single serving vegan hot cocoa 4 ways

My favorite coconut milk.

My favorite cocoa powder.

Equal Exchange is also my favorite brand of coffee.  The “Mind, Body, and Soul” blend is the best!

Coconut milk whipped cream. 

Coconut whipped cream four ways.

Four ways to impress your friends.

Hot cocoa four ways.

Four more ways to impress your friends.

Or yourself.

Don’t make me pick a favorite.

Print this!

Single Serving Vegan Hot Cocoa Four Ways

*All recipes are lightly sweetened, as I’m fairly sensitive to sugar.  Taste and adjust the level of sweetness or richness of the cocoa as desired.  Feel free to sub soy or hemp milk instead of almond milk if desired. 

Coconut Whipped Cream [yields 1 – 1 1/4 cups]

• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon coconut milk liquid
• 1.5 tablespoons coconut powdered sugar

1. Place your wire whisk mixer attachment, a metal or ceramic bowl, and the can of coconut milk into your freezer for 30 minutes.  This is important.
2. Carefully open the can of coconut milk.  Do not shake the can!
3. Scrape off the top cream layer which goes down about 1/2 or a little further into the can.  Place in the cold bowl.
4. Stop scarping when you reach the liquid below and add only 1 tablespoon of the liquid.  Reserve the rest of the liquid to use in smoothies, if desired.
5. Use the cold whisk attachment and whisk on high speed for 2-3 minutes until light, fluffy, and soft peaks form.
6. Whisk the sugar in at high speed until dissolved.
7. Add other ingredients as desired.

Coconut Powdered Sugar

*Powdered sugar is super easy to make at home.  I’ve shown it a few times before and haven’t bought a bag of powdered sugar in years.  I love that I can use non-refined sugars and arrowroot instead of cornstarch in this simple homemade version.

• 1c coconut sugar [sucanat or pure cane sugar]
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch

1. Place both ingredients in your blender and blend until soft like typical powdered sugar.
2. Store in a sealed container and use as desired.

Hot Cocoa Directions [each recipe serves 1]

*If you have one of those little battery operated frothers [$1.99 from Ikea] they make smoothing the cocoa much easier.  Also, I suggest sifting your cocoa powder as it’s typically clumped together.  Again, all of these recipes are very lightly sweetened.  Add more sugar as desired.  If you only have sweetened soy or almond milk that will work well, just leave out the sugar that the recipe calls for until you taste it.

1. In a small pot over med-low heat whisk the milk until it starts to simmer.
2. Whisk in all other ingredients from one of four recipes below until smooth.
3. Taste and add more cocoa or sweetener if desired.
4. Pour into a mug + sip.

Whipped Cream Directions

1. Using your wire whisk attachment and a hand or stand mixer, combine the already made coconut whipped cream with the other ingredients specified from one of the the following four recipes.
2. Whisk on high until smooth.

Vanilla Hot Cocoa

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2-3 teaspoons maple syrup

Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

• 1/4 cup coconut whipped cream
• 1 inch of a vanilla bean pod scraped
• 1 teaspoon coconut powdered sugar

Coconut Hot Cocoa

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons light canned coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar

Coconut Whipped Cream

• 1/4 cup coconut whipped cream
• more coconut powdered sugar if desired

Mint Chocolate Hot Cocoa

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
• 1/8 + 1/16 teaspoon peppermint extract

Mint Chocolate Whipped Cream

• 1/4 cup coconut whipped cream
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1-2 teaspoons coconut powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

Mocha Hot Cocoa

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Mocha Whipped Cream

• 1/4 cup coconut whipped cream
• 1 teaspoon coconut powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon instant espresso powder

I drink a mug of hot cocoa almost every single night through the colder months and now you can too.

Happppppy Halloween. 

Ashley

My thoughts go out to everyone affected by the devastating hurricane.  It’s hard being so far removed from this tragic event.  Be well + stay safe.  xo

Comments

[Heather @ Heather's Dish]

Mmmmmmmmm...gimme gimme gimme!

[Emilia]

Oh my gosh, I'm drooling on my keyboard right now. These look delicious! I'm definitely going to try to make some of these soon. The weather has just turned chilly here and a cup of hot cocoa sounds perfect right now. Gorgeous photos! :)

[Jill @ Sincerely Jill]

Holy Majoly! From a lactose-free gal... I thank you :)

[Katie @ Talk Less, Say More]

Oh my...I'm speechless. Can I come over for hot cocoa?

