Vegan Hot Chocolate Mix

This Vegan Hot Chocolate Mix is rich, creamy, and SO easy to make with only 3 main ingredients! Simply add water or non-dairy milk, stir, and enjoy.

Hot Chocolate: what’s not to love? Enjoyed by both kids and adults, nothing beats a cup of creamy, cozy cocoa by the fire on a chilly day.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) those brown paper packets and blue metal tins aren’t very vegan-friendly. The good news is that you can make your own dairy-free hot chocolate mix with only 3 main ingredients that’s just as rich, creamy, and satisfying as the store-bought version. 

INGREDIENTS FOR VEGAN HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

Store-bought hot chocolate mixes can have a lot of ingredients, many of which you don’t really need to make great hot chocolate! (dairy milk powder, oils, stabilizers, preservatives, etc…) All you need to make your own hot chocolate mix from home is:

• Cocoa Powder: the essential ingredient to any hot chocolate, this gives us that rich, dark chocolate taste we are looking for. Dutch Processed Cocoa is even more intense, while cacao powder doesn’t taste as rich as cocoa and is mildly sweeter.
• Coconut Sugar: to complement the dark, bitter flavor of the chocolate. I used coconut sugar to add more depth of flavor and keep things refined sugar-free, but you can also use organic cane sugar or vegan powdered sugar as well.
• And a pinch of salt! This helps to round out the flavor profile of our hot chocolate mix and make everything taste even better 🙂

WAYS TO FLAVOR VEGAN HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

Sticking with cocoa powder, sugar, and non-dairy milk will give you those classic cocoa results, but you can also add a few other fun ingredients to make your hot drink even sweeter:

• Vanilla bean or vanilla powder gives this mix even more of a classic flavor and subtle sweetness, but can be pricey. If that’s not in your budget, you can always add a tiny splash of vanilla extract to your cocoa, or use vanilla flavored nondairy milk!
• Cinnamon gives this hot cocoa mix an extra kick of holiday spice (you can also use gingerbread, apple pie, or pumpkin pie spice blends too!)
• A pinch of Cayenne Pepper helps to make a richer chocolate flavor, without any detectable spiciness. You can, however, add a little extra if you’d like some heat!

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

Quite simply, add all ingredients to a high-speed blender, process for 30 seconds, then store in an airtight container! I like to use a high-speed blender with this recipe because it breaks up the sugar crystals and helps to blend them with the cacao powder evenly. You can also just toss everything in a large jar and mix well, but the final mixture won’t be as even and you will have to mix the final cocoa a little more too, to dissolve the sugar crystals.

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN HOT COCOA

When you’re ready to make hot chocolate, simply add 2-3 tablespoons of the dry mix to a mug, pour warmed nondairy milk on top, and stir! I’ve tested this recipe with a few different milks, and would recommend using a creamy milk, like light coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, or homemade nut milk. Store-bought almond milk will work, but it won’t be as rich as traditional hot chocolate.

If you’d like to make a mix where you only add water you can purchase powdered soy milk and/or powdered coconut milk online and blend them with the other ingredients. While this sounds more convenient, I’ve found that these products are quite expensive and never as creamy as making cocoa with fresh milk. When I was a kid I would always use milk anyways, so it’s pretty much the same 🙂

Also, don’t forget to deck out your creamy cocoa any way you see fit! Vegan marshmallows do exist (YAAAAS), as well as dairy-free whipped cream. You could also make your own coconut whipped cream at home, or even add in a candy cane or some vegan sprinkles if you’re feeling extra fancy. 

Looking for a sweet treat to enjoy with your hot chocolate? You’ll love these Cashew Butter Snickerdoodles, Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies, and these Crunchy Vegan Gingerbread Men! 

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂

Vegan Hot Chocolate Mix

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 6 reviews

This Vegan Hot Chocolate Mix is rich, creamy, and SO easy to make with only 3 main ingredients! Simply add water or non-dairy milk, stir, and enjoy.

• Author: Caitlin Shoemaker
• Prep Time: 5 Minutes
• Cook Time: 0 Minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: Serves 8
• Category: Drink
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the dry mix: 

• 1 cup (85 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (70 g) coconut or cane sugar*
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• Optional add-ins: 1 vanilla bean, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder and/or cinnamon, 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

For one serving of cocoa: 

• 2–3 tablespoons dry hot cocoa mix, above
• 1 cup creamy non-dairy milk*
• Vegan marshmallows, whip cream, or a cinnamon stick, to serve (optional)

Instructions

1. For the dry mix: add all ingredients to a high speed blender and process on high for 30 seconds, until smooth and fluffy. Transfer the mixture to a sealable glass jar and store at room temperature for up to two months. 
2. For one serving of cocoa: add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the dry mix to the bottom of a mug, depending on how rich you like your cocoa. Warm 1 cup of nondairy milk on the stovetop or in the microwave, then pour over the cocoa mix. Stir well with a spoon or handheld milk frother, then top as desired and enjoy warm.

Notes

• Sugar Substitutes: you can use any type of granulated sweetener for this mix. Using 1/2 cup of sugar will make a moderately sweet cocoa; if you’d like it to be darker you can reduce to 1/3 cup of sweetener, or use up to 3/4 cup of sugar for a sweeter cocoa. 
• Water Only: If you’d like to make a mix that you only need to add water do you can add up to ½ cup of powdered soy milk or coconut milk to the dry mix, then use ¼ cup of the dry mix per each cup of cocoa. I prefer to omit this and use non-dairy milk, as I find it to be much creamier.

Keywords: vegan hot cocoa mix, hot cocoa, healthy hot cocoa, healthy hot chocolate, dairy free hot chocolate, dairy free hot cocoa, sugar free