Hello, my beautiful chickpeas! Today we are gearing up for a cozy Christmas with this Easy Vegan Hot Chocolate! This is a delicious homemade hot chocolate that is date sweetened, easy to make, rich and creamy, and also completely dairy free. This is the perfect drink to cozy up with next to the fire this holiday season and I can't wait for you to try it.
This hot chocolate recipe is sure to become a go-to in your kitchen as the holidays approach, so let's get into it!
Inspiration for Easy Vegan Hot Chocolate
There's nothing I love more than a rich and creamy hot chocolate recipe. I have so many great childhood memories of the holidays, and hot chocolate was a main star in many of those memories! In my family we loved sipping on hot chocolate while watching Christmas parades, while decorating the Christmas tree, and even while opening presents on Christmas morning.
When I first went vegan I was so excited to learn that it's actually pretty easy to make delicious homemade vegan hot chocolate, so it can still be a part of my holiday celebrations! Over the years I've adjusted my recipe a bit, but this is what I've landed on and have enjoyed time and time again. We use dates as our main sweetener, making it a great option for anyone who is WFPB and prefers less-processed sweeteners! And of course we use nondairy milk to keep things fully vegan. I can't wait for you and your loved ones to enjoy this one this holiday season!
Ingredients
This recipe doesn't use a ton of ingredients, making it nice and simple! Here's what we are using today.
- Vanilla extract & salt: these are going to be mixed into our date paste to provide some sweetness. Salt may seem like an odd addition but it really enhances our flavors!
- Dates: we are blending these up with a couple other things to create a smooth and creamy date paste. This will provide flavor and sweetness for our homemade hot chocolate!
- Plant milk: my favorites for this one are soy milk or almond milk, but you do you! This will be the main liquid we use and it'll get our hot chocolate rich and creamy.
- Cocoa powder: because you can't have hot chocolate without a bit of cocoa!
- Maple syrup: most of our sweetness is coming from the dates, but if you have a bit of a sweet tooth you can also add in the optional maple syrup to get it even sweeter!
How to Make Easy Vegan Hot Chocolate
This one is pretty simple! As always, full recipe is down below. But let's go over the bullet points.
- Add all date paste ingredients to a blender and blend until super smooth
- Add plant milk, water, and cocoa powder to a small pot on the stove top. Whisk while bringing it to medium heat.
- Add the date paste and whisk to combine
- Mix in optional maple syrup and remove from heat.
- Serve, top as desired, and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
This one is pretty customizable to make it your own! Let's go over some ideas.
- The base of this hot chocolate is mostly plant milk, with a bit of water. However, if you like your hot chocolate SUPER rich and creamy, replace the water with more milk! On the other hand, you can also do less milk and more water if you want it a bit thinner.
- If you are a fan of salted caramel flavor, feel free to add a bit more salt to your date paste until it gives off "salted caramel" vibes (I would suggest adding ¼ teaspoon at a time, giving it a taste test, and then continuing if needed!). Then follow the rest of the recipe as normal and you'll have a salted caramel hot chocolate!
- This recipe is just what you need for a cozy Christmas! I highly suggest making this during your holiday celebrations - while watching your favorite Christmas movies, while decorating the house or the tree, while wrapping presents, whatever gets you in the Christmas mood!
- You can enjoy this Vegan Hot Chocolate on its own, or top it with your favorite things. I am personally obsessed with Dandies Vegan Marshmallows. Chocolate sprinkles or vegan whipped cream are also delicious options!
- Looking for more recipes to get you in the holiday spirit? My Vegan Gingerbread Cookies or my Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie may be just what you need next!
Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Hot Chocolate (Date Sweetened)
Ingredients
Date Paste:
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 pitted medjool dates
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup plant milk - (you might use a couple tablespoon extra while blending) (My favorite options here are soy milk or almond milk, but any will do!)
Hot Chocolate:
- 2 cups plant milk
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- Optional: 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- Optional toppings: vegan marshmallows, vegan whipped cream, sprinkles, candy canes, cacao nibs, chocolate chips...
Instructions
- Add all date paste ingredients to a high powered blender. Blend until super smooth. You may have to pause the blender and scrape down the edges a couple of times. If you're having a hard time getting it to blend smoothly, add a bit more plant milk (1 tablespoon at a time).
- To make the hot chocolate: add plant milk, water, and cocoa powder to a small pot on the stovetop. Set your stovetop to medium heat and whisk to combine as your mixture warms (at first the cocoa powder will try to float on top, but as you whisk it will eventually mix into the liquid). Continue to heat, whisking regularly, until your desired temperature is reached (don't let it boil).
- Add the date paste to your hot chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.
- For a sweeter hot chocolate, mix in the optional maple syrup. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Pour into your favorite mug, top as desired, and enjoy!
Happy cooking! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your hot-chocolate-making ways.
Stay joyfully balanced!
Jess says
This is perfect during this cold weather!
Delaney Marie says
Agreed! 🙂
Blair says
This turned out so well!
Delaney Marie says
So glad you enjoyed!
Amy Liu Dong says
Oh my gosh, this hot chocolate recipe is so easy and delicious. A perfect drink to make in this cold weather. Thanks!
Delaney Marie says
So glad to hear that you love it! 🙂