This vegan hot cocoa is super simple to make with ingredients you likely already have!
I love chocolate and when it gets cold and blustery outside like it is now, hot cocoa is even better.
First … a little chocolate/cocoa nomenclature.
Hot Cocoa vs Hot Chocolate
Did you know there’s an actual and significant difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate? I just discovered this at today years old. How did I live so long without knowing this??
Hot cocoa is a mix of cocoa powder, sugar, and milk. Cocoa powder is whole cacao with all the fat, aka cocoa butter, removed. I suppose that’s why it’s called hot cocoa. It tends to be a little thinner than hot chocolate and also lighter on calories.
Hot chocolate, on the other hand, has chocolate in it. Chocolate is the whole thing, the cocoa powder and fat, Usually, the cocoa powder has been removed first and then fat (and sugar!) added back in to make things like candy bar chocolate, bar baking chocolate, or chocolate chips.
But, for our purposes here, the major difference is that hot cocoa is made from cocoa and hot chocolate is made from chocolate.
This recipe is for hot cocoa. It’s still thick, creamy, and rich but does not have chocolate added.
My favorite plant-based milk is So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk. It’s creamy but has a mild, neutral flavor and only 40 calories per 8 oz. I have reduced the sugar in mine by about half and added some stevia to make up the difference. The recipe is for the full-sugar version.
Vegan Hot Cocoa Recipe
This vegan hot cocoa is super simple to make with ingredients you likely already have! Chocolatey, creamy, and delicious!
Ingredients
- 8 oz plant milk coconut, almond, soy, etc.
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp brown sugar or white
- pinch salt
- Stevia optional
- tiny pinch cayenne powder optional
- vegan whipped cream optional
Instructions
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Place all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until almost boiling. Pour into a mug and enjoy.
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Makes 1 cup. Recipe can be multiplied for desired servings.
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An added dollop of vegan whipped cream is super tasty!
Want more chocolate? Try these!
Vegan Chocolate Brownie Cake
This Vegan Chocolate Brownie Cake is a rich, dense, delicious brownie textured treat that you’d never guess also contains a bit of sweet potato and beet.
Chocolate Sweet Potato Pie
Here’s a chocolate sweet potato pie that’s vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, and oil-free, too. It’s a pie that’s good for you! Does that sound deliciously impossible?
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Hello! I’m Lisa, a vegan artist, photographer, author, Vegan Life Coach Educator, and RYT 200 yoga teacher. I love showing others how simple and delicious a plant-based diet can be. I draw and paint, cook, write, take lots of pics, eat lots of chocolate, and practice gratitude daily.
I never knew that either, that there was a major different between the two.
IKR? Both are delicious, though!