Hot Chocolate
The BEST Vegan Hot Chocolate!
Option to add a slug of Baileys Almande
Indulge in a homemade hot chocolate. Very rich, thick and intensely chocolatey, yet not overly sweet! Garnish with coconut whipped cream, gelatin-free marshmallows, mini chocolate chips for the perfect post-shoveling snow treat! Add a slug of Baileys Almande if you are so inclined.
Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup hot water tap is fine
- 1/4 cup brown sugar substitute for white sugar if you do not have any brown sugar on hand
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 3 cups plant milk almond, oat, coconut, cashew or macadamia
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- coconut whipped cream, marshmallows (gelatin free), mini chocolate chips optional toppings
Instructions
- Over medium-low heat, bring water, sugar, salt, cinnamon and cocoa to a simmer.
- Taking care not to let the mixture boil, whisk in milk. Bring to a simmer (not a boil) whisking periodically for 15 minutes to make sure it isn't sticking. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
Hot Chocolate Tips
- Be sure to mix the first 5 ingredients (water, sugar, salt, cinnamon and cocoa) before you add the plant-milk
- Do not let the mixture come to a boil. You want to just have bubbles, not a boil.
- Get whisking! The recipe does not require constant stirring, but you do want to keep an eye on it and stir periodically.
- Remove the hot chocolate mixture from the heat before you stir in the vanilla.
- If using, add Bailey’s after you remove it from the heat.
Marshmallows: Plant-based marshmallows are available at many health food stores (although, let’s be honest, there isn’t anything healthy about them! You can also order them online, I used Dandies Mini Marshmallows. I ordered mine from Well.ca, a Canadian e-commerce retailer that specializes in health, beauty, baby, home, and green and natural products. No affiliation, I just order stuff from their site all the time!
Whipped Cream: We really like Gay Lea’s Coconut Whipped Topping. Not an ad, we just like the taste. Careful when shopping for vegan whipped cream; while I appreciate any company’s efforts to provide plant-based options, many still need a bit of refining.