Instant Pot Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate–the Instant Pot is a perfect vessel to heat hot chocolate and keep it warm. This version is a twist on a classic. It has notes of salted caramel and it’s just a dream! Perfect for holiday merriment!
Get the SLOW COOKER version of the recipe here
Instant Pot Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
I’ve been making this hot chocolate in the slow cooker for a few years now. When I got my 8 quart Instant Pot last week and needed to bring a large amount of hot chocolate to a party I thought it was the perfect time to make this recipe in the Instant Pot.
You don’t use the pressure cook function for this recipe. You can heat the milk in a few different ways. You can use the saute function, just make sure to whisk often. You can also use the slow cook function on high which doesn’t require whisking. Or you can even use the yogurt function to bring the hot chocolate to a proper temperature.
After the milk is heated and the chocolate chips are melted well you’ll whisk the mixture really well. Then you can just keep the hot chocolate on the keep warm setting. This will keep your hot chocolate warm but not too hot. The perfect temperature to serve and enjoy.
I love this dreamy hot chocolate and will take it over a piece of chocolate cake! It is so delicious. Try it out this season!
More Christmas recipes you’ll love…
Hot chocolate jars for neighbor gifts
Dark Chocolate Peanut Clusters
What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
To make Instant Pot Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate I used my 8 quart Instant Pot Duo*. You can also use your 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly. It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.
Instant Pot Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
The Instant Pot is a perfect vessel to heat hot chocolate and keep it warm. This version is a twist on a classic. It has notes of salted caramel and it’s just a dream! Perfect for holiday merriment!
Ingredients
- 12 cups of milk (I’ve used skim to whole)
- 1 (14 oz) can Eagle Brand caramel flavored sweetened condensed milk or an equal amount of caramel ice cream topping (I’ve also just used regular sweetened condensed milk and it has been great)
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (I like the Costco brand)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Pour all ingredients into the Instant Pot and stir.
- There are 3 different methods to heating your hot chocolate.
- Saute: The fastest is the saute method. Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. You’ll need to whisk often until the chocolate is melted and incorporated so it doesn’t burn.
- Slow Cook: If you have more time you can put the Instant Pot on the slow cook function on the highest setting. Check back every 30 minutes and whisk until it is heated and all the chocolate is melted. This will take about 1 1/2 hours.
- Yogurt: If you have a yogurt button on your Instant Pot you can use that. Cover your pot and secure the lid. Touch the yogurt button and then adjust to Boil. This method takes about 40 minutes. Halfway through the cycle (20 minutes) open the pot and whisk. Then put the lid back on. Once the timer beeps indicating the boil cycle is done remove the lid and whisk the contents of the pot.
- Whisk very thoroughly. Turn Instant Pot to the keep warm setting. Serve hot chocolate in mugs with marshmallows and whipped cream.
- If there are leftovers you can pour the hot chocolate into a pitcher with a lid and store in the refrigerator. Each time before drinking, stir with a whisk.
Notes
I used my 8 quart Instant Pot Duo*. You can also use your 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Instant Pot
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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
I HAVE to make this….”yesterday” :). Please PLEASE give me a hint where to buy the caramel flavored condensed milk. I am getting nowhere. I do make Dulce de Leche regularly in my I.P., and it is a very thick, deeply browned caramel….if you suggest, I could pressure cook the condensed milk much less, so it would be caramel flavored, but still pourable. Anyway, I’m obsessed, and hope to hear back on this. Healthy and happy holidays to you and your family.
★★★★★
I didn’t realize that the caramel condensed milk is no longer made! So I would just use caramel ice cream topping (look by the ice cream section of the grocery store, I buy smuckers I think) or you can just use regular sweetened condensed milk. Both are so amazing!
Hi Karen
Thanks for all your recipes for the instant pot. It’s only because of you that I have one and use it so frequently.
I was unclear on one ingredient for the salted caramel hot chocolate. The caramel flavored sweetened condensed milk is not available here. Are you saying to use 14oz of caramel topping instead of the regular condensed milk or in addition to the condensed milk? Thank you.
Yes that is what I meant! So use 14 ounces of caramel ice cream topping (like smuckers). It’s so great!
This is the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had. I made it for me and my husband because we weren’t feeling good and thought that it sounded like a nice drink to make us feel better and lift our spirits.. OMG. Spirits lifted!! Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
It really is the BEST
You have vanilla listed in the ingredients but then it’s crossed off and ✔️. Is the vanilla actually used? Thank you!
Yes vanilla is used. It isn’t supposed to be crossed off. That is just a function of the recipe card where people can click on ingredient and cross it off after they use it. Make sense?
Great recipe Karen. I wanted to make a keto version for my wife. I could not find unsweetened condensed milk and did not find sugar free caramel ice cream topping in our store (I made this on a whim), so I substituted unsweetened pudding that come in a four pack. I also used unsweetened chocolate chips. Added 2-3 T of skinny caramel coffee flavoring. Followed the Saute method on medium and everyone raved about the results. I tinker with a lot of your recipes to satisfy her gluten free sugarless meals.
Thanks
★★★★★
wow you are a nice husband!
Could Cacao chocolate chips be used in place of the semi sweet chocolate chips?
Yes that would be great I think!
How does regular condensed milk turn into taste of caramel? I can’t find caramel flavored condensed milk. I like to follow a recipe to the T.
Thank you, Dawn
use the caramel ice cream topping…it is so good!
Cans of condensed milk can also be cooked ( unopened) in a slow cooker until it turns into caramel. You can find recipes on Google. Turns out into real caramel… Yummy.
★★★★★
I was in your shoes yesterday. I did a search and found:
bakinghow.com/make-caramel-from-condensed
I used the slow cooker method and set it before going to bed last night. This morning I removed it from the crockpot (after 9 hours) and BOY … love it!!!
Im having trouble using the yogurt setting. I hit yogurt button until boil setting shows; however, instead of 40 minutes the cycle ends in around 10 minutes and milk is still cold. Any suggestions?
That is so weird. I wish I could be there to figure it out. It’s hard for me to troubleshoot when I can’t “see” what’s going on. Have you ever used your pot to make yogurt before and did the boil setting work?
Has anyone tried this with alternative milk—in particular, soy milk?
I haven’t, but I think it would be fine.
what about almond milk?
★★★★★
Sure, sounds great!
Is the lis on for the slow cook method?
yes 🙂
Do you have a standard hot cocoa recipe? I love the idea of this one, but I have family members who don’t like salted caramel.
No but I should! I will come up with one 🙂
About how long does the sauté method take to prepare?
Hi Brenna, I would say about 15 minutes
Thank you!
I made the slow cooker version last year, and I couldn’t find the caramel condensed milk, so I pressure cooked a can of regular condensed milk to make dulce de leche! It was delicious!
Yum Yum! Sounds so good!
Can I split this in half? It seems like too much for my family and I’m not making it for a party.
Yes you can easily do that. The only annoying part is using half a can of sweetened condensed milk.
Use the other half of the can of sweetened condensed milk when you make your instant pot greek yogurt!
Good idea 🙂
Looks good. I’ll have to stick to a more practical way to make it for one person.
★★★
Why would you leave a three star review, when you haven’t even tried the recipe??