On a cold snowy day, skip the hot cocoa and make warm Snickerdoodle Milk instead! The kids will love this hot sugar-free drink idea made with cinnamon and vanilla.
If you’re looking for a healthier warm drink to give your kids on a cold winter day than hot cocoa, you’re in luck. Today, I’m going to show you how to make one of our favorite winter drinks – Snickerdoodle Milk!
How I created Snickerdoodle milk
It’s such a good story, and it all centers around the joys of potty training my little boy.
One winter, we started the process of potty training our three-year-old. I’m not going to lie. I was absolutely dreading the thought of potty training my second child. I dragged my feet on the idea for several months making one excuse after another to keep putting it off. “We’re going on vacation soon…. the holidays are coming up…. I’m too busy…”
Finally one cold winter day, my older five-year-old son had a snow day home from school. We didn’t have anything on the calendar for a few days in a row so I got the wild idea to suggest to the three-year-old that *maybe* we should get rid of all the “baby diapers” and start wearing big boy underwear instead. He’s one of those kids who loves to be just like his big brother, so he jumped at the opportunity to be a big boy. One of the things I remembered from potty training my first son was that it’s a good idea to encourage kids to drink a lot of fluids so they have numerous learning opportunities in the process.
My three-year-old doesn’t drink a lot of water or juice. He really likes milk, but he and his big brother especially love hot cocoa. I knew I couldn’t give them hot cocoa all day though or I would have to peel them off the ceiling from the sugar high.
That’s when I came up with the idea for warm Snickerdoodle Milk! This recipe uses cinnamon and vanilla to create a delicious drink my kids love as much as they love hot cocoa only without all the sugar.
How to Make Warm snickerdoodles milk
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Kitchen Tools Needed:
Ingredients Needed:
Here’s what you’ll need from the store. The exact amounts are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
The entire recipe is in the printable card at the bottom. But I also included some step-by-step pictures and tips that will help you along the way.
1. Warm up any type of milk
Snickerdoodle Milk is quick and easy to make. You start with a microwaveable pitcher or bowl full of milk. We drink 1% milk at our house, but any milk will work for Snickerdoodle Milk. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a tablespoon of vanilla.
2. Add the spices and stir until foamy
Be careful not to overheat the milk. As you microwave it with the spices, it will start to foam up and become sweet and creamy.
After microwaving the Snickerdoodle Milk, you’ll likely need to stir it one more time to redistribute the cinnamon.
3. Serve in a mug
Pour the warm Snickerdoodle Milk into mugs and serve immediately.
If you want a little extra treat, top it with a dollop of whipped cream!
Snickerdoodle Milk
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups of milk
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring
Instructions
- Stir or whisk ingredients together in a large microwave safe pitcher or bowl.
- Microwave on high for one minute (or longer if you want the warm milk to be hotter).
- Stir or whisk again and transfer to mugs. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Nutrition
Warm Snickerdoodle Milk has been a win/win for the kids and I this winter. I’m thrilled to say the three-year-old caught on to potty training very quickly and after a few days of accidents, he’s been mostly clean and dry ever since. Meanwhile, Snickerdoodle Milk has become a staple drink for us this winter. The boys now request it as often, if not more than they request hot chocolate when they want a special treat. Now that’s a win if you ask me!
Snickerdoodle mix tips
Warm Snickerdoodle Milk is an easy idea to make instead of hot cocoa to warm up on a cold winter or fall day. Here are a few suggestions and tips I discovered that will help you make this quick and easy drink for your kids.
Store the mix in the refrigerator.
Mix the milk, cinnamon and vanilla together ahead of time and store the Snickerdoodle Milk in the refrigerator. Then when the kids come in from playing in the snow you can quickly heat it up in a microwave.
Serve it lukewarm in a cup with a lid
If the Snickerdoodle Milk is only lukewarm, you can serve it to small children in a cup with a lid to prevent spilling. We really like to use these Nalgene Grip-N-Gulp water bottles for all sorts of drinks. The boys call them “walking around cups” since they can take them away from the dining room table. With the Nalgene bottles, make sure you don’t overfill the bottles with warm liquid or you’ll have leaks. We don’t have any leaking issues with cold liquids in these bottles.
Heat it up in a glass measuring cup
Rather than making the Snickerdoodle Milk in a microwaveable pitcher, you can use a glass Pyrex measuring cup. This allows you to measure the milk and microwave the drink all in the same dish.
Stir the drink with a fork or whisk
To stir the Snickerdoodle Milk, use a fork or a small whisk rather than a spoon. The small whisk helps to break apart the cinnamon granules and make it blend better with the milk.
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More Winter ideas
While you’re here be sure to check out other winter ideas on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry® –
If you enjoyed this Snickerdoodle Milk recipe, please share it with your friends or pin it for later:
Originally published February 2018. Updated December 2019.
This is so simple and awesome. I love the idea of having a sugar free alternative to hot chocolate. Yumm!
Thanks, Meg! My kids request this almost daily. Hope your family loves it just as much.
I just want to dive into this delicious drink! I could almost smell it. 😀
#TotallyTerrificTuesday
Oh yes, you love the smell of this one, Jhuls. Enjoy!
I love making a healthy hot cocoa recipe in the winter, but I am so excited to try this recipe! It is so simple 🙂 Yay!
Thanks, Sammi! It’s incredibly simple. I think you’ll really like it.
Thanks for submitting this delicious recipe to the RTSTH community! You had me at Snickerdoodle! It has been scheduled and will be a part of our social media sharing! Feel free to submit any recipes or tutorials you’d like shared with our readers!
Fantastic! Thanks so much for the feature, Melanie!
Whoooo! This is the best stuff ever! Not as good as gallikers though.
So glad you enjoyed it! I’m not familiar with Gallikers, but I’ll keep my eyes open for it the next time I’m at the store.