Healthy Hot Chocolate Recipe That's Thoroughly Gourmet (2024)

Make your own healthy hot chocolate with this healthy hot chocolate recipe. Tweak it a bit to fit your dietary needs, and enjoy this warming beverage on National Hot Chocolate Day!

A healthy hot chocolate recipe is one that fits your health goals, and can be tweaked and adjusted to fit your tastes, expectations, flavor preferences, and health goals. A healthy hot cocoa doesn’t need to be made of plant milk or zero calorie sweetener. If those fit your definition of healthy, you can make substitutions as needed. This healthy hot chocolate recipe is using whole food ingredients, for a delicious and lightly creamy hot cocoa, that will fully satisfy those chocolate cravings.

There’s also added spices for their warmth and healthy, satisfactory taste kick. You can enjoy the antioxidant rich health benefits of cocoa using this recipe, or your own variation of this recipe. Cocoa is one of the antioxidant rich superfoods, and is also high in magnesium. If you with to use cocoa for it’s iron content, avoid pairing with dairy or grain based non-dairy milk.

Best Milk for Hot Chocolate:

The best milk for hot chocolate is the one you enjoy, that fits with your dietary or allergy needs, and is available when making this recipe. Feel free to substitute oat milk, almond milk, or hazelnut milk, if you can’t have regular dairy milk, or goat’s milk.

I use farm fresh, whole fat, cow’s milk from my local organic dairy for this hot chocolate recipe. The extra creaminess and sweetness of the grass fed, jersey milk helps reduce the need for sweeteners or sugar in the hot chocolate. It also reduces the need for added cream or whipping cream.

If you’re dairy intolerant, or follow a dairy-less diet, coconut milk may make a more satisfying hot chocolate, if you enjoy coconut.

Best Cacao Powder:

You may also be wondering what the best cacao powder is for your healthy hot chocolate. Chose a whole cacao powder, baking cacao can work in a pinch, but a nice organic cacao powder is preferable. Go with one that you like the taste of, some have a more bitter taste than others.

I prefer organic raw cacao powder, that is also fair trade certified. My grand daughter’s don’t like the flavor of it, so if they’re visiting I use a different cacao powder base.

Enjoy the free hot chocolate recipe below:

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Crafting the Hot Chocolate:

• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dark cocoa powder
• 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 cup whole fat milk, organic or grass fed
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1 small pinch cayenne (optional)
• Splash of vanilla extract (optional)
• Optional garnish (whipped cream, chocolate curls, marshmallows, mini marshmallows, dusting of cinnamon or cocoa)

To Make:

1. In a small saucepan with a heavy bottom, measure out the milk, cocoa, and sweetener.
2. Grab a whisk, and over medium heat whisk the cocoa until it begins to steam.
3. Add the cinnamon and cayenne if using, or add vanilla if not using the cinnamon and cayenne, and whisk into the hot cocoa.
4. Some people add a small pinch of salt to bring out the flavors, salt is optional.
5. Pour into a mug and serve hot, and frothy.

Top your hot chocolate with your choice of garnish, if desired. I like a sprinkle of cinnamon for the warmth.

Variations:

You may be wondering why the focus of this healthy hot chocolate recipe isn’t making it dairy-free, vegan, and completely plant based. There are different definitions of healthy, and my definition is the closer something is to it’s original form the more I’m likely to use it.

If you need a dairy-free milk variation, you can use homemade unsweetened almond milk, hazelnut milk, cashew milk, or any other variation you desire. For creaminess, with non-dairy options, you can also add a tablespoon of coconut cream.

For flavor variations, instead of the cinnamon and cayenne which are warming herbs and good for immune boosting during the winter, and also known as Mexican hot chocolate. You can add a drop or two of peppermint extract for a peppermint hot chocolate.

For sweetening your hot chocolate, if you want to skip the maple syrup, you can also use honey or agave nectar. Otherwise, if you need a zero calorie or low calorie sweetener, you can sub in some stevia (1 teaspoon is more than enough usually), or use a monk-fruit sweetener blend.

If you want an even richer hot chocolate, use half heavy cream and half milk, and melt in 1-2 squares of your favorite dark chocolate along with the cocoa powder.

Going Further:

If you’re exploring non-dairy beverage options, remember that you can make your own almond, cashew, or hazelnut “milk” substitutes using a blender and water. Simply soak the nut of choice for 12 hours, in a jar in the fridge, and then blend. Strain through a sieve to make your own non-dairy milk. Sweeten with stevia, sugar, honey, or sweetener substitute of choice.

I still find real milk to be simpler, but I do have a local organic dairy. So I am a bit spoiled in that regard.

Make More Drinks: Learn to use garden herbs to make inspiring botanical beverages

For more recipes that can help you beat the heat check out my Inspiring Botanical Drinks course. Inside this class you’ll learn how to use your garden herbs and produce to create elixirs, drinks, and cold treats that are healthy, full of antioxidants, and will help you stay cool all summer long. You’ll also learn healthy ways to beat the soda habit, make your own coffee shop drinks, and craft specialty beverages that are lovely and giftable. Learn more here.