Creamy, dreamy, and totally dairy-free! This vegan hot chocolate is rich, decadent, and guaranteed to warm you up this winter. The best part: it whips up in about five minutes!
I've had so many requests for vegan hot chocolate, and I'm sorry to say that I've been holding out on you guys. I've had this recipe in my head for years. I've made it again and again. I've told people how to make it again and again.
It took me forever to get around to sharing it, and I'm sorry about that, because it's the best hot chocolate I've ever had. You'd never believe it was dairy-free!
So here it is, at long last.
Want to know the secret to a killer cup of vegan hot cocoa? Chocolate chips. They work so much better than cocoa powder. Seriously, melt those babies up in some non-dairy milk and you'll end up with something that's a zillion times richer and creamier than any dairy-based hot chocolate you ever drank.
I've got to warn you: this stuff is super easy to make. You can whip it up in about five minutes, and if you're someone who has all the ingredients on hand most of the time (like me), you'll be tempted to make it again and again throughout the cooler months.
Jump to:
What You'll Need
- Non-dairy milk. Pretty much any variety works, as long as it's unsweetened. I typically use almond milk, but soy, rice, oat, and cashew milk all work just fine!
- Vegan chocolate chips. I used Enjoy Life brand.
- Maple syrup. You can sub another liquid sweetener, or even organic granulated sugar to taste. I like a hint of maple flavor in my vegan hot chocolate though!
- Spices. I like cinnamon and a teensy pinch of cayenne pepper in my hot cocoa, but you can leave them out if you prefer. You could also try other warming spices like nutmeg or cloves — just add a tiny bit at a time until the flavor is right!
- Salt. It's a flavor enhancer, so adding a bit to your hot chocolate will make it taste better.
- Vanilla extract.
- Vegan marshmallows or whipped topping. These are totally optional! Dandies makes great vegan marshmallows, and Reddi-wip makes a dairy-free whipped topping.
How to Make Vegan Hot Chocolate
This stuff is incredibly easy to make. Ready for this?
- Stick everything but the vanilla and toppings into a saucepan.
- Heat it all up on the stove until the chips are melted and the liquid is hot.
- Take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
That's it!
Pour your homemade vegan hot chocolate into cups and top it with marshmallows or whipped topping.
Pro Tips!
- Try some flavor variations! I'm a big fan of the cinnamon-cayenne combination, but you can easily use different spices like cloves and nutmeg, or flavor extracts like peppermint or almond instead to switch things up.
- If you have leftover hot chocolate or just want to make it in advance, store it in a sealed up container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Then reheat on it the stove or in the microwave.
- Don't overcook your vegan hot cocoa! Just get it hot enough to melt the chips. The ingredients in this recipe can burn pretty quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a few brands out there, but I like Enjoy Life. If you're lucky, your regular supermarket will carry them. If not, try places like Whole Foods or Amazon.
Reddi-wip makes a dairy-free whipped topping. You can also whip coconut cream following the method in this strawberry shortcake recipe.
I buy Trader Joe's Brand or Dandies, which are available at Whole Foods-type places and Amazon.
More Vegan Chocolate Recipes
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
- Vegan Chocolate Pudding
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
Rich & Creamy Vegan Hot Chocolate
Creamy, dreamy, and totally dairy-free! This vegan hot chocolate is rich, decadent, and guaranteed to warm you up this winter. The best part: it whips up in about five minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 cups unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- ⅓ cup vegan chocolate chips
- 1 ½ teaspoons maple syrup or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- Pinch cayenne pepper or to taste (optional)
- Pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vegan marshmallows or whipped topping, optional
Instructions
-
Place the milk, chocolate chips, maple syrup, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and salt into a small saucepan and set it over medium heat.
-
Heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until it's hot and the chips are completely melted.
-
Remove the pot from heat and stir in the vanilla.
-
Divide into mugs and top with vegan marshmallows or whipped topping.
-
Serve.
This looks so yummy but I love the music you chose for the video! Made me so happy! :)S
Have you found that one non-dairy milk works better for this recipe?
I've made it using Almond Breeze and Milkadamia, both unsweetened and unflavored, and both worked great! I'd just stick with something without sweeteners, thickeners or added flavors. :)
Yay! It's your sister in law here.... SO grateful for your recipe. It's AMAZING. Thank you Alissa for being sooooo incredible at what you do. xo
Yay!! I'm glad you tried it, and SO glad you enjoyed it!! Thank you so much Sally! :)
Tried this out with cashew oat milk and it was so decadent and delicious. Thank you!
So glad you like it!
This seriously looks incredible AND VEGAN MARSHMELLOWS??? I HAD NO IDEA!
I love that the recipe is also all things I already have!
So yummy!!! Made this for a drink for breakfast and everybody loved it! I used vanilla flavored almond milk and it tasted delicious!
Yum! I just made it with oat milk and it’s delicious!
Hi Alissa! This recipe looks amazing. I will definitely try it when I am making cookies because nothing is better than hot chocolate and cookies. Thank you.