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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 pure maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt, unrefined
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.
Where does the calcium come from in hot cocoa receive?
Hi Patti! Most of the calcium is coming from the almond milk!
Have you heard about A2 milk? It’s original milk and easier to digest, so it doesn’t cause the same lactose issues as with widely commercially available milk.
Hi Christian!
Yes! I’ve heard of A2 milk and if that’s your preferred milk to use, I say, “go for it!”
At Simple Green Smoothies, we’re all about plant-powered nutrition, so we use plant milk options in our recipes. My favorites to use in smoothies are almond milk, cashew milk and oat milk.
This is the best way to drink hot chocolate, I make mine extra chocolaty and non-diary. 🙂
So glad you love it Rosie!