Homemade Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
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Cozy up with a delicious mug of Oat Milk Hot Chocolate this season.
A combination of unsweetened oat milk, rich chocolate chips, cocoa, and a touch of powdered sugar, creates the perfect mug of hot cocoa that is deliciously rich and completely dairy free!
As the chilly New England air settles in, there’s nothing better than a warm cup of hot chocolate. This recipe is a fun twist on the classic, inspired by my new love for oat milk.
Since I’m not big on dairy and my husband is lactose intolerant, oat milk has become a go-to in our house. It’s creamy, with a hint of nuttiness, making it perfect for hot cocoa.
The best part? You can easily make it dairy-free and vegan, so everyone can enjoy this cozy treat all winter long!And oat milk is not just for beverages, I love using oat milk in pancakes and any recipe that calls for whole or low fat milk!
Why You’ll Love This Oat Milk Hot Cocoa
- Dairy Free Hot Chocolate: This recipe is perfect for lactose-intolerant individuals and is vegan-friendly (make sure to select certified vegan ingredients).
- Smooth and Silky: The creamy oat milk provides a velvety texture.
- Customizable: Sweetness and toppings to suit your taste and can be vegan or not.
- Quick and Easy: Minimal ingredients and simple steps for satisfying that sweet tooth.
- Cozy Comfort: Perfect for chilly evenings and relaxing moments.
- Family-Friendly: Great for all ages and is allergen free, making it great for gatherings and the holiday season.
Ingredients
With a few simple ingredients, you can have a big mug of hot chocolate that is creamy and delicious without the dairy! Full ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions can be found on the recipe card.
- Unsweetened oat milk – Oat milk gives the hot chocolate a creamy texture and is the primary liquid for this recipe. I use the unsweetened variety since we’re adding sugar and chocolate chips later.
- Powdered sugar – The powdered sugar will sweeten the cocoa and thicken it slightly since there is cornstarch in powdered sugar. This will give you a sweet and creamy hot chocolate.
- Mini chocolate chips – You can use any chocolate chips you like, milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate (Vegan or not).
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – The cocoa powder gives the hot chocolate a rich chocolate flavor.
- Kosher salt – A pinch of salt adds balance to the hot cocoa recipe
- Vanilla extract – I love adding 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract to chocolate for extra warmth. Use pure vanilla extract for this recipe, not imitation.
Hint: Select allergen free or vegan chocolate chips for a completely dairy free hot chocolate. Make sure to read the package labels when selecting your ingredients. Serve with vegan marshmallows or whipped coconut cream.
Instructions:
How to make oat milk hot chocolate:
In a small saucepan, add the oat milk, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and salt.
Whisk over medium heat until the mixture is smooth, steaming, and has thickened slightly– about 3-4 minutes. Do not boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
Carefully pour the hot chocolate into an eager mug and top with whipped cream and mini marshmallows (vegan or not).
Substitutions
- Sweetener: Swap the powdered sugar for pure maple syrup
- Chocolate: You can use vegan or regular chocolate chips for this recipe. Chopped real chocolate bars can be substituted as well.
Types Of Milk
While this is an oat milk hot chocolate recipe, feel free to use any different type of milk you prefer. Here’s an extensive list. If you’ve tried others let me know!
- Pistachio Milk
- Coconut Milk
- Cashew Milk
- Almond Milk (get extra creamy if you can)
- Soy Milk
- Dairy Milk like Whole Milk or 2%
Party Idea
Make a hot chocolate bar by scaling up the batch for a crowd. Keep warm in a crockpot and put out different flavored syrups, toppings like dairy or vegan whipped cream, dairy foams (sweet cream or pumpkin foam), nondairy varieties, and different candies and chocolate curls.
Variations
- Make it spicy! Add a dash of cinnamon, or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the mix.
- Add a couple drops of pure peppermint extract to the chocolate mixture off the heat
- Double the chocolate chips or use chocolate oat milk for an extra rich, sweet mug of cocoa.
- Add a shot of espresso for a hot mocha.
FAQs
While this recipe is more nutritious than traditional hot chocolate, I still consider it a treat because it contains added sugar and chocolate chips.
But, if you want a better way to sweeten your cocoa, swap out the powdered sugar for pure maple syrup! Start with one tablespoon at first and adjust to taste.
Nutrition info sourced from eatingwell.com and womenshealthmag.com
I prefer unsweetened oat milk because we’re adding sweeteners in the form of powdered sugar and chocolate chips later in the recipe.
Oat milk is whole oats blended with water and then strained. This is what gives oat milk its creaminess.
Oat milk is a fabulous alternative to dairy milk and provides a dairy free option for those who suffer from nut or soy allergies. Oats are naturally vegan and gluten free, therefore oat milk is toou002du002dbut always make sure to check your labels to be safe.
Oat milk also inherits the same nutrients that come from whole oats, such as protein, fiber, and iron. It’s worth mentioning that oat milk is a little lower in sodium compared to almond milk or soy milk.
Nutrition info sourced from womenshealthmag.com
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Pairs Well With
This oat milk hot chocolate would be fabulous paired with any of the following recipes!
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Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened oat milk
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons dairy free/vegan mini chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- Splash of pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add the oat milk, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and salt.
- Whisk over medium heat until the mixture is smooth, steaming, and has thickened slightly– about 3-4 minutes. Do not boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Carefully pour the hot chocolate into an eager mug and top with coconut whipped topping and vegan marshmallows.
Hey Michelle! I love this recipe and I am hosting people this weekend for the holidays. Have you ever tried this as a big batch in a slow cooker???