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.
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