A deliciously decadent triple chocolate vegan hot chocolate recipe full of rich chocolate flavor, plant-based milk, and natural sweetener. This hot cocoa is vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free!

What Makes This Recipe Great

This one’s for all the chocolate lovers out there–Triple Chocolate Hot Chocolate, no dairy required. There’s no denying that hot chocolate is a holiday classic, and I know the holiday season can be tough for anyone with dietary restrictions. But the good news is, if you’re trying a vegan diet, or going dairy-free, you don’t have to miss out on anything.

I’ve partnered with Silk to bring you this festive recipe and show you that your favorite holiday recipes can easily be made dairy-free! Using the Silk Oat Yeah Oatmilk — The Chocolate One and 2 more sources of that good chocolate-y flavor, I’d say this Easy Vegan Hot Chocolate recipe beats the classic anyway. ????

Now, there’s a common misconception when going dairy-free or vegan that you can no longer enjoy chocolate. Fortunately, this isn’t true at all! All you need to do is make sure you have dark chocolate with no dairy added, or use pure cacao or cocoa powder. Using a creamy dairy-free and vegan milk alternative like Silk’s oat milk adds back the creaminess, and makes the most delicious smooth chocolate flavor.

This homemade vegan version beats the hot cocoa packets you get from grocery stores, which are typically full of sugar. My simple recipe comes together with a few simple ingredients in one pot over the stove. You can also make it in a microwave if you’re not comfortable using the stove!

The Details

• This recipe is dairy-free, vegan, nut-free, and soy-free (unless you opt for soy milk). It’s a delicious way to get your cocoa on this winter.
• See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient amounts and instructions. 
• If feeling super festive, feel free to garnish with a vegan candy cane!

Ingredient Notes

• Silk Oat Yeah oat milk: The chocolate one for extra rich flavor or other non-dairy milk of choice– soy milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, etc, 
• raw cacao powder: Provides the chocolate flavor, and is surprisingly rich in iron and magnesium. It’s also high in antioxidants, and well, just tastes good. You can substitute it for unsweetened cocoa powder if desired.
• a small piece of dark chocolate
• pitted medjool date or pure maple syrup: Opt for a natural sweetener here instead of the standard white sugar. If you want to use granulated sugar you could use coconut sugar. 
• vanilla extract
• ground cinnamon: Gives the chocolate flavor the perfect amount of kick, and also has anti-inflammatory properties, a great benefit during the winter.
• pinch of salt
• optional superfood herbs → optionally, herbs like maca powder and mesquite powder add depth of flavor AND health benefits to your cup of chocolate, but these are entirely optional additions!
• vegan marshmallows to top.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and whisk over medium heat, bringing to a soft simmer.
2. If using dates to sweeten, remove the pan from heat and transfer the mixture to a blender (or, use a hand blender), and blend until smooth and frothy.
3. Serve this creamy vegan cocoa with vegan marshmallows!

Secrets to Success

• For the best flavor, make sure you’re using cacao powder instead of sweetened cocoa powder. Cacao powder has a bit of a different nutritional profile than cocoa, however, you can absolutely use cocoa powder to substitute if you have it on hand!
• If you’d like to swap oat milk for an alternative dairy-free milk, you absolutely can. Opt for a richer, creamier plant milk for best results.
• Finally, just because hot chocolate isn’t hot chocolate with marshmallows, make sure you top it off with some vegan marshmallows. I opted to home-make some vegan marshmallows using this recipe, but I’ll also include a store-bought option in the recipe notes!
• If feeling super festive, feel free to garnish with a vegan candy cane! Or add a drop of peppermint extract to your cocoa.

More Hot Drinks & Cozy Recipes

• Hot Chocolate Cookies
• Chocolate Tahini Star Cookies
• Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
• Golden Cacao Latte
• 10 Christmas Cookie Recipes

If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a star rating and comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!

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