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Home » Beverages » The Best Vegan Hot Chocolate.

The Best Vegan Hot Chocolate.

Oct 9, 2022 by Kelly Roenicke · 26 Comments

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Cozy up to a cup of the best vegan hot chocolate…it’s rich, chocolatey, and perfect for a winter time treat! You won’t miss the dairy with this easy, decadent, comforting recipe. This is sure to become a favorite way to warm up!

vegan hot chocolate with marshmallows

When there’s a chill in the air, you might be craving a nice warm beverage.

Tea is always a good choice, but on a snowy winter day, a cup of cocoa is just the thing to warm you up.

I LOVE hot cocoa. I don’t drink coffee, and hot cocoa was a staple item for me in the winter time. I would so look forward to hot chocolate from the coffee shop, but once I stopped eating dairy, that was no longer a part of my winter routine.

So I had to figure out how to make dairy free hot cocoa at home. Thankfully, it’s surprisingly easy! Using just sugar, cocoa powder, and non-dairy milk results in a delicious cup of vegan hot chocolate. And if you’re feeling extra festive, go ahead and add some vegan marshmallows or a candy cane thrown in just for fun.

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  • Ingredient Notes
  • Step by Step Instructions
  • Microwave Instructions
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Recipe
dairy free hot chocolate (1)

Ingredient Notes

  • Non-Dairy Milk – You can make hot chocolate with your choice of non-dairy milk. I recommend going with an unsweetened dairy free milk that has a relatively neutral taste. Through the years I have made hot chocolate with almond milk, soy milk, and non unsweetened coconut milk. You could also use milks made from oats, hemp, or rice – really, any plant-based milk should work well.
  • Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – I like Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, but you can use any brand that works for your dietary needs.
  • Sugar – I used organic cane sugar, but feel free to use alternative sugars like date sugar or turbinado sugar. If you prefer a liquid sweetener, like agave syrup or maple syrup, that should also be just fine.
  • Marshmallows – Many marshmallows contain gelatin, which is an animal product, so they aren’t vegan. Dandies brand marshmallows are vegan, and there are a few other brands that are vegan. Read more about it here.

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Simply heat non-dairy milk in a pan on the stove until it’s steaming.
steamed dariy free milk in a pan
  1. Add the cocoa powder and sugar, and stir well until it’s smooth and combined.
making vegan hot chocolate in a pan
  1. Pour into cups, and top with vegan marshmallows or coconut whipped cream if desired.
dairy free hot chocolate in a ceramic mug

Microwave Instructions

You can make a cup of this hot chocolate in the microwave. Simply microwave a cup of non-dairy milk, then stir in a heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder and a tablespoon of sugar. Top with marshmallows and enjoy! I have a microwave hot chocolate recipe on my site if you want further instructions.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy this hot cocoa with a sweet treat like these toasted coconut chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, or gluten free shortbread.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. 

Recipe

best vegan hot chocolate
4.67 from 3 votes
Print

The Best Vegan Hot Chocolate.

This vegan hot chocolate is rich and warming, and a wonderful treat on a chilly day!

Course Beverage
Cuisine Dairy Free, gluten free, vegan.
Keyword comforting, rich
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Servings 3
Calories 190 kcal
Author Kelly Roenicke

Ingredients

  • 3 cups non-dairy milk Use any non-dairy milk that suits your dietary needs.
  • 5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 Tablespoons organic cane sugar
  • vegan marshmallows optional
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  1. Heat the non-dairy milk in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat until hot, but not boiling. You do not want to boil it.

  2. Whisk in your cocoa powder, and then your sugar. Whisk until it is smooth without any lumps.
  3. Pour into mugs and top with vegan marshmallows if desired. 

Recipe Notes

You can use any non-dairy milk that works for your dietary needs. Try soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, hemp milk, or coconut milk.

We like to use So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk beverage.

