Are you looking to try out a vegan diet but can’t quite bring yourself to eliminate your favorite wintertime drink? If you want to make sure you can still enjoy a delicious cup of hot chocolate when the cold weather hits, don’t worry. These easy vegan hot chocolate recipes will make you question whether you’ve accidentally made the real thing.
1. 5-Minute Vegan Hot Cocoa
After a long afternoon playing in the snow, a quick hot chocolate recipe is in order. The 5-Minute Vegan Hot Cocoa by Minimalist Baker fits the bill perfectly. You can make it in a saucepan or in the microwave, whichever suits your mood and schedule.
This recipe combines unsweetened almond milk, cocoa powder, semisweet chocolate chips, and a sweetener to give you a smooth, creamy cup of hot cocoa that will warm your chilled bones. Since it doesn’t call for a specific sweetener, you can use whichever you prefer.
If you want to kick it up a notch or two, you can add an extract of your choice. For example, the recipe calls for peppermint, but if that doesn’t appeal to you, you can use vanilla instead. Then, top it off with a dollop of coconut whipped cream to get an extra smooth taste.
2. Gingerbread Vegan Hot Chocolate
A Saucy Kitchen’s Gingerbread Vegan Hot Chocolate is a delicious twist on hot chocolate that’s nut, dairy, egg, and gluten-free. It only takes five minutes to prepare, and one batch can serve four people.
This recipe uses full-fat coconut milk as its base to give an extra creamy texture. To get that classic gingerbread flavor, you’ll combine maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice with cocoa powder, then sweeten it with vanilla extract.
For the tastiest results, serve your hot chocolate with a gingerbread cookie on the side. It’ll give you some extra flavor and a bit of crunch. This velvety drink is sure to soothe away any wintertime blues.
3. Creamy Vegan Hot Chocolate
The New York Times always seems to have a recipe to suit any craving, and their Creamy Vegan Hot Chocolate really hits the mark. Although it requires a few more added steps than other cocoa, it still only takes a few minutes to whip up.
This recipe combines semisweet chocolate chips, cocoa powder, creamy nut or seed butter, and non-dairy milk. The combination of non-dairy milk and nut butter adds an extra creamy texture that’ll have even your carnivorous friends doing a double-take.
The key to creaminess in this recipe is whisking. Instead of simply stirring your ingredients together, you’ll whisk the butter and milk to get a frothy consistency. Then, if you think it needs a bit of extra sweetening, you can add a dash of sugar or maple syrup.
4. Vegan Pumpkin Hot Chocolate
Pumpkin spice is everywhere once autumn hits, so it’s no surprise Running With Spoons created a Vegan Pumpkin Hot Chocolate Recipe. The smooth, spiced flavor is an excellent way to warm up on a cold day or relax by the fire.
This recipe is entirely dairy-free and calls for no refined sweeteners, making it an excellent choice for a vegan, low-sugar diet. Instead, it combines vanilla almond milk, pumpkin puree, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spices to give you a delicious pumpkin pie-in-a-mug flavor.
The pumpkin puree is key to the creaminess of this drink. It mixes so well with the almond milk, giving you a thick, creamy cup of hot cocoa perfect for chilly days. And since whipped cream makes everything better, don’t forget to top it off with a bit of coconut whipped cream.
5. The Best Vegan Hot Chocolate
One of the great things about The Vegan 8 is that all of her recipes contain eight ingredients or fewer. Fortunately, her Vegan Hot Chocolate is no exception. This recipe only calls for six ingredients and takes about five minutes to throw together.
To get the Best Vegan Hot Chocolate, you’ll need to combine semisweet chocolate, cocoa powder, maple syrup, light coconut milk, espresso, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. The creaminess from the coconut milk mixed with the kick of espresso makes this recipe a true stand-out.
If you’re not a fan of coconut but want a creamy cup of hot cocoa, this recipe is a good option. Light coconut milk doesn’t have that telltale coconut flavor, so all you’ll get is light, creamy hot chocolate with no unwanted flavors.
6. Healthy Hazelnut Spice Hot Chocolate With Essential Oils
Vegan Chickpea’s Healthy Hazelnut Spice Hot Chocolate is all about hazelnut’s nutty, delicious flavor. Since hazelnuts are known for their antioxidants and heart health benefits, this recipe isn’t just tasty but healthy, too.
You have a lot of wiggle room with this recipe. You can use any type of milk you’d like, including dairy. It calls for maple or date syrup as a sweetener, but any non-refined sweetener will work well. And if you don’t have access to essential oils, you can easily use regular cinnamon and nutmeg.
