How To Make Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

A few years ago during Christmas time I just happened to look at the ingredients on the back of a popular hot cocoa box. Yikes! So many junk ingredients that are just not great to be consuming. But hot cocoa mix is just that, a mix. So I set out to make my own, healthier version. After some research and trial and error, my family found that this recipe is the best!

We love to make a giant thermos of this DIY hot chocolate and take it with us to drive through town and look at Christmas lights, but it’s great when you just want a warm cozy drink too! It also happens to be my favorite hot drink of all time.

We also have a great cocoa bar in our dining room that is a big hit around the holidays. We keep it well stocked and really go all in on it for our Christmas party and gatherings all through December.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Paige

Need a cleaner and cheaper version of that store-bought taco seasoning you love? Make it yourself! I've perfected this homemade taco seasoning recipe for my family and it works with both tacos and fajitas (even breakfast burritos!) and it's all we ever use now. This is a big batch recipe so you'll have convenient taco seasoning for months so you're not tempted to "just grab a packet" at the store on any given night. Happy Taco Night!

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Ingredients

  

• 1/2 Cup Chili Powder
• 1/2 Cup Ground Cumin
• 1 Tbsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Tbsp Oregano
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tbsp Salt (I like Redmond Red Salt or Celtic Sea Salt)
• 1 Tbsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper (If you have kiddos in your house or are sensitive to spice, you can cut this down to 3/4 or 1/2 tsp)
• 2 tsp Paprika (I like smoked paprika)

Instructions

 

Making The Taco Seasoning

• Whisk or stir all ingredients together in a mixing bowl until fully incorporated. That's it!

Ways to Use Homemade Taco Seasoning

• Way #1 Tacos - Brown and drain ground beef. Add a little water to the pan and sprinkle 2 Tbsp of seasoning to the ground beef, mix well and taste. Continue adding 1 Tbsp to the ground beef until you're satisfied with the taste and serve!
• Way #2 Fajitas - Brown diced chicken, add in sliced peppers, onions and mushrooms to. the pan until slightly softened. Add a little water to the pan and sprinkle 2 Tbsp of seasoning to the chicken and veggies, mix well and taste. Continue adding 1 Tbsp to the mixture until you're satisfied with the taste and serve!

Storing Your DIY Taco Seasoning

• Since we have tacos so often, I've made this batch really large so I only have to make one big batch every few months. I just mix it all up, scoop it into an airtight container and it keeps on the shelf for months.

  I'll even sometimes put some seasoning in a pretty jar to add to a gift for a friend who is moving into a new home or just needs a pick-me-up. Who doesn't love tacos?!

Notes

• Cleaner taco seasoning - We are a once-a-week taco night family so swapping to a clean taco seasoning was a priority for us and it is also way cheaper than purchasing the mixes from the store.
• Fun cooking experiment -  If you cook with your kids, this taco seasoning can also be kind of a cooking experiment too because it tastes so different when using for ground beef tacos and chicken fajitas! You can talk about how the extra ingredients make the flavors blend together differently.
• DIY taco seasoning - We tone down the cayenne just a little because our daughter is sensitive to spice and you can play with the recipe to make it your own as well. Add or subtract the amount of any ingredients you like depending on what your family prefers.
• Salt recommendations - Redmond Red Salt, great USA brand! Celtic Sea Salt, very salty and mineral rich.