 

Nutrition Facts
The Best Vegan Hot Chocolate.
Amount per Serving
Calories
190
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
5
g
8
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Sodium
 
123
mg
5
%
Potassium
 
469
mg
13
%
Carbohydrates
 
29
g
10
%
Fiber
 
3
g
13
%
Sugar
 
22
g
24
%
Protein
 
8
g
16
%
Vitamin A
 
955
IU
19
%
Vitamin C
 
17.5
mg
21
%
Calcium
 
351
mg
35
%
Iron
 
2.3
mg
13
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This post is part of my series, 31 Days of Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Egg Free Comfort Food. 

Related

« Dairy Free Sausage Gravy (Gluten Free).
Vegan Pumpkin Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar. »

Filed Under: Beverages, Dairy Free, Desserts, food, Gluten Free, Recipes, Sweets, Vegan Tagged With: 31 days of comfort food, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Fish Free, Garlic Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Legume Free, Mustard Free, Nightshade Free, Onion Free, Peanut Free, Sesame Free, Shellfish Free, Soy Free, top 8 allergy free recipe

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Kelly Roenicke
Kelly Roenicke
Mom to two boys with food allergies and sensitivities, Kelly is passionate about allergy friendly cooking and baking. She believes that you can enjoy amazing, easy recipes even when cooking for multiple food allergies.
Kelly Roenicke
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sue

    December 02, 2017 at 1:13 pm

    5 stars
    I use pure maple syrup instead of sugar. It is great!

    Reply
  2. Rachael

    January 15, 2017 at 10:10 pm

    5 stars
    I just made this! It was sooooo yummy! Thank you for posting. Also, I love your cup.

    Reply
  3. Pam

    January 14, 2017 at 7:13 pm

    Wonderful, easy recipe.
    I love the fox mug. Where did you find it?

    Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Reply
  4. Teresa

    November 12, 2015 at 5:38 pm

    Oh yes this is happening, just got a couple bags of vegan marshmallows in the mail today!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      November 15, 2015 at 8:03 am

      Yay! Enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Eileen

    November 10, 2015 at 10:55 am

    if you add a dollop of Trader Joes coconut creme it is exquisite!!!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      November 15, 2015 at 8:20 am

      Sounds yummy!

      Reply
  6. Maureen

    November 03, 2014 at 7:51 pm

    Super yummy and easy! Thank you!

    Reply
  7. Christine

    October 12, 2014 at 12:02 pm

    Starbucks will make your Hot Chocolate with Soy milk if you request it. If you also say that you do not want whipped cream on top, it then becomes totally vegan. That being said, I also make an almond milk hot chocolate at home just like you do and it is delish!

    Reply
  8. eunises

    January 06, 2014 at 9:31 pm

    Can you please tell me what brandas of.coco mix work? I always have.trouble

    Reply
    • Kelly

      January 07, 2014 at 10:34 am

      I used pure unsweetened cocoa – either the Hershey brand or the Nestle brand is very good!

      Reply
  9. Brooke

    November 01, 2013 at 12:41 pm

    adorable mug! May I ask where you purchased it?

    Reply
    • Kelly

      November 01, 2013 at 8:27 pm

      The brand is Danica Studio, and I bought it at a local store, but here are some different designs on Amazon:
      http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=danica+studio+mug&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Adanica+studio+mug

      Reply
  10. TJ {Sugar Blossoms}

    October 24, 2013 at 10:11 pm

    Hi there! I wanted to let you know I featured you on Sugar Blossoms today. Stop by and check it out! http://sweetsugarblossoms.blogspot.com/2013/10/18-amazing-hot-cocoa-recipes.html

    Reply
  11. Cassandra Tomlinson

    October 19, 2013 at 9:33 am

    Sounds like a great recipe, will have to try soon. Love the mug too, by the way!

    Reply
  12. Kristen @ Joyfullythriving

    October 18, 2013 at 10:12 pm

    Oh, good! I’m glad you don’t have to give up your hot cocoa. It’s my (year-round) drink of choice, too, so cheers to both of us!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      November 01, 2013 at 8:26 pm

      No, I can’t go without cocoa! :)

      Reply
  13. Janelle

    October 18, 2013 at 4:37 pm

    Yes – it’s time for hot chocolate again! Yum. And, what a cute fox mug. :)

    Reply
Newer Comments »

Trackbacks

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