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Easy hot cocoa dip is the ultimate holiday treat! Made with a handful of ingredients, it’s rich, creamy, and perfectly sweet – plus it’s easy to scale up or down for any number of holiday guests. Serve this no-bake hot chocolate dip with graham crackers, waffle cone cookies, or your favorite fresh fruits. You’ll definitely end up on the “nice” list!

A woman's hand holding a waffle cookie being used to scoop hot cocoa dip out a large bowl.

🍫 What Makes This Recipe So Good

Need something festive and sweet for your end-of-the-year office party, potluck, or holiday dinner? This incredible hot cocoa dip is guaranteed to be a hit! There’s no cooking or baking required, either, so it may just be the easiest dish you make this season.
I’m not sure what I love most about this dessert dip. It’s velvety smooth but also light and fluffy, thanks to the incomparable blend of marshmallow creme, heavy cream, and Cool Whip. Your favorite hot chocolate mix makes it rich and decadent, and you can dress it up with any toppings or mix-ins you like.
You can honestly serve hot cocoa dip with just about anything! My personal fave option is Trader Joe’s Belgian butter waffle cookies. They’re thin and crisp so they play off the creamy texture of the dip really well, and the buttery waffle cone flavor makes you feel like you’re eating a bowl of ice cream. Graham crackers, animal crackers, vanilla wafers, rolled wafers, pretzel crisps, fresh strawberries – they all bring something different (and delicious) to the table!

👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

When it’s time to add the Cool Whip, gently fold it in, and stop once it’s incorporated. If you overdo it, or if you’re too rough with it, it’ll deflate. The hot cocoa dip will still taste great, don’t get me wrong. It just won’t have that super light and fluffy consistency we want it to have.
If you’re prepping for a Christmas party, a holiday dinner, or just a fun winter movie night, you can totally mix up your hot cocoa dip in advance! Once everything’s mixed together, refrigerate the dip in an airtight container up to 24 hours. It’ll firm up as it gets colder, so be sure to let it sit out on the counter for 30 minutes or so before you add the toppings and serve it.
Cool Whip is sold frozen, but you obviously need it to be defrosted before you use it in your dessert dip. The best way to defrost Cool Whip is to move it from the freezer to the fridge at least 24 hours ahead of time. If you forget to put it in the fridge the night before, you can place the tub in a large bowl of cold water on the counter. Don’t try to microwave it. Don’t place it in hot water. Any amount of heat will make the Cool Whip watery and you do NOT want that!