This quick and easy oat milk hot chocolate is so delicious, creamy and rich in chocolatey flavor. Ready within 5 minutes, made using only 4 ingredients and completely vegan and dairy-free!
Today, we are having such cold breezy weather that the wind chill recorded is pretty much off the chart.
SO, I think a day like today calls for some hot drinks to sip on.
Other than my regular vanilla matcha latte, I have been obsessed with this cardamom latte and this lemongrass ginger tea and make them all the time to help me stay warm.
But this weekend, I wanted something that my whole family could and would want to enjoy, so I made a super simple hot chocolate using oat milk.
I turned mine into a turmeric hot chocolate by adding some spices, but for my kids, I served theirs with all the toppings: oat whipped cream and chocolate chips and all the things. It was amazing and everyone was very pleased, to say the least.
Plus, this dairy-free hot chocolate comes together under 5 minutes, just enough time to warm up the oat milk. Using raw cacao powder and just a touch of sweetener makes this hot drink healthier and rich in antioxidants plus, I love how the oat milk makes it dreamy, rich and so creamy, no one will know it's vegan!
So, next time you crave something chocolatey, I hope you give this recipe a try! 🤎
Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick, easy and made using only 4 simple ingredients
- Perfect for the whole family, including kids!
- Great cozy and warming drink to enjoy on a cold day
- Easy to customize and can adjust sweetness to your liking
- Healthier treat when craving something sweet
- Super creamy and rich texture, thanks to the combo of oat milk and raw cacao powder.
- Vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free.
Ingredients you'll need
- Oat milk: I used the oat milk from the brand Oatly.
- Raw cacao powder: cacao powder is better than cocoa here because it is less processed and contains more antioxidants. It also provides a richer chocolatey flavor. But, if you only have cocoa powder, that's fine, use this instead!
- Vegan chocolate chips: I used the allergen-free mini chocolate chips from the brand Enjoy Life.
- Sweetener: use any kind you like! I love maple syrup for drinks, but you can also use agave nectar or brown rice syrup. Monk fruit sugar or other granulated sugar such as coconut sugar would work well too and dissolve easily since you have to warm up the milk.
How to make oat milk hot chocolate
So easy and quick, you can make this vegan hot chocolate within 5 minutes.
Combine and warm up
In a small pot, add the oat milk, sweetener (start with less to add more later as needed) and raw cacao powder.
Whisk well until well combined and warm up on medium heat stirring once in a while.
You don't want to "cook" the milk, so watch carefully (the milk can overflow if boiling) and turn down the heat as needed.
Add chocolate and serve
Once the cacao milk is hot, then add the chocolate chips and turn off the heat. Stir well and let the chocolate chips melt, which should take 1-2 minute.
Pour into your serving mug and decorate (or not) as you wish with vegan whipped cream and more chocolate chips.
Watch how to make it
Helpful tips
- As mentioned, start with less sweetener when first combining the ingredients. You will also eventually add some chocolate chips, which will bring more sweetness as well.
- The cacao powder is trickier to combine with milk because of its super fine texture. I recommend to use a small whisk and keep whisking until there are no clumps, which might take a whole minute.
- Feel-free to pour the hot chocolate through a small colander into your serving mug if you notice there are still a few lumps.
Variations
This is a good basic vegan hot chocolate to vary and personalize to your taste. Here are a few ideas:
- Vanilla hot chocolate: I didn’t add any this time, but feel-free to include about ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract when making your hot chocolate. Simply add it to the milk when warming it up. Vanilla will boost the sweetness and also deepen the chocolate flavor.
- Spiced hot chocolate: add spices for more flavor, such as cinnamon, cayenne pepper, turmeric, nutmeg, etc. Combine with the milk when adding the cacao powder.
- Peppermint hot chocolate: would be amazing during the holiday season! Simply add a small amount of peppermint extract to the milk.
Serving suggestions
We love serving our hot chocolate with vegan whipped cream. It really makes it an amazing treat and our kids go crazy for it. This time, I used the store bought oat whipped cream from the brand 365, but you can use any kind of store-bought whipped cream you like, there are so many brands that are plant-based now!
For a bit of a healthier twist, then make your own whipped cream using canned coconut milk. It is really easy to make and is whipped within 5 minutes, although you will need to plan ahead and chill the can for a few hours beforehand.
Garnish with more vegan chocolate chips like shown in the pictures, or, you can also shave some vegan dark chocolate, sprinkle some more raw cacao powder or drizzle some vegan chocolate sauce over your drink. You could also top with a few vegan mini marshmallows if you have them.
For a complete treat, then serve your hot chocolate drink with homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, vegan matcha cookies or these no bake peanut butter fudge bites.
FAQ's
Yes you can. I find oat milk to best at making lattes and hot drinks since is it super creamy and thicker without a watery feeling to it. But, you can make your hot chocolate also using soy milk or almond milk as well.
Yes you can! If you do, then let it cool down a bit at room temperature and then, simply seal it and transfer to the fridge. To serve, warm it up on the stove or using the microwave.
Yes, we did drink some leftovers cold straight from the fridge and it was amazing! It gives a thick and rich chocolate milk that's very flavorful.
More vegan chocolate recipes you might like
- Chocolate orange overnight oats
- Chocolate covered chickpeas
- Vegan chocolate orange cake
- Chocolate oatmeal no bake bars
- Vegan dark chocolate frosting
- Chocolate and strawberry smoothie
- Chocolate pumpkin cookies
- Chocolate banana milkshake
- Vegan chocolate avocado pudding
- Hemp chocolate milk
More oat milk recipes to try!
- Oat milk chocolate pudding
- Oat milk vanilla matcha latte
- Oat milk bread
- Oat milk smoothie
- Chocolate boba (milk tea)
- Oat milk Alfredo pasta sauce
- Oat milk chai latte
I hope you like this oat milk hot chocolate recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 2 cups oat milk - unsweetened, I used Oatly
- 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
- 1 tbsp sweetener of your choice - I used maple syrup
- 1 tbsp vegan dark chocolate chips - I used vegan mini chips from Enjoy Life
To serve (choose 1-2 topping, optional)
- vegan whipped cream - I used the oat whipped cream from 365
- vegan marshmallow
- shaved vegan dark chocolate
- mini vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine the oat milk, cacao powder and sweetener in a small pot and warm up on medium heat until steamy hot (but not boiling). You will have to whisk for about a minute to get a uniform texture and incorporate the cacao powder in the milk. Once hot, then turn off the heat.
- Add the chocolate chips, let them melt for 1-2 minute and stir well to combine.
- Pour the hot chocolate into your serving mug and decorate as you wish. Serve right away.
Video
Notes
- You can make this recipe ahead and keep in the fridge for a few days. To serve, drink it cold or warm up using the stove or the microwave.
- Feel free to customize this recipe to your liking with more or less sweetener and cacao powder. Also, you can add some vanilla extract, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, turmeric powder or peppermint extract.
- I highly recommend to use raw cacao powder instead of cocoa powder. It is less processed and contains more healthy antioxidants.
- My favorite sweetener for drink is maple syrup, but you can also use agave nectar or even granulated sugar, such as monk fruit sugar or coconut sugar (it should dissolve well since you will warm up the milk).
- Oat milk is my favorite choice of plant-based milk to make hot drinks as it is super creamy, thicker and does not give your drink a watery feeling. But, if you only have almond milk or soy milk, use this instead!
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OMG this was a success, super delicious
Hi Ellie, that's great! I'm glad you liked it! 🙂