Dairy Free Hot Chocolate Recipe (Rich & Creamy)

This decadent dairy free hot chocolate recipe is naturally sweetened and made using a rich cacao powder and creamy coconut milk that makes it the perfect cozy drink for cold winter days.

Dairy Free Hot Chocolate Recipe

Nothing says warm and cozy like a steaming cup of decadent hot chocolate, but if you need to be dairy free (or choose to be) then most of the time traditional hot chocolates you will find in coffee shops or packaged mixes will be full of milk and usually a lot of added sugar too.

This dairy free hot chocolate recipe is made for those looking for a dairy free alternative to make at home that is still rich and creamy but not too sweet. It took me a while to perfect this recipe, but after a lot of testing I think I finally came up with what I think is the PERFECT hot chocolate recipe.

What You Will Need To Make Dairy Free Hot Chocolate

Making homemade hot chocolate is really easy and only requires a few ingredients. My advice though is to choose high quality ingredients for your hot chocolate. This will make all the difference in the flavor and creaminess of your hot chocolate.

Full Fat Coconut Milk (trust me you need the full-fat version)

Coconut Sugar (you could also use maple syrup)

Coconut Cream

Raw Cacao Powder (ideally look for one that is fair trade like this one)

Cinnamon

Himalayan Sea Salt

How To Make This Creamy Dairy Free Hot Chocolate

Step One

In a medium-size sauce pan over medium heat place the coconut milk (the cream + liquid), cacao powder, water, cinnamon stick, cinnamon powder, coconut sugar, vanilla, and sea salt in a medium-size sauce pan over medium heat on the stove.

Step Two

Stir the hot chocolate mixture consistently, whisking until the hot chocolate begins to thicken and small bubbles begin to form.

Step Three

Remove the cinnamon stick from the hot chocolate mixture and ladle hot chocolate into individual serving cups.

Step Four

If you want an even creamier hot chocolate then add a dollop of coconut cream on top of your hot chocolate, sip and enjoy!

Tips For Making The Best Dairy Free Hot Chocolate

Choose high quality ingredients

If you really want to make the homemade hot chocolate then you really nice to choose high quality ingredients. I recommend looking for fair trade cacao powder, cinnamon, and coconut sugar (or a local real maple syrup) for sweetening.

Watch the heat!

If you simmer your hot chocolate at too high of a temperature then you run the risk of burning it, and that just tastes gross. So keep the heat on medium and consistently stir until your hot chocolate is nice and frothy.

Add more sweetener slowly

If you want a sweeter hot chocolate I recommend adding an additional tablespoon of sweetener at a time and tasting as you go. This will keep your hot chocolate from going from not sweet enough to too sweet really fast!

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