Hot chocolate is the ultimate cold-weather drink. Plus, it’s perfect if you’re in search of a kid-friendly holiday bev. We’ve gathered our favorite dairy-free recipes so you can make this winter staple all season long. But before you begin whisking and sipping away, let’s first dive into everything you need to know to make vegan hot chocolate.
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Hot chocolate vs hot cocoa
Although the terms “hot chocolate” and “hot cocoa” are often used interchangeably, the two drinks aren’t quite the same. While both impart a sweet dose of chocolaty flavor, their base ingredients slightly differ. Hot chocolate, as the name implies, is made by melting chocolate and combining it with hot water or vegan milk. Hot cocoa, however, is made using cocoa powder.
Dandies
Given the similar end results, our list of must-make recipes includes both vegan hot chocolate and hot coca recipes.
How to make vegan hot chocolate
There are few things better than getting cozy with a cup of hot chocolate while watching your favorite holiday movies. Luckily, hot chocolate and hot cocoa require minimal effort to make.
Start off by finely chopping vegan chocolate while simmering plant milk. Add the chocolate into your plant milk and whisk until it has completely dissolved. If you’re making hot cocoa, begin by heating up vegan milk and incorporating cocoa powder once your milk is simmering.
Add your favorite mix-ins for added flavors (think peppermint extract or pumpkin spice, for example) before topping with mini vegan marshmallows and dairy-free whipped cream.
Vegan hot chocolate recipes
From nutty to minty to spiked, this list has more than a dozen ways to make your chocolate dreams come true.
Ilene Godofsky Moreno
1Creamy Vegan Almond Hot Chocolate
You can’t beat the classics, and this recipe for extra-creamy almond hot chocolate proves it. A dollop of almond butter is combined with chocolate chips, cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and almond milk for an extra luscious cup of this holiday favorite. Top with vegan marshmallows for the ultimate cold-weather sip.
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The Almond Eater
2 Orange Hot Chocolate
If you’re looking for a new (and different) way to enjoy hot chocolate, this zingy version from The Almond Eater is the way to go. Freshly squeezed blood orange juice and grated orange zest are mixed with traditional hot cocoa ingredients for a vibrant hot beverage that will put a spring in your step. Even better? This fun and unique recipe is ready in just 10 minutes and is made with only six ingredients.
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Darn Good Veggies
3 Red Velvet Hot Chocolate
Darn Good Veggies has an antioxidant-rich surprise ingredient in this cocoa recipe—beet powder! Our favorite red vegetable adds an earthy, rich taste to this drink that pairs beautifully with the other ingredients. Cacao powder adds chocolatey flavor and more antioxidants, while Medjool dates add natural sweetness. Cheers to sweet health in a glass!
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Minimalist Baker
4 Vegan Mayan Drinking Chocolate
One taste of this indulgent dessert by Minimalist Baker, and we’re in chocolate heaven. All you need are seven ingredients and 15 minutes to create this simple yet sophisticated beverage. Decadent dark chocolate is perfectly balanced with Mayan spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne) in what will quickly become your new chocolate obsession.
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Love & Lemons
5 Matcha White Hot Chocolate
For a fancy adult take on the classic cup of hot chocolate, try Love & Lemons’ bright, beautiful recipe featuring matcha tea powder. Start by whisking almond milk and vegan white chocolate, then stir in matcha for a comforting beverage that is delicious and visually stunning.
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The Hungry Herbivores
6 Coffee Mexican Drinking Chocolate
This pick-me-up beverage from The Hungry Herbivores is similar to a mocha, but better! Combine your favorite dark chocolate and strong-brewed coffee for a breakfast beverage you’ll want to indulge on all morning long.
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Rhian’s Recipes
7 Vegan Red Wine Hot Chocolate
Give your hot chocolate a boozy kick with a pour (or two!) of red wine. Surprisingly, the fruity aroma of red wine perfectly complements the rich, earthy flavor of dark chocolate. Rhian’s Recipes recommends using almond or cashew milk for the best dairy-free substitute in this recipe.
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Running With Spoons
8 Vegan Pumpkin Hot Chocolate
Creamy vanilla almond milk is the base in this sweet treat (which tastes like autumn in a cup). A spiked pumpkin purée is combined with maple syrup to create all the flavors you crave on a brisk, cold day. Cozy up with a blanket and a mug of this hot chocolate to be transported back to the pumpkin patch.
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Vegan Chickpea
9 Healthy Hazelnut Spiced Hot Chocolate
Cinnamon and hazelnut essential oils are the secret ingredients in this inventive recipe, but that’s not all that adds to the magical taste in this cup, as Vegan Chickpea also stirs in two spoonfuls of hazelnut butter for a deliciously nutty, toasty flavor in every mouthful.
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A Saucy Kitchen
10Gingerbread Vegan Hot Chocolate
This thick, velvety drink from A Saucy Kitchen will satisfy those holiday season cravings. Full-fat coconut milk creates the same thickness of dairy-based hot chocolate, while fragrant ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla add flavors reminiscent of the holiday season. Make a batch of vegan gingerbread cookies for dunking, and we’re ready to deck the halls.
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Rabbit and Wolves
11 Vegan S’mores Drinking Hot Chocolate
This drinking chocolate is full of all the flavors of your favorite campfire treat. The luscious chocolate is flavored with everything you taste in a golden graham cracker (cinnamon, brown sugar, molasses and vanilla). Rabbit and Wolves then tops the piping hot cup of cocoa with toasted vegan marshmallows for a classic twist on a campfire favorite.
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Chocolate Covered Katie
12 Vegan Hot Chocolate Just Like Starbucks
This creamy, dairy-free hot chocolate recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie tastes just like a cup of cocoa you’d buy at Starbucks. The secret, according to the blog, is to use Dutch cocoa powder to help you achieve that signature mild-but-still-chocolatey taste.
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Lauren Caris Cooks
13 Vegan Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Mint + chocolate = a dreamy hot chocolate match. In this recipe from Lauren Caris Cooks, peppermint extract adds refreshing notes to frothy almond milk coated with dark chocolate. Top with coconut whipped cream for a classic hot chocolate.
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Healthy Slow Cooking
14 Hot White Chocolate
This thick, rich cocoa by Healthy Slow Cooking is made with homemade dairy-free milk and is sweetened naturally with dates before cacao butter and vanilla beans—scraped straight from the pod—are whisked in. Trust us—this silky drink is irresistible.
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Stephanie Dreyer is a freelance writer and recipe developer on a mission to help families cook and eat healthier.
