What a crazy winter we’ve had! This week we had another foot of snow and two snow days to the girls’ great delight. They spent as much time as they could outside playing with their friends, building snowmen, and catching snowflakes. We had more than enough snow to build a snow fort in the backyard, or at least three quarters of one before the kids got too wet and cold and decided they’d had enough.
So in we all trooped inside to dry off, warm up, and have some hot chocolate.
A long time ago, I’d buy those tins of hot chocolate mix, but when we switched to healthier eating I took a closer look at the ingredients and promptly tossed them out. Fortunately, it’s really simple to make delicious hot chocolate from scratch. And when you ditch the mix, you control the sugar, additives, and any allergens.
Hubby is allergic to milk proteins, so he used to miss out on this snow day tradition. Luckily for him I’m a pretty awesome wife, so I developed a simple recipe for making non-dairy hot chocolate with coconut milk. There are other non-dairy substitutes of course, but coconut milk is my preferred non-dairy milk because it’s shelf stable in tins or cartons, affordable, and I cook with it a lot so I always have some around the house.
Proper hot chocolate should be rich and creamy. When I make my own I use full-fat milk, never water. But if you just replace the dairy milk with coconut milk, it’s too rich to drink an entire cup. The trick is to dilute the coconut milk down about half and half to make a cup of sweet, creamy, and delicious hot chocolate that warms you all the way from the inside out to the tips of your fingers.
Is there anything cozier than curling up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate while the winter wind howls outside? Now nobody misses out!
Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1-2 tablespoons sugar or honey
- 1 cup hot water divided
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
- pinch cinnamon optional
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add cocoa powder, sweetener, and a splash of hot water. Mix into a smooth paste while heating.
- Once smooth, add remainder of hot water, coconut milk, vanilla extract, sea salt, and cinnamon.
- Whisk while heating being careful not to bring to a boil.
- Serve hot.
Thanks for sharing,the recipe sounds so delicious.The the photo of the girls!
Oooohhhh….yes, please! I’m dairy free, so this is perfect! Thank you for is yummy recipe!
I’m going to have to give this a try. We always have coconut milk in our house.
This sounds great, I have not used coconut milk and will have to give it a try, sounds delish!!
oh I am totally trying this. looks delish and so easy to make. You don’t need much. my kind of drink for sure. perfect for this time of year
Sounds delicious! So many people are dairy free now a days!
Sounds delicious, I will pass this recipe on to someone I know who is lactose intolerant.
Sounds easy and yummy I will have to try π
Wonderful drink, healthy too. I really like the taste of coconut. Using coconut milk for hot chocolate is a nice idea.
Oh yummy. I can’t wait to try this out. I bet it tastes delicious!!!!
This must taste so yummy with the coconut milk as its base.
This sounds delicious! I have never made home made hot cocoa but have always wanted to. Thanks for sharing.
this sounds so yummy. one of my favorite drinks to share with the kids.
I also usually have coconut milk on hand. Not only that but many recipes do not use the entire amount so the leftovers languish in the fridge. I haven’t had hot chocolate in ages so I look forward to a cup!
Hey there! I just wanted to say that your blog is amazing. I’m always checking to see the updates and I love everything you post. Please keep it up!
Wow, this looks delicious! π I Love Coconut Milk , I’ll definitely have to try this.. thanks for the recipe!!!
Yummo!! I have just recently switched to coconut milk to try and get rid of my dairy intake and Im still craving a yummy hot chocolate!! This sounds like perfection!!
I’ve never tried Coconut Milk before. This sounds delicious though!
For some reason despite my love of chocolate I don’t like hot chocolate, weird I know π
We’ve been craving hot chocolate in our house and this looks like a new one we should give a try!
Looks so good, Thank you for sharing!
looks delicious-i will have to try it
Thank you for this great recipe my neice has milk allergies and this will be the perfect hot drink for her…
I have been searching for a recipe for Chocolate milk that is healthier than store bought ones. I think your recipe is the answer. I am eager to try it. I have saved the recipe. Thank you for it.
This look like a fantastic recipe, my family would like this.
Sounds good – will try this recipe.
We love coconut milk in many recipes and will try it in the hot chocolate for a delicious treat as well.
I’m wondering if it tastes like coconut? I love chocolate coconut bars!
I don’t notice it much, but there is a slight coconut creamy taste. Mostly just the chocolate though. π
This recipe is perfect, LOVE Chocolate and Coconut Milk!! I just had to go dairy-free recently, thanks for the great idea! π
I am glad that we can now infuse more and more chocolate flavor into our lives, now with this coconut milk hot chocolate!