in the freezer for 15 minutes. I would agree with adding a little salt and vanilla also. Much prefer the syrup, buy since I was out, this is good in an emergency.

    Reply
  35. Ella says

    March 30, 2022 at 3:18 pm

    5 stars
    This is a really good, easy recipe. Next time, I am going to add more sugar and less cocoa powder because it was a little bitter. Definitely saving this recipe!

    Reply
  36. Aimee says

    June 4, 2022 at 10:39 am

    5 stars
    Such a great and simple recipe, thank you so much for sharing ☺️ I was craving chocolate milk this morning, wanted to reminisce a bit, eat a pb&j sandwich with some chocolate milk but no chocolate milk or chocolate. Luckily I had 100% cocoa and whole milk (yay!). Anyone who stumbles upon this recipe, definitely try it. Don’t settle for nasty syrups or sugar loaded cocoa.

    Reply
  37. Robert Martin says

    June 10, 2022 at 11:32 am

    5 stars
    I love making healthy bran type muffins with natuaral bran and other grains. I used to use chocolate milk from the dairy but now I make my own with your recipe. To make it easier I now add the cocoa with the dry ingredients. I add (mix) the cocoa to my flour and brown sugar. I rarely have buttermilk on hand so I add 1 tablespoon vinegar to the milk.

    Reply
  38. allan says

    August 9, 2022 at 10:04 am

    5 stars
    it was very nice thank you.

    Reply
    • Tracy says

      August 9, 2022 at 5:25 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Tracy! Welcome to Baking Mischief, where we realize that not everyone is cooking every night for a family of four. We have delicious sweet and savory recipes, mostly scaled for one or two, and we love our pop culture around here, so keep an eye out for film, book, and TV-inspired treats as well! Read more»
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