Perfect formula for a satisfying vegan hot chocolate recipe made with cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla and your favorite dairy-free milk! Not too chocolate, not too sweet, but just right!
When I was a kid, every Christmas I always loved going to the nativity scene at our Baptist church. It had live animals and was set outdoors where you walked through the scenes. My siblings and I loved it so much because as a treat we got go sip hot chocolate and hot apple cider along the way! And who doesn’t like a warming cup of hot cocoa when it’s cold outside?
That delicious Swiss Miss hot chocolate, I thought was the best hot chocolate drink in the world. Until I started making hot chocolate from scratch and into smoothies. Most hot chocolate mixes contain extra processed sugars and preservatives. Making homemade hot chocolate allows you to control how much sugar, what kind is added, and there are no preservatives - only natural ingredients are used. This drink recipe is our holiday tradition to make every year, and I hope it becomes yours too!
Vegan hot chocolate ingredients
Here is what you need:
Milk: Use your favorite plant based milk such as almond milk, cashew milk or coconut milk (not canned). Preferably, this vegan hot chocolate recipe is best using almond milk or cashew milk.
Cocoa powder: such as dark cocoa powder or baking cocoa powder that is unsweetened.
Maple syrup: which is a natural sugar and has antioxidants and minerals in it with fewer calories than honey.
Vanilla extract: just a little bit of vanilla compliments to chocolate. Only use this if the plant-based milk is unflavored.
How to make dairy-free vegan hot chocolate
This vegan hot chocolate recipe takes less than 10 minutes to mix together and is so much more flavorful than any powdered mix. Plus making hot chocolate from scratch creates beautiful family holiday memories. These basic step-by-step instructions for the easiest and healthier hot chocolate make it a breeze!
Slowly add the milk to a small saucepan and heat it on medium heat.
Right away add the cocoa powder, vanilla and maple syrup and whisk continually until the hot chocolate is warmed through and no visible cocoa powder chunks are seen.
Serve right away into two mugs and top with marshmallows and add sprinkles of dairy-free chocolate and peppermint (optional).
Tips
Any kind of milk works for this hot chocolate recipe. But for a really creamy taste, cashew milk and almond milk are best. Make sure they are original or plain and without vanilla for this recipe.
This recipe is made with maple syrup, but you can substitute that for honey, keto syrup sweetener, or ¼ cup of monk fruit. Just heat the monk fruit until it is dissolved.
Cookies are always so good in the winter with hot cocoa! Serve these delicious vegan cookies! Our favorites and most popular ones include: vegan beet cookies (colored red with real beets!), vegan gingerbread man cookies, vegan Christmas sugar cookies (colored green with spinach!), vegan gluten-free soft lemon sandwich cookies, vegan gluten-free sugar cookies, healthy peanut butter cookies, and gluten-free snickerdoodle cookies.
Hot chocolate toppings
- Add crushed peppermint on top
- Mini chocolate chips
- Chocolate shards
- Marshmallows
- Whipped cream (coconut whipped cream)
My boys ask for hot chocolate all the time and it has started to be a nightly dessert treat if they finish all their dinner. So I hope you enjoy this hot chocolate recipe too as much as we do! Another great holiday drink recipe is my vegan eggnog for the adults 😊. Merry Christmas and Cheers!
More holiday drink recipes
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Vegan Hot Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond milk -unsweetened. Can use favorite milk such as cow milk, goat milk, cashew milk or coconut milk (not canned)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder unsweetened
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (only use if the milk is original or unflavored and does not already have vanilla flavor in it)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, slowly add the milk, cocoa powder, maple syrup and vanilla. Heat on medium heat, whisking continuously until the cocoa powder chunks are dissolved.
- Serve immediately into two mugs and top with marshmallows, chopped dairy-free chocolate and crushed peppermint candy.
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