Try this homemade oat milk hot chocolate with simple natural ingredients. With five minutes and five ingredients this recipe will become a staple in your kitchen. Thick, rich, and chocolatey, this hot chocolate tastes best topped with coconut whipped cream!
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When I indulge in hot chocolate, it has to be worth the calories, meaning it must be rich, creamy, all-natural, and vegan, of course!
Using oat milk creates an ultra-creamy, rich, and chocolatey vegan hot chocolate! It’s my new favorite dairy-free milk for my favorite hot beverages like oat milk lattes!
Use homemade oat milk or store-bought. I recommend using unsweetened oat milk because you’ll add a lot of chocolate and sugar, and you don’t want your hot chocolate to be cloyingly sweet! If you like this hot chocolate with oat milk, you’ll also love my chocolate oat milk recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
Simple Ingredients: It only takes a handful of essential ingredients to make this hot chocolate.
All-Natural: The ingredients used for this hot chocolate are all-natural.
Chocolaty: This hot chocolate has a deep, rich, chocolaty flavor.
Kid-Friendly: It tastes just like traditional hot chocolate.
Diet-Friendly: It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
Not Too Sweet: This recipe is sweet but not too sweet.
Ingredients
Oat Milk: Oat milk is the perfect base for hot chocolate because it’s thick, creamy, and resembles regular milk.
Vegan Dark Chocolate Chips: Vegan dark chocolate chips add a deep chocolate flavor.
Cocoa Powder: A little cocoa powder gives the hot chocolate an even more robust chocolate flavor.
Coconut Sugar: Coconut sugar adds the right amount of sweetness with no refined sugar.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract brings out the flavor of the chocolate.
Coconut Whipped Topping: Coconut whipped topping adds the classic topper that makes hot chocolate so much better!
Substitutions and Variations
Oat Milk: I love the texture that oat milk gives the hot cocoa, but you can use any plant-based milk, such as soy or coconut milk.
Extra Chocolaty: Add vegan chocolate sauce if you’re a true chocolate lover.
Coconut Sugar: Maple syrup works well in place of coconut sugar and is also a natural sweetener. It gives the hot chocolate a slightly maple flavor.
Vegan Mini Marshmallows: If you’re a marshmallow person, try adding them in place of the whipped topping. My favorite is Dandies Mini Marshmallows.
How to Make Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
- Combine all ingredients in a small
saucepan over medium heat.
- Allow a minute to warm. Whisk until chocolate chips melt and combine completely with the oat milk. Heat to your desired temperature.
- Pour hot chocolate into two small mugs—top with whipped coconut cream and dark chocolate shavings. Use a candy cane to stir your hot chocolate and make this an extra special holiday treat!
FAQ
Vegan whipped cream is a dairy-free alternative to traditional whipped cream made with vegetable fat instead of dairy.
Vegan whipped cream has the same texture as regular whipped cream but can taste slightly different. Some whipped creams might have a subtle nutty or coconut flavor, depending on the kind of plant ingredients used. That being said, many vegan whipped creams are made with refined coconut oil to avoid a noticeable coconut flavor.
You can find vegan whipped cream at many grocery stores nationwide. Trader Joe’s has a variety. However, making your own is the best and most healthy option. This vegan whipped cream recipe is an excellent one.
No, not all chocolate chips are vegan. Most of them aren’t. Chocolate chips are traditionally made with cocoa and dairy, so it isn’t if the package doesn’t say vegan. I recommend using Enjoy Life vegan chocolate chips. They are high-quality and have a delicious, rich flavor.
It’s not healthy as much as it is healthy-adjacent. It’s a better-for-you alternative that uses all-natural ingredients with no dairy or gluten. It still has sugar and should be reserved as a special treat.
Expert Tips
- You can froth some oat milk to add extra creaminess instead of the whipped topping!
- Add more coconut sugar if you want a sweeter drink.
- Don’t let the oat milk boil, or you risk it curdling.
- Use quality vegan chocolate chips like Enjoy Life. This will create a rich, thick, and creamy texture.
- Use plain gluten-free oat milk, not sweetened, to control the flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this hot chocolate in your favorite mug. Feel free to add whipped coconut cream and chocolate shavings. Add a ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract and a candy cane for the holidays!
I love pairing it with treats like chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies, chocolate coconut date balls, or vegan oatmeal cookies.
Storage
This hot chocolate made with oat milk is best enjoyed when you first make it since it’s a hot drink. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and should be enjoyed the same day if possible.
More Vegan Hot Drinks!
Video
Recipe
Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
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Ingredients
- 1 cup oat milk
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips
- coconut whipped cream optional
- chocolate shavings optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients (oat milk, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract) in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Allow a minute to warm. Whisk until chocolate chips melt and combines completely with the oat milk. Heat to your desired temperature.
- Pour the hot chocolate into two small cups. Top with whipped coconut cream, and chocolate shavings. Use a candy can as a stirrer to make this an extra special holiday treat!
Video
Notes
- Use good quality vegan chocolate chips. This will create a rich, thick, and creamy texture.
- Use plain oat milk. This way, you’ll have control over the flavor.
- You can froth some oat milk to add extra creaminess instead of the whipped topping!
- Add some vegan chocolate sauce if you’re a true chocolate lover!
- Add more coconut sugar if you want a sweeter drink.
- Don’t let the oat milk boil, or you risk it curdling.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and should be enjoyed the same day if possible.
Anjali @ The Picky Eater
This hot cocoa was a hit with my whole family!! I loved that it wasn’t too sweet, and it was super thick and creamy. My kids were so happy when I served this to them and asked if we could have it “every night” too! 🙂
Adriana
I made this hot cocoa tonight because it is so cold, and I love it, cheers for a wonderful recipe!
Hannah Healy
How fun! This is perfect for me since I don’t tolerate dairy well. Thanks!
Anita
Yum! Now I can drink more hot chocolate without feeling guilty. I love that this is not too sweet, just perfect. 🙂
Patty at Spoonabilities
Oh please yes yes! This vegan hot chocolate is exactly what I need in my life! I love using almond milk and this is such a great idea. Yummy!