Why I love this homemade hot chocolate recipe

I think being dairy free around the holidays is the hardest. So much of our traditions and nostalgia come from our food culture, which so often contains dairy because that’s what we grew up with.

Hot chocolate is one of those holiday/winter traditions, but I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to. You can just make your own, and it really isn’t as hard as you think. It honestly takes just a couple more minutes than making hot chocolate from a mix. I promise.

Plus, this hot chocolate pairs perfectly with my favorite Christmas treats – microwave fudge and Grinch cookies.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

Large saucepan

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liquid measuring cup

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wire whisk

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Ingredients:

Dairy free milk – You can use whatever kind of dairy free milk you like for this recipe, but I like to use a mix of coconut and nut milk because the coconut milk makes it extra creamy. You can swap oat milk to make it nut free.
Chocolate chips – Most chocolate chips on the market contain milk, so make sure you purchase an allergy friendly version
Cocoa powder – Use whatever regular cocoa powder you have on hand, but don’t use hot cocoa mix because that contains sugar and usually milk.
Sugar or sweetener – I use regular sugar, but you can use any sweetener you prefer including sugar free alternatives. Just make sure to swap the correct amounts
Marshmallows – marshmallows aren’t naturally vegan, so if you want this hot chocolate to be dairy free & vegan, you need to choose a vegan friendly marshmallow

Is there a dairy free hot chocolate mix?

In case you really don’t want to make your own, there are mixes available. Swiss Miss just came out with a non dairy hot chocolate that doesn’t contain milk. I found it at Meijer, but I’ve also seen it at Target.

More dairy free drink recipes: vegan pumpkin spice latte / toasted coconut shakerato / boozy black cow milkshakes

How do you make dairy free hot chocolate?

Heat your milk. In a large saucepan, heat your choice of dairy free milk. I used mostly cashew with a bit of canned coconut milk for extra creaminess (I call this my dairy free half-and-half).

Add the cocoa powder, sweetener and chocolate chips. I used my favorite local brand of chocolate chips, but you can use any dairy free chocolate you want (even if it’s in bar form). You can also use any sweetener you prefer. I used regular sugar, but you could use maple syrup, honey or even coconut sugar. Either way, whisk it all together and keep stirring until the chocolate chips have melted.

Pour and garnish. Serve you dairy free hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and a sprinkle of cinnamon. If you want to make this vegan or gluten free, just be sure to swap out the marshmallows for a friendly version.

More hot chocolate recipes you’ll love:

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