[Abby@Totes Delish]

I was just thinking about vegan hot chocolate! You read my mind : )

[Ashley Kade]

When I went vegan one of the things I couldn't handle was not being able to have my hot chocolate. I attempted it with soy milk, but it tasted awful. Going to give this a try this afternoon - looks delicious!

[Katie]

I'm going to impress myself with this after Trick-or-Treating tonight. :-)

[Therese]

I've been messing around with basically these same ingredients, but I've had a lot of clumpy, flavorless batches. I'm guessing the simmering and whisking are vital after all. Thanks for putting the legwork in. Can't wait to try these SOON!

[Ashley]

@Jill - You are welcome!

@Katie - Sure thing! ;)

Abby - I seriously make it every night. The milk [instead of using water] really makes it a filling snack.

@Ashley - Strange! Do you like soy milk in general? If not, definitely give almond milk a try. Enjoy!

@Therese - I hope one of these versions work for you. Cocoa powder strength could vary, so you may need to add more. I like mine pretty rich + not too sweet, so adjust to your tastebuds! :)

[deva at deva by definition]

Oh my does this all look so fabulous. I love the coconut cream - it's my favorite part of a can of coconut milk!

[Katie @KatieDid]

I become obsessed with hot chocolate when the weather turns. It's always my treat at night and I cannot wait to try this out. Pinned and making this very very soon.

[Ashley M. [at] (never home)maker]

Genius! And my coconut milk is never that thick. I haven't bought the full fat version in a while, though. Have to check that out. Thanks for this awesome post, girl <3 Hope you're doing well w/ the doughnuts! i imagine the cocoa would go well with them!

[Megan | Eats Daily]

Wow! All of these sound amazing, no wonder you can't choose a favorite

[Lauren]

Yum yum! It is definitely getting to be that time of year again! My family and I gorge ourselves on hot chocolate during the cold months. I can't wait to try some of these out, especially the coconut whipped cream!! :-)

[Christa @ Edible Balance]

Oh dear me they all look crazy delicious! Today is a dreary, cold, snowy one here in Calgary, I really could use some hot cocoa right about now!

[Katie @ Blonde Ambition]

How fun! I love all the different combinations. I want to try the mint chocolate... mmmmmm!

[Kerry]

These all look so good! The weather's been cold and wet lately, so a mug of hot chocolate sounds perfect right now. I've wanted to make coconut milk whipped cream for a long time, and I think this recipe is the perfect reason to finally try it.

[natalie]

well shoot it looks like THIS was a fun day to photograph :) yum!!!

[Christina @ The Beautiful Balance]

I would never be able to pick a favorite, they all sound and look delicious!

[Sarah @The Social Eater]

Oh, YUM. Equal Exchange makes my favorite cocoa and coffee, too! And these hot chocolates? I'm really excited to try them!

[Krissy @ Make it Naked]

what a beautiful mess. mint chocolate happening right now in this kitchen! xoxo

[Lea]

These look delicious! I'll definitely be whipping these up on a cold snowy day!

[Nicole]

Incredible! I'm buying that brand of cocoa andddd coconut milk from now on. Thank you SO much for the recipes, the whipped cream looks amazing!

[Ashley]

@Ashley - Only the full fat kind is that thick and it really helps if you refrigerate it overnight or freeze it for 30 minutes to allow all of the solids to come to the top. The doughnuts are going really well. Big deadline tomorrow. 50% of the book is due in!

@Katie - I am a huuuge mint chocolate lover. :)

@Sarah - Great to hear you like EE as well!

@Krissy - Hope it was delicious. And yes, quite the mess.

@Nicole - You are so very welcome!

[jessica]

Oh my, coconut whipped cream. You kill me girl!

[ania]

I already have a can of coconut milk in the fridge -- thinking that it's time to move it to the freezer!

[Chelsea]

Ok, you just made my day. Seriously. :-)

[Alexis @ Hummusapien]

I've only made coconut milk whipped cream once...but now I'm totally inspired to make it again :) I love how thick and creamy coconut milk makes the hot cocoa. Fabulous pictures!

[addie | culicurious]

Such great ideas, Ashley! I especially like that coconut whipped cream. Wow! :)

[michaela]

I really wish I would like hot chocolate, especially after this post, but I just don´t :(
Love how creative you got and will definitely share this post with my chocolate-loving friends!

