Super Creamy Vegan Hot Chocolate
This weekend was a whirlwind. A fun whirlwind, but I’d like an extra morning that can be lazy, pajama-filled, and include a blanket and this cup of hot chocolate. Ahh.
I suppose Monday and a snowstorm will do.
Saturday I helped throw a baby shower for my sister, who is due with a little boy January. For the shower, we filled the food spread with her biggest cravings, like root beer, kettle chips, and an intense hot chocolate bar.
As you may expect, a hot chocolate bar is possibly the most Pinterest-type thing ever. The first time I created a hot chocolate bar (yes, it’s been more than once), I immediately purchased a bunch of mason jars. For that first HC bar, I believe I even had name tags to show what was in each mason jar (even though, umm, they’re clear glass, so…): toffee bits, toasted coconut, mini marshmallows, Andes mint pieces, salted caramel and crushed oreos. All of these mason jars sat beside a crockpot full of hot chocolate made with 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk.
Told ya – INTENSE.
On Sunday, after I cleaned up from the shower, I ended up making yet another batch of hot chocolate. Since it was just for me, I decided to make it a little better-for-me than the all-out hot chocolate buffet. In the version I’m sharing today, almond milk replaces higher-fat alternatives such as sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, or coconut milk. To get a creamy, velvety texture, I added a little arrowroot starch. If you don’t have arrowroot starch, corn starch will work as well.
The steps of this recipe couldn’t be easier – whisk together the dry ingredients, heat up the milk and vanilla, add the dry ingredients, boil for 5 minutes, and BAM, creamy vegan hot chocolate craving satisfied.
In addition to the tastylicious benefits of this recipe, it’s not too bad nutritionally. In fact, let’s allow cocoa a moment to brag about its attributes. According to my nutrition calculator, this cocoa-centric recipe offers the following pros:
High in dietary fiber
High in manganese
High in magnesium
High in vitamin A
Very high in vitamin E
OH, hey, did you need an excuse to drink hot chocolate on this Monday? I’m here for you, friends, and I’ll drink (sugar) to that.
Super Creamy Vegan Hot Chocolate
Velvety smooth and creamy vegan hot chocolate made with just a few ingredients and a couple easy steps!
Yield: 2 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 5 tablespoons cane sugar
- ¼ cup high-quality cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch (cornstarch will work as well)
- Pinch of sea salt
- 4 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
- Whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, starch, and salt in a small bowl or measuring cup.
- Heat the milk and vanilla in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat until steaming.
- Add a couple tablespoons of the hot milk to the cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth. This will help you avoid clumps of cocoa in your hot chocolate.
- Pour the cocoa mixture into the milk pan, and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. It will thicken slightly in this time.
- Remove from heat, and let sit for 5-10 minutes so it lowers to a drinkable temperature.
If you want a lower-sugar hot chocolate, start with 3 tablespoons cane sugar and adjust to your tastes. I thought 5 was the "sweet spot," if you will.
Nutrition Information: Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe, Calories: 212, Sugar: 30.5g, Sodium: 421mg, Fat: 6.4g, Saturated Fat: .8g, Carbs: 40.5g, Fiber: 5.4g, Protein: 4.0g