The best part about this recipe is the use of essential oils. Cinnamon and nutmeg oils have many health benefits, and since these oils can last for years, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth if you go that route.
7. 5 Minute Vegan Hot Chocolate
Nora Cooks’ 5 Minute Vegan Hot Chocolate is a quick and easy recipe you can whip up on your stove in just a few minutes. It’s thick, creamy, and perfect if you want a no-fuss vegan alternative to the classic cup of cocoa.
All you need for this recipe is almond milk, cocoa powder, sugar, chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and salt. Simply combine the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until combined. Top with some vegan whipped cream, and you’ll be all set.
Nora also offers several variations on her classic hot chocolate if you want to change things up. These include a mocha version that includes espresso and a peppermint variation that includes peppermint extract and crushed candy canes.
8. Orange Hot Chocolate
The combination of orange and chocolate may not be for everyone, but The Almond Dealer’s Orange Hot Chocolate is sure to sway some opinions. It has just the right amount of orange to turn this classic cocoa into something intriguing.
This recipe combines dark chocolate with cane sugar, cocoa powder, your milk of choice, and vanilla, with freshly-squeezed orange juice. The key is to only use fresh-squeezed juice instead of store-bought because it gives a much richer flavor.
If you prefer orange extract, you can use that to add your orange flavor instead of orange juice. Just remember that a little goes a long way with extract, so start out with just a dash and add slowly. Garnish with a slice of orange and some chocolate shavings, and you’ll be all set.
9. Vegan Hot Chocolate
If you like your hot chocolate topped with gooey marshmallows, the Vegan Hot Chocolate by Purely Kaylie will fit the bill. It’s extra chocolatey, and the marshmallows give it an extra layer of creamy flavor.
Kaylie uses oat milk, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and cinnamon for her recipe, then sweetens it with a dash of real maple syrup. You can add some chocolate chips to the mix for an extra dose of chocolate. Then, finish it off with a nice handful of marshmallows on top.
When sweetening with maple syrup, make sure you use the real thing. Unfortunately, many syrups are simply maple “flavored,” with the bulk of the ingredient list being artificial ingredients and high fructose corn syrup.
10. Vegan Hot Chocolate
BBC GoodFood’s Vegan Hot Chocolate is a tasty mix of spices, chocolate, and creamy oat milk that cooks up smoothly in just a few minutes on the stove. It’s an easy recipe to whip together with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
This hot cocoa gets its creaminess from an oat milk base mixed with solid dark chocolate. The use of chocolate instead of cocoa powder makes this drink extra smooth once you cook it. And, even better, it has the unique touch of cardamom pods.
If you can’t get ahold of whole cardamom pods, you can sprinkle in a touch of cardamom powder. Alternatively, you can omit it entirely and swap it with a dash of nutmeg. And, of course, don’t forget the marshmallows.
11. Vegan S’Mores Drinking Chocolate
There’s nothing that beats a delicious s’more by a campfire. However, if you’re fresh out of graham crackers or don’t have access to a campfire, Rabbit & Wolves’ Vegan S’Mores Drinking Chocolate is the perfect alternative.
This hot chocolate is the thickest on this list, thanks to the mix of coconut cream, marshmallows, dark chocolate, molasses, and brown sugar. It has an almond milk base and gets spiced up with a touch of cinnamon and vanilla.
The trick to getting this hot chocolate extra thick is to add a few marshmallows into the pan when you’re melting the chocolate. Then, top it with a few more and scorch the top with a kitchen torch to get a nice, toasted flavor.
12. Vegan Hot Chocolate Recipe From Scratch
The Conscious Plant Kitchen’s Vegan Hot Chocolate Recipe From Scratch combines six simple ingredients to create a delicious treat for a cold day. What’s best is that there’s a tasty Mexican hot chocolate variation you can try, too.
One of the best things about this recipe is that it’s free of refined sugar. Instead, you’ll sweeten it with coconut sugar, which is nothing more than a sweetener made from coconut palm sap. It’s made nice and thick with almond and soy milk mixed with vegan dark chocolate chips.
If you want to kick it up a degree, you can turn this basic recipe into Mexican Vegan Hot Chocolate. Simply add a bit of cinnamon and a dash of chili powder, and you’ll have a sweet and spicy treat.
13. Easy Vegan Hot Chocolate
The Easy Vegan Hot Chocolate by It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken is a quick recipe you can put together in just a few minutes. It’s pretty close to most standard hot chocolate recipes, so it’s a great option if you don’t like to deviate from the original.
It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken’s recipe calls for cocoa powder, sugar, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract. You can use whichever milk you prefer, but they recommend oat for its creaminess.
