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Nothing warms me up better when winter strikes than a steaming mug of hot cocoa. Ditch the store-bought packets and whip up this healthy and tasty homemade hot chocolate recipe. It’s a favorite for both my family and our friends all season long.
Ingredients You’ll Need
My homemade hot chocolate recipe uses whole food ingredients, which means everything has nutritional value and exceptional flavor. Translation: you can drink this and know you’re nourishing your body, too. Healthy never tasted so good!
- Cacao powder is rich and dark. This ingredient provides the classic chocolate taste, but also boasts many health benefits with it’s natural antioxidants.
- Maple syrup is a natural sweetener that enhances the flavor with a hint of caramel richness.
- Vanilla extract adds a warm, aromatic essence that elevates the overall taste of the drink.
- Sea salt enhances the sweetness and balances the flavors for a more rounded profile.
- Oat milk is the creamy and dairy-free base that adds an uber smooth texture to the hot chocolate. Trust me on this! You can swap this for any milk that you prefer.
How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolate
What makes this the best homemade hot chocolate recipe is the blender method. Yep— we’re blending all these ingredient together to create a rich, creamy and frothy hot chocolate. If you’ve seen Santa Claus, remember “shaken… not stirred.” Well, blending takes hot cocoa to the next level
- Heat the oat milk in a microwave-safe mug.
- Pour the hot oat milk with cacao powder, maple syrup, sea salt, and vanilla extract in a blender.
- Blend until smooth and well combined. Use a towel to cover the top of the blender to protect yourself from steam.
- Serve this frothy, chocolatey delight immediately in your favorite mug.
Stovetop Method for Healthy Hot Chocolate
Heat the “milk” in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, then stir in the other ingredients. Warm the mixture gently until it reaches serving temperature, but avoid reaching a boil. Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy right away.
Healthy Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate Swaps
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 68% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant. While the star of homemade hot chocolate is the rich cacao powder, the liquid base is also important. Here’s my homemade dairy-free milk options you can use in this healthy hot chocolate recipe:
- Homemade coconut milk: This light dairy free milk is great for hot cocoa smoothies, cereal, hot chocolate and more!
- Homemade oat milk: When you just need an ultra-creamy base, oat milk is a winner. It’s my preferred base for my homemade hot chocolate.
- Homemade almond milk: I actually just finished a seasonal 21-day cleanse, and used homemade almond milk throughout the whole cleanse.
- Homemade cashew milk: A super creamy option just as easy to make as the rest!
- Homemade hemp milk: There are so many nuts/seeds/etc. that can be turned into milk, so don’t limit yourself to the first three choices! Change it up every time you make this vegan diy hot chocolate, until you find the perfect blend for you.
Why use Cacao Over Pre-Made Hot Chocolate Mixes
Store bought hot cocoa mix often contains dairy in some form, as well as a host of processed ingredients. For example, a leading brand’s ingredient list is as follows: white sugar, corn syrup, modified whey, cocoa, hydrogenated coconut oil, nonfat milk, salt, dipotassium phosphate, mono- and diglycerides, natural flavor. Cocoa is 4th on the list!
Meanwhile, the hot chocolate ingredients list for my homemade hot cocoa recipe includes: cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt. Four recognizable, minimally-processed ingredients to create a healthier hot chocolate. I dare you to do a test comparison of both versions and let me know which mix you like the best for hot chocolate.
Cacao VS Dark Chocolate
If you’re having trouble finding cacao powder, swap it for dark chocolate morsels or a bar. The darker it is, the richer in cacao (and less sugar).
Common Questions
Hot chocolate is typically made from cocoa powder, milk, sugar, and sometimes chocolate pieces.
In moderation, hot chocolate can offer antioxidants, but it can be high in sugar and calories.
Yes, but the caffeine in cocoa may affect your sleep if you’re sensitive to it.
Hot chocolate contains antioxidants like flavonoids, which can be beneficial for skin health.
More Healthy Homemade Chocolate Drinks
This hot chocolate recipe might have you craving other decadent recipes using cacao. Not to worry, I’ve got you covered with smoothies that are rich in cacao, too:
Homemade Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat milk warmed
- 1 ½ tbsp cacao powder
- 1 ½ tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Place the warmed oatmilk and other ingredients in blender.
- Puree until combined.
- Pour into a mug and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Use caution when blending hot liquids. Start on lowest speed. I also like to put a towel on top of the blender container when blending hot liquids.
