I hate slurping noises. Absolutely detest them. I have come very close to screaming at people who have slurped anywhere in my near vicinity. But there is something incredibly satisfying about slurping away at a vegan hot chocolate on a cold evening.
Especially when the vegan hot chocolate is as good as this one. Yes, yes, I may be sounding a little arrogant here but this is a really simple recipe that lets the cacao do the talking.
I have had many a vegan hot chocolate that tastes too sugary, overly artificial tasting, or just plain bland. That was until I stumbled across the chocolatey goodness that is hot cacao in Mexico. It is so thick and creamy and it tastes like chocolate. Huzzah. Since then I have been religiously making vegan hot chocolates with a simple cacao powder mix. If you love chocolate, which you should if you are searching for a hot chocolate, then you’ll love this.
So, even if I may end up hating you for it, I encourage you to slurp up this vegan hot chocolate recipe, and enjoy it.
Where does hot chocolate come from?
It should come as no surprise that hot chocolate first made an appearance in the very region where cocoa beans grow freely, Mesoamerica. The Mayans were known for crushing up cocoa with chilli pepper and the Aztecs were regular drinkers of hot liquid cacao.
When the Spanish conquered the region the news of hot chocolate spread, and it was soon enjoyed by many in Europe. It was there that sugar was introduced to the mix and the hot chocolate that we know and love today was born.
You can still enjoy a very native cacao drink in some regions of Mexico. It is wonderfully smooth and bitter. I have taken influence from this to create my cacao powder vegan hot chocolate recipe below.
How do you make vegan hot chocolate?
You can make vegan hot chocolate really easily by mixing together cacao powder, maple syrup, and plant-based milk. You could also buy a pre-bought vegan hot chocolate powder and mix it with hot milk, but this recipe is much tastier, I promise you.
There are a few different methods to making this vegan hot chocolate recipe. I’ll go through each in my order of preference.
1. With a blender & saucepan
I discovered this method when I was spending a few weeks in an apartment without a whisk and found that it makes the most creamy vegan hot chocolate.
Pour about 1/4 of the plant-based milk into a personal-sized blender with the cacao and syrup. Blend it together until the mix is smooth and there are no lumps left. Pour this into a saucepan with the remaining milk, mix it and bring it the boil.
Using a blender may seem like a faff, but it creates a smooth paste that makes for a really creamy hot chocolate.
2. With a whisk & saucepan
This method also works fine for hot chocolate but does require some wrist work. Just heat up the milk in a saucepan and then whisk in the cacao and syrup until smooth. Simples.
3. With a whisk & microwave
I’m not a big fan of microwaves so I wouldn’t normally follow this method, but you can start by heating up the milk in a large mug in the microwave after which you can whisk in the rest of the ingredients and put back in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir, sit patiently as it cools slightly, and slurp away.
Vegan hot chocolate toppings
Most of the time when I make this vegan hot chocolate I will drink it on its own, as it is a really healthy and nutritious drink, but occasionally I like to add some toppings to treat myself.
The usual hot chocolate toppings, whipped cream and marshmallows, are not vegan. But fear not, there are plenty of vegan alternatives! Here are my favourite vegan hot chocolate toppings:
Vegan marshmallows
These mini vegan mallows are perfect for topping hot chocolates with. They expand in the hot liquid and don’t disintegrate into nothing, like some of the vegan marshmallows I’ve tried.
Vegan whipped cream
Okay, this isn’t the healthiest vegan whipped cream but it is amazing. It is the only option I know that comes in a dispenser like this. I won’t judge you if you squirt it straight into your mouth…
Is vegan hot chocolate healthy?
The best bit about this vegan hot chocolate is that the main chocolate mix itself is really nutritious. I only use a few ingredients, cacao powder, maple syrup and plant-based milk. A lot of pre-made vegan hot chocolate mixes aren’t quite so healthy.
The main ingredient here, cacao powder, is packed full of magnesium, zinc and copper.
Magnesium helps you to sleep well so I like to make a vegan hot chocolate before bed (leaving off the toppings of course). I always find I sleep soundly afterwards.
Vegan hot chocolate recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Vegan hot chocolate
- 2 tbsp Cacao powder
- 1 tbsp Maple syrup
- 1 mug Oat milk - measure according to your mug size
Vegan hot chocolate toppings
- 1 handful Vegan marshmallows
- 1 big squirt Vegan whipped cream
Instructions
Blender method:
- Pour 1/4 of the plant-based milk into a blender with the cacao powder and syrup
- Blend until it forms a smooth lumpless paste
- Pour the cacao paste into a saucepan with the remaining milk and mix together
- Put the saucepan on a medium-high heat and bring to the boil, make sure to keep stirring throughout
- Take off the heat and pour into your favourite mug
Whisk method:
- Pour all of the plant-based milk into a saucepan and put on a medium-high heat
- Bring the milk to a boil and then lower the heat
- Whisk in the cacao powder and syrup until the mix is smooth
- Take off the heat and pour into your favourite mug
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions regarding vegan hot chocolate.
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