Published by: Liz Marino | |
Last updated:
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Healthy Hot Chocolate is the perfect cozy winter drink. Vegan hot chocolate that is low calorie and easy to make with only 3 ingredients!
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There is no better cozy drink than hot chocolate. Rich milk and sweet chocolate make the most epic combo for this warm, delicious treat!
Hot cocoa is normally loaded with sweeteners and funky ingredients – but this healthy hot chocolate recipe solves that problem!
Made with only 3 simple ingredients, dairy free, vegan and low in sugar (while being totally delicious!) -this hot cocoa is a must try!
Why is this hot chocolate healthy?
- Low Sugar – This hot chocolate has 6g of sugar compared to classic hot chocolate which has 11-20g of sugar per one cup sugar. The sugar comes from all natural maple syrup!
- Low Fat – Hot chocolate is traditionally made with whole milk, which is higher in fat. This healthy drink is made with almond milk which is lower in fat and calories
- Minimal Ingredients – Traditional hot chocolate mix from the packet has over 15 ingredients, most of which are sugar. This easy hot chocolate recipe only has 3 ingredients
- No Junk! See above -this drink is made with ingredients you can pronounce. No artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or weird add ins!
Ingredients for making Healthy Hot Chocolate
There are only 3 ingredients for this healthy, dairy free hot chocolate:
- almond milk or other milk of choice
- cocoa powder
- maple syrup
There are a bunch of substitutions listed below so make sure to check them out in the shaded green box.
How to make Healthy Hot Chocolate
Making this healthy hot cocoa couldn’t be any easier! You’ll need just about 5 minutes of time.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together milk, cocoa powder, and maple syrup vigorously until combined.
- Heat over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once warm – pour into mug and enjoy!
Serving Vegan Hot Chocolate
I like this hot chocolate as is, but you can of course add marshmallows and whipped cream for even more flavor/fun!
Toppings: Whipped cream and marshmallows are both perfect toppings. We added some shaved chocolate on top of this too! You could also sprinkle with cinnamon!
Mix Ins: Feel free to add other mix ins like sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, peanut butter, peppermint extract/candy canes.. the options are endless!
Can you make this hot chocolate ahead? I wouldn’t recommend making this hot chocolate ahead of time. It only takes 5 minutes to make, so you won’t be saving much time.
If you’re looking for other treats to serve this with try our Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies, Sweet Potato Brownies, or Healthy Chocolate Cake
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR DAIRY FREE HOT CHOCOLATE
This dairy free hot chocolate only has a few ingredients so there isn’t too much to customize, but here are some ideas
Milk: Any milk will work in this recipe (dairy or dairy free milk). I like regular unsweetened almond milk or organic whole milk but oat milk, coconut milk, rice milk or soy milk should all work. Make sure to use unsweetened milk.
Cocoa Powder: I haven’t tried substituting cocoa powder with anything but I think cacao powder would work.
Maple Syrup: You can substitute maple syrup with honey or agave nectar. My advice is just to sweeten to taste because every sweetener is different and you may want more or less. I haven’t tried using any artificial sweeteners or stevia.
Vegan: Use dairy free milk and top with vegan marshmallows or coconut whipped cream.
Cinnamon/Mexican Hot Chocolate: For a fun spicy feel add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and cinnamon
Add Ins: Peanut Butter, Caramel and peppermint extract are all delicious add ins. You can also try this Healthy Peppermint Mocha.
If you love hot chocolate, this Hot Chocolate Ice Cream is one of our favorite desserts!
Healthier Hot Chocolate FAQ
What is the healthiest hot chocolate?
This recipe is the healthiest hot chocolate! With only 3 ingredients and under 75 calories per cup – you can’t go wrong!
Is it healthy to drink hot chocolate?
Everything is healthy in moderation! This hot chocolate is low in sugar and in calories, making it the perfect treat to mindfully indulge in. We wouldn’t recommend drinking hot chocolate every day.
Can you lose weight drinking hot chocolate?
If you’re drinking hot chocolate every day or multiple times a day it might be hard to lose weight. Although this healthy hot chocolate recipe is pretty low calorie, we wouldn’t recommend it every day if weight loss is your goal. However -it’s a great lighter option for the occasional treat!
What is the lowest calorie hot chocolate?
This healthy hot cocoa recipe is very low calorie at under 75 calories per cup. Regular powdered hot cocoa mix usually has over 100 calories per serving
Other healthy drink recipes
If you’re looking for other festive lattes check out these drinks. If it’s the holiday season you can also check out our Healthy Christmas Recipes
- Healthy Gingerbread Latte
- Paleo Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Whole30 Turmeric Ginger Latte
- Healthy Peppermint Mocha
Healthy Hot Chocolate
Recipe by: Liz Marino
5 from 15 votes
Healthy Hot Chocolate is the perfect cozy winter drink. Dairy free, refined sugar free, low calorie & made with only 3 ingredients!
WW Freestyle Points 3
Prep Time : 1 minute minute
Cook Time : 3 minutes minutes
Total Time : 4 minutes minutes
Serves : 4 1 cup servings
(hover over # to adjust)
PRINTPINRATE
Ingredients
- 4 cups almond milk (dairy, almond, coconut milk all will work)
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
In a sauce pot whisk together milk, cocoa powder and maple syrup vigorously until combined.
Heat over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once warm – pour into mug and enjoy!
Notes
Substitutions:
Milk: Any milk will work in this recipe.
Cocoa Powder: I haven’t tried substituting cocoa powder with anything but I think cacao powder would work.
Maple Syrup -You can substitute maple syrup with honey or agave nectar.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Healthy Hot Chocolate
Amount Per Serving (1 cup hot chocolate)
Calories 73Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 127mg6%
Potassium 99mg3%
Carbohydrates 11g4%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 2g4%
Calcium 317mg32%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. This is an estimate and can vary pending your ingredients
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