Oat Milk Hot Chocolate

This Oat Milk Hot Chocolate is all the best things: comforting, warming, and oh so chocolatey. Lose the pre-made packets, and make simply delicious hot chocolate at home. 

Everyone needs a back-pocket hot chocolate recipe, ready to pull out on a chilly winter day. I find that too much regular milk upsets my stomach, so I like to use milk substitutes for my cold weather drinks, as with this Turmeric Latte.

And, turns out, oat milk is a perfect complement to chocolate, making this hot chocolate my all-time favorite! 

Jump to:

• Why Make This Recipe
• 🥗 Ingredients
• 🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
• 🧐 Recipe FAQs for Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
• 👩‍🍳 Expert Tips
• Delicious Vegan Drink and Dessert Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• More About Molly

Why Make This Recipe

• Big Chocolate Flavor: The combination of cocoa powder and chopped dark chocolate makes for super chocolatey hot cocoa. 
• Dairy-Free and Vegan: Using oat milk makes this hot chocolate dairy-free and vegan (unless you top it with dairy whipped cream of course!).
• Easy to Make: Yes, this recipe is harder than stirring milk into a packet, but it is still super easy to do. Read on for my trick for avoiding clumps of cocoa powder in your drink. 

🥗 Ingredients

• Cocoa Powder: High-quality cocoa powder is super delicious in this recipe. I prefer dutch-processed cocoa powder, like this Valrhona Cocoa Powder, but you can use whatever cocoa powder you like (just make sure it is unsweetened). 
• Maple Syrup: You can replace this with regular sugar or coconut sugar if you like. I like using maple syrup since it has more minerals and antioxidants than refined sugar. 
• Oat Milk: I really like the combination of chocolate with oat milk, but you can use whatever milk you prefer. Soy milk, almond milk, and of course, regular milk, would also be delicious. Whatever milk you use, look to see if it is pre-sweetened. If it is, you may not need to add much maple syrup. 
• Dark Chocolate: If you want a vegan hot chocolate, make sure the chocolate you choose does not include milk-based ingredients. You can use chocolate chips rather than chopping your own chocolate, though they don’t melt as smoothly as chopped chocolate (and are often not dairy-free).

🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions

Whisk 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons maple syrup with a little bit of oat milk (about 2 ounces) in a small saucepan until well-combined and smooth.

Then whisk in 14 ounces oat milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of kosher salt. Heat over medium-high heat until mixture begins to steam and then just starts to bubble, about 8 minutes.

Add 2 ounces chopped dark chocolate, and whisk until chocolate is fully melted. Enjoy your oat milk hot cocoa topped with whipped cream and marshmallows, if you'd like. 

🧐 Recipe FAQs for Oat Milk Hot Chocolate

👩‍🍳 Expert Tips

The key to working with cocoa powder is making sure that it incorporates smoothly into the milk, without lumps. That’s why this recipe instructs you to mix it with the maple syrup and a small amount of milk first. If you try to just mix the cocoa powder into the whole amount of milk, you’ll find that it is very difficult to get it completely smooth. 

Hot chocolate can scorch easily, so watch your heat and take your hot chocolate off the stove before it starts to boil. 

Looking for vegan toppings for this creamy oat milk hot chocolate? You can now find vegan marshmallows at some specialty stores, and you can also make your own using a recipe like these vegan marshmallows from The Hidden Veggies.

You can also make non-dairy whipped cream by whipping coconut cream, as in this vegan whipped cream recipe from Loving It Vegan. Or, look for a non-dairy whipped topping in the store. Reddi-Wip now sells dairy-free coconut and almond whipped topping.

This hot chocolate with oat milk is also delicious topped with ground cinnamon or nutmeg. Or, try a mint version by adding a bit of peppermint extract to the mixture and garnishing with crushed candy canes. 

And, how about making a spiked oat milk hot chocolate? Stir in a shot of Bailey's Irish Cream, Spiced Rum, or Kahlua into this drink for a delightful adult version of hot cocoa. Or, try this Oat Milk Eggnog instead for some holiday fun!

Delicious Vegan Drink and Dessert Recipes

Looking for other delicious dairy-free options for indulging when it's cold outside? Here are a few favorites:

If you try this oat milk hot chocolate recipe, I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below—I read them all, and your feedback is invaluable to me.

And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I'd love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!

Instagram Users: Now that you've made this homemade oat milk hot chocolate recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I'd love to see your results!