Healthy hot chocolate (with an extra kick)

Happy Valentine’s!

As you might have noticed, we’ve been taking a long hiatus from recipe development and blog writing, but we’re hoping to get back into the swing of things with the new(ish) year. And what better time to share our love for all things food than on the day of love itself?

If you’re anything like me, you’ve noticed that many homemade hot chocolate recipes feel like they’re missing something. It’s like the non-powdered stuff is too… thick? Rich? It ends up tasting more like milk than chocolate.

That’s why I love spiced hot cocoa like Mexican hot chocolate or chai spiced hot chocolate. I took inspiration from my favorite spiced drinks to create this recipe—and of course, I made it vegan!

How to make this healthy hot chocolate

This recipe is almost as fast as using the powdered stuff—and it lets you control the sugar levels. Win-win!

Start by bringing your oat milk, water, and cacao powder to a low simmer over medium heat. Note: I used cacao powder, but Nicole likes to use Hershey’s dark chocolate cocoa powder. Whatever you have in your pantry should work fine!

When the mixture starts simmering, add your maple syrup, dark chocolate chips, and spices. I like to measure all my spices into a small bowl while I’m waiting for the milk to simmer; that way, I can toss it all in at once.

Let the mixture simmer until the chocolate chips melt and you feel everything is well-incorporated.

At this point, taste your hot chocolate and adjust the sweetness and spice level to your liking. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth at all, so I only use 2 tablespoons total of maple syrup. You may need to add more maple syrup if (like 99% of the world’s population) you have more of a sweet tooth than I do!

Enjoy this slightly sweet, spicy vegan hot cocoa with some dairy-free whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon for extra flair. Pair it with some molasses sugar cookies and you’ve got the perfect valentine’s treat!

That’s it for now, y’all! If you decide to try it, don’t forget to rate and review in the comments and tag us on Instagram @plum_savory to let us know what you think!

Healthy vegan hot chocolate with a kick

Most homemade hot chocolate recipes turn out… well, bland. If you agree, you'll probably love my spicy twist! I add cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves for an extra layer of flavor, plus a scoop of dark chocolate chips for extra creaminess. It's the perfect cozy weekend (or midnight) treat!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 1 mug

Ingredients

  

• 8 ounces oat milk
• 4 ounces water
• 2 Tablespoons cacao powder
• 2-4 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon dark chocolate chips dairy free
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• pinch ground cloves

Instructions

 

• Heat oat milk (8oz), water (4oz), and cacao powder (2 Tblsp) over medium heat until simmering.
• Once simmering, add maple syrup (2 Tblsp), dark chocolate chips (1 tsp), cinnamon (1/2 tsp), cardamom (1/8 tsp), nutmeg (1/8 tsp), and cloves (pinch).
• Allow to simmer until chocolate chips melt and all ingredients are well integrated (~5 minutes).
• Taste and adjust spices as needed. Add more maple syrup if you want it sweeter.
• Remove from heat and enjoy.

Notes

This is just a template! Add or subtract spices and sweetener to your taste.

Keyword comfort food, easy, fall foods, gluten-free, gluten-friendly, healthy, healthy dessert, quick, Valentine’s Day, winter foods

Related Posts