Dairy Free Hot Chocolate

Dairy Free Hot Chocolate is so easy to make at home from scratch. Just sweet enough with a little zing of spice, this vegan hot chocolate recipe is comforting and delicious. Makes 2 servings.

Love a cozy dairy free recipe to enjoy during the wintertime? Don’t miss Vegan Potato Leek Soup, Hazelnut and Pecan Baked Oatmeal and Salted Caramel Cookies (Caramel Thumbprint Cookies).

Remember last week when I told y’all that even though it was 80° F on Wednesday, they were predicting a “winter storm” and how I have a severe lack of trust in weathercasters because so many have cried wolf about ice storms throughout the course of my life?

Well, the storm they were predicting actually happened.

Which means we were stuck inside our home from Friday morning until Sunday afternoon. You know, once we cleared an ice sheet off our driveway and confirmed that the roads around our neighborhood were passable.

While we were bundled up, I baked a ton of cookies, shared said cookies with our neighbors, played new-to-me games, imbibed a few specialty cocktails, watched tons of football (even though our team wasn’t playing) and drank this delightful Vegan Hot Chocolate.

Why I love this recipe:

As someone who can no longer enjoy a glass of cow’s milk, I’ve missed traditional hot chocolate.

This recipe is my rendition of something that I can actually enjoy nowadays. It’s chocolate-y and rich without being crazy sweet, and the cayenne adds a little zing without setting your mouth on fire.

And since there are so many options with dairy free milks and chocolates these days, we’ve got the world at our fingertips. This dairy free hot chocolate is also awesome for people who aren’t dairy free, so don’t be afraid to share a mug of this with someone you love.

Other hot chocolate recipes for the wintertime: Gourmet Vanilla Hot Chocolate | Strawberry White Hot Chocolate | Mason Jar Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix | Pomegranate White Hot Chocolate

Looking for another recipe to enjoy during the cold months? Head on over to my Winter Recipe Index for all kinds of cozy inspiration.

What you need to make Dairy Free Hot Chocolate

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• Blender
• Liquid measuring cup (that’s microwave-safe!)
• Mugs

In addition to those tools, you’ll need some ingredients, too.

• Dairy free milk of your choice—I’m partial to almond and cashew milk because we have those on hand always, but you can use whatever you’ve got on hand!
• Vegan/dairy free chocolate bar squares—be sure to read the labels to ensure there’s no dairy in your bar/squares
• Cayenne pepper—just a little bit for a bit of spice!
• Vegan marshmallows, if you’re vegan or are making this for a vegan

How to make Dairy Free Hot Chocolate

First and foremost, grab your ingredients, and get them all out on the countertop. You’ll also want to get out your blender, too.

Heat the almond (or other nondairy) milk for a minute in the microwave in a microwave-safe measuring cup.

Pour the hot almond milk into the base of a blender, and add the dark chocolate squares and cayenne.

Blend the ingredients until the chocolate has completely melted.

Pour into mugs, then top with your favorite marshmallows and enjoy!

To make this Vegan Hot Chocolate, double check on the ingredients of your marshmallows! I’ve linked to vegan marshmallows above and in the recipe card below, but it’s important, so don’t skip this part!

Are you lactose intolerant?

Have you ever had dairy-free hot chocolate?