Making GOOD chocolate milk - cheaper than store?

[StillPinballFamily]

I'm paying $2.99 a gallon for 2% white milk and $3.99 a gallon for 2% chocolate (VERY chocolaty - Garelick Farms Ultimate Chocolate) milk at BJs. YMMV...

It occurred to me that *perhaps* I could be making my own chocolate milk for less than the $1 difference in price by using chocolate syrup mixed into white milk.

Our family goes through about 2-3 gallons of chocolate milk a week (and about 3 gallons of white for drinking and cooking) - so over the course of a month, this adds up.

Do any DisBoard folks do this? I assume you'd have to pour off (drink!) some of the white milk from a new gallon to add in (how much for real rich chocolate taste?) chocolate syrup and then shake the heck out of the jug to mix everything? I haven't priced chocolate syrup in years, and have no idea how much I'd need to get the dark color and good taste to match the chocolate milk my kids enjoy. IMHO, Ovaltine and other powders (from the past) just seem to make pale brown milk - not very chocolaty...

If anyone does this - do you find it worth it or just a pain?

Thanks for any advice/help you can offer!

 

[jlparedes]

I buy the Nestle quick no sugar added at Winco for about $4.50 for the large size. I only have 1 2 year old and DH, but it seems to last forever. And I like being able to control the chocolateyness,.

 

[tonaly]

We mix it by the individual glass normally, but just last week dh decided to do a big batch in the gallon jug. We used the powdered Nesquick from Costco and you had to really shake it every day because it would settle on the bottom. Then it would be all foamy from shaking it. The kids drank it a LOT more because it was right there in front of them (we limit it to a glass a day, but when it isn't right in front of them when they open the fridge they don't ask for it every day). I think we'll stick to the occasional glass mixed at the time of drinking. Chocolate syrup might work better than the powder for you, I don't know how the price would compare to what you are already buying.

Alyson

 

[NotUrsula]

Just FYI, it's impossible to make home-made chocolate milk that has the same consistency and texture as premade commercial chocolate milk. That's because there are emulsifiers added to it to give it that silky texture.

You can certainly add more chocolate to make it taste more chocolately, but it won't have that silky thick smoothness -- it will remain like white milk in texture. It's a completely different mouth feel.

Also, I don't think that shaking would mix in syrup very well at all. The specific gravity of chocolate syrups is very high. I think you would have to use a high-speed stick blender to really break the particles up properly. I use one when I use syrup to make milkshakes, and I *still* get some separation.

 

[endy]

I don't buy choc milk much but when I do I will mix with white . A bit less than 50/50. That way it goes twice as far and doesn't lose too much of the flavor. White milk here is close to $5/gal and choc a bit more.

 

[StillPinballFamily]

Just FYI, it's impossible to make home-made chocolate milk that has the same consistency and texture as premade commercial chocolate milk. That's because there are emulsifiers added to it to give it that silky texture.

You can certainly add more chocolate to make it taste more chocolately, but it won't have that silky thick smoothness -- it will remain like white milk in texture. It's a completely different mouth feel.

That's what I need to know - thanks! So, I'm guessing the corn syrup (or whatever) is already in the chocolate syrup wouldn't be enough to give the same consistency to my homemade efforts? Anything else I could add to help this?

I'd be up for experimenting (a bit), but wouldn't want to rock the boat too much. DS (our primary chocolate milk drinker) has autism and some taste/sensory issues, so messing with his favorite foods is always risky. But saving a buck is a buck - so I thought it was worth raising the question to the wise and wonderful DIS family!

 

[shirleyb]

Well, if you think about it, you're paying $2 - 3 more per week for chocolate milk, right? Assuming you still have to buy chocolate syrup, what are you going to save, $1 a week? For the convenience and the better quality, I'd just buy the chocolate milk.