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This date-sweetened Hot Chocolate has become a weekly staple in my home, so I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer! All you need is a few simple ingredients to make this comforting dairy-free treat at home.
How to Make It
I’ve already got a popular healthy hot chocolate recipe here on my website, but I make this version when I don’t have almond milk on hand.
It’s inspired by my Vegan Latte and London Fog Drink, both of which become creamy by blending a hot beverage with dates and a small spoonful of almond butter. It may sound strange, but you’re just going to have to trust me on this one.
This vegan hot chocolate came to life during one of our first evenings of “social distancing.” I didn’t want to take the time to make a batch of homemade almond milk, or run to the store for a carton, so I wondered if I could make my own creamy hot chocolate at home, using just boiling hot water and my blender.
Hot Chocolate Ingredients
Instead of using a dairy-free milk, this recipe calls for water and almond butter to make your own instant almond milk. (I do this a lot for smoothies, too!)
If you have a nut allergy, I imagine you could use hemp hearts to make your own hemp milk or oat milk, too.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cacao powder
- Almond Butter
- Dates (or maple syrup)
Blend these 3 ingredients together with hot water, and you’ll have an instant hot chocolate that’s unbelievably rich and creamy.
Tips for Blending Hot Liquid in a Blender
If you’ve never tried blending something hot in your blender before, here’s what you need to know.
- The hole in the top of your blender lid acts as a vent. When blending something hot, it’s important you loosely cover that hole with a thin dishtowel, so that the hot steam can safely escape without splattering all over your kitchen. If you don’t allow the steam to vent, the lid may blow off your blender, causing a mess and potential burns. So be careful!
- If you’re concerned about blending something hot in your plastic blender container, you can blend the ingredients together using cold water, and then heat the chocolate milk up in a saucepan instead. I find that this can sometimes make the hot chocolate “thicken up” a bit more, but it’s less likely if you use maple syrup as the sweetener, instead of the dates. Or, you can choose to use a blender with a glass container, like the Ace Blender.
- If you don’t have a high speed blender, like a Vitamix, I recommend using a fine mesh strainer to filter out any date pieces that don’t get pulverized as you pour the hot chocolate into your mug. Or, simply use maple syrup which will have less fiber to deal with.
I hope you’ll enjoy this quick & easy recipe the next time you need a hot chocolate fix!
Making a Kid’s Hot Chocolate?
When I make this for my kids, I sometimes use only 1 teaspoon of cacao powder instead of a full tablespoon. (This gives it more of a “milk chocolate” flavor.) I also use 1/2 cup of boiled water and 1/2 cup of cold filtered water, so the temperature is easier for them to drink right away.
This is a huge hit with my kids, so I hope it will be a success in your home, too!
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon almond butter (or any other nut/seed butter)
- 1 heaping tablespoon cacao powder
- 2 Medjool dates , pitted (or 2-3 teaspoons maple syrup)
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil. (Tip: I usually boil a little more than a cup, then measure after it's boiled.)
- While you wait for the water to boil, add the almond butter, cacao powder, and dates, or maple syrup, to the blender.
- Add 1 cup of boiled water to the blender, and carefully blend the ingredients together, starting on low speed. Be sure to open the vent at the top of your blender lid, and cover that with a thin dish towel to allow steam to escape. If you do not allow the steam to escape, the pressure could blow the lid off your blender and potentially cause burns (and a mess), so be careful! I put the tamper in my Vitamix lid, and lift it slightly to allow steam to escape, as an alternative to using a towel.
- Blend until smooth and creamy, then pour it into a mug. Allow the hot chocolate to cool to a warm sipping temperature, then enjoy! When it cools, it still makes a delicious chocolate milk.
Notes
- Any nut butter should work well for this recipe, but I think almond and cashew butter have the most neutral flavor. If you use peanut butter, tahini, or sunflower seed butter, their flavor may be slightly more prominent, so just keep that in mind.
- When I make this for my kids, I sometimes use only 1 teaspoon of cacao powder instead of a full tablespoon. (This gives it more of a “milk chocolate” flavor.) I also use 1/2 cup of boiled water and 1/2 cup of cold filtered water, so the temperature is easier for them to drink right away.
Nutrition
Nutrition info above is generated automatically using a generic online calculator. I recommend checking the labels on your own ingredients if you need accurate calculations.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about that, too! We can all benefit from your experience.
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite quick & easy treat?
THANK YOU! Made it with almond milk. Added a bit of vanilla and cinnamon, plus my collagen protein powder. Soooo good and creamy!
Absolutely delicious! I used cashew butter instead of almond butter and added four dates instead of two since mine were fairly old.
This is was good! Subbed coffee for the water.
That sounds like a delicious mocha! Thanks for the feedback, Caren. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Thank your all your efforts and delicious recipes. all the love for you from KSA
Oh my goodness! Thank you for this recipe; I was looking for a little treat on this cold, winter day. The dates were perfect- just sweet enough! Used cashew cream instead of nut butter since that is what I had and used 1/2 boiling water, 1/2 almond milk for a little extra calcium. Also through in 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds as a thickener. So yummy! Can’t wait to make it again, thank you!
Incredible! I am in awe of your ability to take a few simple healthy ingredients and turn them into something unexpected and AMAZING! This is delicious!
Look forward to trying! Curious why you chose water and nut butter vs. say coconut milk or oat milk, and no nut butter?
I don’t like the taste of store-bought non-dairy milks, so the water + nut butter combo is my way of making homemade nut milk. If you tend to keep homemade nut milks in your fridge, you can use that instead. But, I think this ratio makes it nice and creamy!