Vegan Hemp Seed Chocolate Milk (with Cacao Powder)

This delicious homemade hemp seed chocolate milk is ultra easy, done within 5 minutes, super healthy and made using only 3 simple ingredients. No strainer or soaking is required! It yields a super creamy plant-based milk that has a bold dark chocolate flavor and that's also sweetened using dates (no added granulated sugar). Enjoy for breakfast, snacking, as a post-workout refreshment or anytime you feel like a treat.

This easy 5-minute hemp chocolate milk is by far my favorite homemade dairy-free milk to make at home!

I do LOVE this cashew chocolate milk and this fresh strawberry almond milk, but when in a rush, making dairy-free milk using hemp seeds is best: they are tiny and delicate, they blend super easily and you don't need to soak them first!

This dark chocolate hemp milk is super creamy, smooth, rich, and packed with amazing flavor (thanks to cacao powder) your whole family will love. Plus, the combo hemp + cacao gives you a dairy-free milk that's rich in nutrients, especially antioxidants and healthy fats!

For another no-soak homemade milk to try at home, check out this dairy-free strawberry oat milk recipe!

Let me know how you liked it! ❤️

❤️ Why you will love this recipe

• Very easy and quick plant milk to make at home: no soaking and no straining!
• Rich chocolatey flavor
• Allergen friendly: nut-free, soy-free
• Sweetened with dates and made without added refined sugar!
• Cheaper and healthier (no preservatives!) than store-bought plant-based chocolate milk
• Filled with nutrients from hemp seeds and cacao powder or cocoa powder, such as healthy omega-3 fats, antioxidants and minerals.
• Vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and low-in-sugar (and oil-free!)

🗒 Ingredient notes (+ substitutions)

• Hemp seeds: make sure you use hulled hemp seeds (see picture below), which are the most common type of hemp seeds you can find in grocery stores. Unhulled hemp hearts still have their shell around them and they would not blend easily. You can find them online if that's easier.
• Raw cacao powder: I used cacao powder, but you can also use cocoa powder, they both work just as well.
• Medjool dates: my favorite way to sweeten plant-based milks. Be sure to use the large and soft medjool dates as they are easier to blend to smooth. You can also swap for maple syrup or any other sweetener if you prefer or if you don't have a high-speed blender.

⭐️ Full list of ingredients (+ quantities) down below in the recipe card!

📝 Variations

You customize this plant milk by adding more flavoring ingredients to it, such as:

• Vanilla extract
• Peanut butter
• Cinnamon
• Turmeric powder
• Chai spices
• Maple syrup

If you want to make it thicker and sweeter, you can blend the ingredients with 2 frozen bananas. This would give you a drink similar to my banana milkshake! In that case, I would recommend serving it all right away as it would not store very well with fruit being part of the recipe.

🍽 How to make hemp seed chocolate milk

Step 1: Add all the ingredients in a blender (hemp seeds, cacao or cocoa powder, dates, water).

Step 2: Blend on high until super smooth, then taste to adjust flavoring and make sure there are no pieces of dates left. Keep blending as long as it needs to get a super smooth texture. Pour into a storing glass jar and transfer to the fridge. You can enjoy the milk right away, but I think it tastes better when it has a little bit of time to chill first.

⭐️ Detailed recipe (+ video!) down below in the recipe card!

💡 Helpful tips

• If you don't have a high-speed blender, then you might want to soak your dates in hot water for about 10 minutes before blending them to help make them soft enough to be completely pulverized.
• Usually, you don't have to strain milk made with hemp seeds as they blend so easily. Depending on your blender, you might want to double check the texture and pour the milk through a fine mesh colander to make sure there are no pieces of dates.
• If you want to enjoy the hemp chocolate milk right away after blending, you might want to help chill it by adding a few ice cubes to the blender and doing a quick blend at the end once the milk is all done. Otherwise, chill the milk in the fridge for at least an hour before enjoying it.
• Hemp milk gets a little foamy once blended. If you are trying to avoid that, then simply let it rest for a few minutes in the fridge and the foam will dissipate.
• A high-speed blender will give you a milk that's unbelievably silky and creamy, although regular blenders will work well too.

❗️Storage tips

This plant-based hemp chocolate milk makes for such a great recipe to make ahead as it stores very well.

Once blended, simply keep it in a glass storage container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Shake well before using as there might be some separation happening while storing.

❓ FAQs