Hot Chocolate ( Vegan, Gluten-Free)
PALEO II GLUTEN FREE II VEGAN II DAIRY FREE II EGG FREE II SOY FREE II FISH FREE I SHELLFISH FREE II NIGHTSHADE FREE
Indulge in homemade hot chocolate. Perfect as the cold nights draw in. This recipe is a little healthier, using dates instead of sugar to sweeten it. Plus, a touch of cinnamon it’s anti-inflammatory and perfect for boosting your immune system over the cold months. This is incredibly decadent, rich and chocolatey. The best hot chocolate recipe, in my opinion.
Notes on ingredients & substitutions
Cacao powder
I prefer using raw cacao powder over cocoa powder, which is its roasted-to-death cousin. Cacao powder hasn’t been heat processed above 114 degrees, and so retains more nutrients. Read more about cacao powder versus cocoa powder here.
Milk
I like to use a barista variety as the milk is thicker and perfect for making cocoa. Rude health or Plenish milk would be my recommended brands as they contain no gums or added lab-produced chemicals. Use coconut, hazelnut, oat milk, or almond. All are great choices.
Cream
Feel free to omit this ingredient if you would like a less rich and healthier hot chocolate.
Vanilla extract
Nielsen Massey is my favourite brand to use, as it’s high in quality, and a little goes a long way. Essences are diluted and much cheaper quality-wise; you need much more to get the same flavour.
Ingredients
Tips
This is a yummy hot chocolate recipe. However, there’s no reason you can’t make this and serve it as a cold smoothie before the gym. You could add a banana to it also. You could also warm this and thicken it with cornflour to use in a dessert or over cake, so it’s a thick chocolate sauce.
What else can I add to my cocoa?
I used cinnamon, but you could also use;
Ground ginger
Coffee
Chilli
Cloves
Cardamon
Orange extract or zest of an orange
Mint leaves
Star anise
Nutmeg
Rum/Brandy/ Vegan baileys
Makes 1 portion- 5 mins prep time
Step by Step
Recipe
175 ml plant based milk
2 medjool dates
1 tsp cacao powder
1/5 tsp cinnamon
1/6 tsp vanilla extract
squirty cream or whipped cream (see notes)
Marshmallows to decorate *optional
Method
Add the first 5 ingredients to a Nutri bullet or similar and blend till smooth.
Heat gently in a saucepan till boiling, whisking it, so the cacao dissolves.
Serve in a mug and top with whipped cream, marshmallows and a dusting of cacao powder.
Variations
Why not turn this into a Mexican hot chocolate and add a pinch of chilli powder to the milk too. Or you could add some orange extract and make it a chocolate orange hot chocolate.
If your find cooking for your allergies and intolerances challenging. I also teach cookery classes and can do this in person or via zoom. Contact me here for a tailor-made class to suit your requirements.
Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter so you can receive my articles and recipes straight into your inbox, plus you receive my FREE gluten and dairy free swaps resource. Download it here.
Looking for anything?
Browse all Articles
Latest articles
Latest Recipes
Follow along on Instagram
You might also like these recipes:
