Looking for a hot chocolate recipe that’s not overly sugary and rich? Try this Healthy Hot Chocolate! There’s no need for store-bought mixes. This wholesome spin on the classic recipe is deliciously satisfying using cocoa powder, a little natural sweetener and your milk of choice. It’s so tasty and tastes like an even better version of those store-bought mixes. Here’s how to make the best healthy hot chocolate recipe around!
What’s in this healthy hot chocolate?
Did you know you can make a homemade hot chocolate recipe in just 5 minutes on the stovetop? There’s no need to buy a pre-made mix! This is especially helpful when you want a healthy hot chocolate, because you can control the amount of sweetness you add to your drink. Here’s what you’ll need for healthy hot chocolate:
Cocoa powder2% milk or oat milkMaple syrup or honeyVanilla extractCinnamon
Use whatever milk you like
You can use any type of milk you like best in this recipe! Here are a few things to note about dairy and non-dairy milks:
Our preferred dairy milk is 2% milk, and our preferred non-dairy milk is oat milk. You can also use other vegan milks like almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk. We find oat milk is the closest in texture and flavor to dairy milk.2% milk has 137 calories and 9.7 grams protein in 1 cup (source).Oat milk has 120 calories and 3 grams protein in 1 cup (source). Interestingly, there’s not a large calorie difference between the two. If you’re interested in protein, 2% milk has more.
Customize the sweetness to your tastes
The great thing about a homemade healthy hot chocolate? You can customize the sweetness to your tastes. Here’s what to know about the sweetness level in this recipe:
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey makes a lightly sweet drink. We prefer ours a little sweeter, but this is the lowest you can go. 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey has a bit more of the hot chocolate flavor you’d expect (sans chocolate). 1 tablespoon maple syrup has 52 calories and 1 tablespoon honey has 64 calories, so that would be roughly 25 to 30 extra calories per serving. Other natural sweeteners you can use? Agave syrup (or nectar) also works. We have not experimented with monkfruit sweetener, but it should also work in the same quantities.
Love dark chocolate?
Love real dark chocolate? Our Homemade Hot Chocolate has real chocolate in it, which makes the flavor deliciously rich and creamy with a bittersweet nuance. However, it does add 100 calories to each serving! So feel free to click over to that recipe when you’re in need of a decadent cup.
A key to healthy hot chocolate? No toppings.
The toppings for hot chocolate are where the calories can really add up! Leave them out for this healthy hot chocolate to keep the calorie count low. Here’s what to know about common hot chocolate toppings:
1 dollop of whipped cream (¼ cup) adds 40 calories. 1 handful of marshmallows (¼ cup) adds 40 calories.
How to make healthy hot chocolate: a few tips!
Once you’ve got all your ingredients, making healthy hot chocolate is a breeze! Here’s what you can expect from this healthy hot chocolate recipe:
First, whisk a little milk with the cocoa powder. This helps to make a paste and dissolve most of the powder, which can get lumpy.The texture will be slightly thinner than a standard hot chocolate. But don’t worry: this hot drink is still very satisfying!
More healthy drink recipes
Love drinking healthy? We’ve got lots of healthy drink ideas to power your beverages:
Hydrate with Cucumber Water or Strawberry WaterTry refreshing Iced TeaOpt for a Masala ChaiGo for an herbal Mint Tea, Lemon Tea, Rosemary Tea, Sage Tea, Ginger Tea, or Lemon Ginger TeaBlend a Green Juice, Carrot Juice, or Celery Smoothie
This healthy hot chocolate recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free. 5 from 1 review