[Chelsea]

Ahhh! You're my hero for this one! Made the peppermint version immediately upon reading your post and now have a faux latte method...just add my morning cup of coffee and coconut creamer! Yay!

[Kasia]

Hi! I have a problem with the recipe cause it's in English and I don't entirely get it... Can you please explain it to me? I'd love to try the coconut hot cocoa. So... what do I do? Do I need to:
a) put 1 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut milk into a small pot and whisk the milk over med-low heat;
b) take 1 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut milk, make a whipped cream out of it & then put into into a pot and whisk it over med-low heat;
c) make whipped cream, put it into a pot and whisk it over med-low heat and then add the other ingredients including 1 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut milk?
I'm so sorry, I just can't seem to get it... Thank you in advance! :)

[Ashley]

@Kasia - Sorry for the confusion. So, for the coconut milk whipped cream, you'll want to follow the coconut milk whipped cream directions which gives you basic coconut milk whipped cream. From there, you can follow any of the four whipped cream variations to give it a flavor. So you make the basic recipe and then add to it with other flavors [ie: mint extract, cocoa powder, etc.]. You don't have to add to it though. You can make the basic recipe and just use that. The coconut milk whipped cream is never heated as that would melt it. -- For the hot cocoa you are right in your "part a" of the comment you left me. You'll heat the milk [whichever type you want to use] for one of 4 cocoa recipes until it comes to a simmer. Then, you'll add the other ingredients for the specific recipe you're following and whisk until smooth. You'll then add the coconut milk whipped cream to the top of the hot cocoa. You definitely do not have to make the whipped cream, though. :) Sorry if the directions were confusing! Let me know if this clears things up.

[Ashley]

@Chelsea - I'm so glad you liked it and made your own little coffee creation!

[Kasia]

Don't be sorry, it's just me and my English. Thank you for the explanation, everything's clear now!

[Ashley Kade]

Just to give everybody a quick update, tried it with almond milk and it was about 500x better than soy.

[kristy @ coconutmama]

This...is...AMAZING!! It has been far too long since I have had a cup of hot cocoa. I want to make all four of these!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

[wilum]

i hate to tell you but using milk in this recipe totally negates the vegan aspect of it.

[Ashley]

@Wilum - Every single ingredient called for is vegan.

[Erica]

GAHHH! I wish I knew about coconut whipped cream this morning! My mom is lactose-intolerant and I made her a big mug of my dairy free peppermint hot cocoa this morning. If you are interested, I made up a dairy free recipe for hot chocolate that tastes even better than the milky version that my dad and I (used to) drink. The secret ingredient is chocolate hazelnut spread! My whole family only drinks dairy free now!
http://cannella-vita.blogspot.com/2012/12/dairy-free-hot-chocolate.html

[Debora]

The coconut whipped cream looks absolutely delicious. I read somewhere that instead of carefully scraping of the cream layer you can turn the can up side down before you open it and open it through the bottom instead. The nyou can simply pour the liquid off and the cream will stay at the "bottom" of the can and you can easily scoop it out :)

[Lisa Frank]

LOVE this!! I am going to make all these variations for a baby shower brunch.
Can I make the whipped cream in advance at all, or will it just collapse and melt?

[misskitty914]

Holy Grail of Cocoa:  i adore cocoa so much that i drink it year round, cold in the summer. so when i became vegan i was distraught that every alternative milk i tried tasted terrible with cocoa.  think of it like painting walls with red paint - it seems like a dark color but in fact, it's the sheerest and if you don't use dark primer, it will never look right.  likewise, chocolate seems like an intense flavor but it is easily overwhelmed by anything other than cow's milk, often leaving behind an aftertaste of rope (despite so many recommendations of adding cinnamon/cayenne) or too watery.

finally, in desperation, i tried the very last alternative milk on the market, Pacific Brand's non-dairy OAT milk.  cocoa nirvana at last:  it's creamy enough, doesn't compete with the taste of cocoa and leaves no aftertaste.  i sweeten mine with a PINCH of organic stevia (man, that stuff is potent!).  NOW try all those vegan cocoa recipes!

if you just adore soy milk or some other variety, add all the cocoa to it that you want.  but if what you want is the pure, unadulterated cocoa, Oat Milk is your ticket to enjoying a true cup of cocoa sans dairy.