If you want to put in a little extra work, you can also whip up a batch of their marshmallow fluff to put on top. It’s extra tasty if you break out the kitchen torch and toast the top. Plus, the benefit of fluff is that you can use a pastry bag to put cute designs on top.
14. Vegan Hot Chocolate
Chocolate Covered Katie’s Vegan Hot Chocolate has just five ingredients, most of which are probably already in your pantry. If you’re a fan of Starbucks’ hot chocolate, you’ll love this recipe because it’s essentially a recreation.
All you need for this recipe is your favorite milk, Dutch cocoa, sweetener of choice, salt, and vanilla extract. Then, combine the ingredients in a saucepan and heat. Alternatively, you can heat up a big batch of this cocoa using the crockpot.
Katie offers suggestions for several different variations, including peanut butter, orange, Nutella, and peppermint. Each variation requires the addition of a few extra ingredients, but if you like your cocoa to have an extra kick, they’re great options.
15. Vegan Hot Chocolate
Jessica in the Kitchen’s recipe for Vegan Hot Chocolate mimics the classic recipe by combining milk with cocoa and a few other ingredients. The result is a chocolatey drink that’s sweet but not too sweet.
The ingredients in this recipe consist of soy and coconut milk, cocoa powder, a dash of salt, and a touch of maple syrup for sweetness. On its own, this recipe is perfect. However, if you want to change it up, Jessica recommends adding a touch of turmeric or cinnamon.
The main thing to remember is, if you choose to use milk that’s already sweetened, cut back a bit on the maple syrup. You don’t want your drink to become too sweet because it won’t be nearly as enjoyable.
16. Red Velvet Hot Chocolate
Perhaps the most unique hot chocolate drink on this list is Darn Good Veggies’ Red Velvet Hot Chocolate. If the blog’s name isn’t a dead giveaway as to the secret ingredient, you might be surprised to know that the red color is thanks to beet powder.
This healthier twist on your favorite cold-weather drink combines non-dairy milk, Medjool dates, cacao powder, and beet room. That’s it. Only four ingredients to a tasty, red-hued cup of hot chocolate.
The addition of beet powder doesn’t change the flavor, and the dates give it the perfect amount of sweetness. They also give this drink a thick, rich texture that’s perfect for a cold-weather treat.
17. Coconutty Vegan Hot Chocolate
Heart of a Baker’s Coconutty Vegan Hot Chocolate is a five-minute recipe that only contains four ingredients. You can make it in a snap and keep it warming in a slow cooker if you want to make a big batch.
The only things you need for this recipe are light coconut milk, chocolate chips, and vanilla extract. Heat them on a stove until combined, then pour into a cup. To get some extra coconut flavor, sprinkle some shredded coconut on top.
An alternative method for this recipe is to combine the ingredients in a blender before heating. It keeps the mess confined to a blender and makes it easier to make a big batch.
18. Red Wine Hot Chocolate
If you want to put an adult-friendly twist on your classic hot chocolate recipe, then Rhian’s Recipes’ Red Wine Hot Chocolate should suit you. The best part is you can swap the red wine for a non-alcoholic version to get the same flavor without the buzz.
For this recipe, you’ll combine dark chocolate with cocoa powder, maple syrup, cornstarch, and unsweetened cashew milk. Then, add in a splash of red wine for extra zip.
Since most hot chocolate recipes don’t call for thinner liquid, you’ll want to add cornstarch to compensate for the red wine. Although the wine adds flavor, it also thins out the milk, so adding the cornstarch will ensure you get that thick, chocolatey texture.
19. Matcha White Hot Chocolate
Rounding out the list is Love & Lemons’ Matcha White Hot Chocolate. White chocolate fans, this one’s definitely for you. As far as vegan hot chocolates go, this one has a lot to offer. In particular, matcha, usually used for tea, provides a fun, unexpected flavor.
There are only four ingredients in this recipe: almond milk, white chocolate, hot water, and matcha. First, you’ll melt the white chocolate in the almond milk. Then, while your chocolate’s melting, combine your matcha powder and hot water until dissolved. Finally, combine all your ingredients.
Since you’re adding dissolved matcha to this recipe, you might end up with a slightly thinner drink. If that’s not to your liking, you can add in a bit more white chocolate to thicken it up.
Easy Vegan Hot Chocolate Recipes, Final Thoughts
Vegan hot chocolate is a surprisingly easy treat to create. The key is choosing the right milk and high-quality cocoa and finding a sweet alternative to refined sugar. Hopefully, this list gave you a few new recipes to try. And who knows? Your new favorite winter drink might be waiting.
If you are looking for more vegan goodness to satisfy your sweet tooth, check out these vegan cake recipes.