Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate Recipe for 10 Servings

Instructions:

1. Start by adding your 0.25 cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, and 0.5 teaspoon sea salt directly into the cold slow cooker insert. Slowly pour in about half a cup of the 6 cups whole milk. Whisk this into a thick, smooth paste. Note: Adding all the liquid at once makes it nearly impossible to get the lumps out of the cocoa powder.
2. Pour in the remaining milk, the 1 cup heavy cream, and the 14 oz sweetened condensed milk. Use your whisk to combine everything until the liquid is a uniform, pale tan color. Watch for the condensed milk—it's heavy and will sink to the bottom immediately if not stirred well.
3. Dump in your 8 oz of finely chopped dark chocolate. Don't worry if it doesn't dissolve right away; it’s going to hang out at the bottom for a bit while the pot warms up.
4. Cover the pot and set it to LOW. Do not be tempted to use the High setting. High heat can cause the milk proteins to denature and clump, or worse, burn the chocolate on the bottom. Cook for 2 hours, stirring every 30 to 45 mins.
5. Once the time is up, the mixture should be glossy, steaming, and dark mahogany. Turn the slow cooker to the Warm setting and stir in the 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Adding vanilla at the end preserves its delicate aroma which can burn off during long cooking.
6. Give the cocoa one final, vigorous whisk. This creates a tiny bit of froth on top which looks beautiful in the mug. Taste a small spoonful (careful, it's hot!) and add an extra pinch of salt if you want to further balance the sweetness.