- This recipe can also be made in a pan on the stove. Heat the milk in a small pan over medium heat, then whisk in the other ingredients.
- Top with cacao nibs for a richer chocolate flavor, cinnamon, peppermint oil, or marshmallows.
- Recipe is adopted from my Simple Green Meals cookbook.
Yum, love this chocolate. I like to add cinnamon as well.,
Cinnamon is a great add-in! It can help the body regulate blood sugar levels, especially when having a sweet treat like this one.
Any smoothies to bust menstrual cramps or give energy?
Oooh girl, we feel ya! Any of our smoothies def helps to boost energy. Yet to help with the PMS symptoms, we’d recommend ones that contain hormone balancing ingredients like flax seeds, spinach, kale, almonds, matcha or avocado. In addition to that, using probiotics is also helpful for bringing balance during those special times each month. Check out our Clean Skin Diet Smoothie, our Vanilla Matcha Smoothie or the Peach Probiotic Smoothie to start.
An absolute a hug in a mug on this cold winter day. Added a scoop of chocolate coconut collagen and oh my gosh! !
Love that collagen upgrade Lisa! And “hug in a mug” – aw! 🙂
This seems delicious but the nutritional info lists a very high sodium content – is it possible this is an error? None of the ingredients listed contain that much sodium.
Good catch, Manuela! I think it should be more like ~300mg sodium. We’ll make sure to get that changed!
Love that my daughters enjoy this just as much, if not more, than the store bought mixes with tons of yucky ingredients. So grateful for your clean recipes!
So glad we can help you make your kids healthier versions of classic favorites!
This recipe is so good! My family is all about hot chocolate and this is a winner!
Same with my family, Kim! I made this and it was a huge hit.
I’ve been trying to make more things from scratch and this is such an easy win right here. I liked the maple syrup, and prob used a little extra. Haha! Thanks for another delicious and healthy recipe.
You’re very welcome, Sharon!
I was surprised how sweet and creamy this turned out to be. I did think the almond milk tasted a little burnt, so next time I’m definitely trying the oat milk.
I love this recipe with oat milk. Def give it a try!
I just made some of this awesome hot chocolate for my husband and myself. So delicious! And even though it’s a little indulgent, I feel good knowing it’s made with clean ingredients and no processed junk. Will definitely be making again!
A great recipe to have in your arsenal as we get into fall and winter! 🙂
Thank you very much for this space you have created. Recently found the website and I’m very happy I followed the Instagram link, thank you again.
Hey Dinkeng,
We are so happy you found us too! Let us know if you give our recipes a try 🙂
I am new to your website, but so excited about everything I see. Where can I get maple syrup? In our grocery store is only maple flavoured syrup full of cane sugar, I am sure that is not the ingredient you are referring to his in this and in the Almond spice drink?
Hi Annelize,
We’re so excited you found us in this busy digital world! Having trouble tracking down maple syrup? If you have access to Amazon.com or ThriveMarket.com, both have a wide variety of organic pure maple syrup.
I’ve been looking for some healthy hot cocoa ideas! This one sounds wonderful. Can’t wait to try it out!
Hi Roxy,
YAY!! We hope you enjoy this recipe!!
I made this with Almond Milk (cold from frig) in the VitaMix with the rest of the ingredients. Started on the lowest speed and turned it up slowly until it was hot. Everyone loved it!!! This will be made a lot this winter. 🙂 Yummy treat when you are really cold.
YAY, Renee! We’re so excited to hear everyone enjoyed our Hot Chocolate recipe! We hope you enjoy all winter long!!
What maple syrup would you recommend?
Hi Jo,
I personally love NOW Foods Organic Maple Syrup! But don’t worry about the brand too much. We just love reaching for organic + 100% pure maple syrup.
Cheers 🙂
What is cacao powder and where can I buy it? Is it healthier than cocoa powder?
Hi Jennifer,
As long as you’re reaching for unsweetened cocoa powder you’re good to go! Cacao powder is very similar to cocoa powder, it just hasn’t been heated to a high temperature and therefore contains more nutrients and antioxidants.
Hope this helps! 🙂
Hi – Ummmm don’t put hot anything in a blender. It explodes.
Hi Barb,
You’re right. My tip for blending hot liquids is to vent the top slightly, I cover the top with a dish towel to prevent any leaks. That way the steam is able to be released while blending and causes no explosions! But definitely check your individual blender to make sure its made for hot liquids.
Still not comfortable blending hot liquids? Simply heat this recipe on your stove top after blending.
Cheers 🙂