Thanksgiving is here and Christmas is soon approaching. That means it's time for alllll the hot cocoa sipping. I've been making this recipe for years, even before I was dairy free. I've made a couple of swaps since then to make this vegan hot cocoa not only dairy free, but refined sugar free as well and oh. my. goodness! It may be even better than the original.
Even still when I make one batch of this, my husband always begs me to make double because it's seriously so addicting. You can't get this kind of flavor from a packet. It only takes few ingredients and a few minutes of your time. It's absolutely worth it! Although, you may or may not want to consider making extra because whoever you are serving will request it. Just a heads up!
Ingredients You'll Need
Unsweetened cocoa powder- I like to use cacao powder, it's a little less processed than cocoa powder but I have used both before and either will work perfectly!
Pure maple syrup
Coarse kosher salt
Water
Unsweetened almond milk- I like to use my homemade almond milk because it has no after taste and is just simply delicious. If you've read any of my blog posts, you know this is what I use for just about all of my baking and cooking. For a good reason, too! Another great option would be my homemade cashew milk, which only requires a blender. You could also use your favorite tasting plant milk!
Pure vanilla extract
How to Make it
In a pan, mix the dry ingredients
Add water and bring to a boil while whisking, then briefly remove from heat so that the mixture does not burn
Next, add the almond milk
Heat the hot cocoa until it is the temperature you like
Remove from the heat, add the vanilla, stir and serve
You can optionally top with vegan marshmallows, or regular if you are not vegan, as well as dairy-free shaved dark chocolate for a beautiful and delicious addition
Enjoy!
Other beverages you may like:
If you try this Vegan Hot Cocoa, please leave a review and let me know if you enjoyed it! Also, snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @thedairyfreemenu. I'd love to hear from you!
Vegan Hot Cocoa
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ⅓ cup water
- 4 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a saucepan, mix the dry ingredients
- Add water and bring to a boil while whisking, then briefly remove from heat so that the mixture does not burn
- Add the almond milk and whisk to combine
- Heat until the hot cocoa is the temperature you like
- Remove from heat, add the vanilla, stir and serve
- You can optionally top with vegan marshmallows, or regular if you aren't vegan, as well as shaved dairy-free dark chocolate for a beautiful and delicious addition
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
**Note: Nutrition label is just an estimate. Amounts may vary**
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!