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!
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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
Yes, it does, because cocoa beans have caffeine in them. And, the darker the chocolate, the more caffeine. This hot chocolate will have more caffeine than a typical powdered hot chocolate mix because it contains a good amount of dark chocolate.
That said, the amount of caffeine in hot chocolate is significantly less than in coffee, and less than in most teas as well. You can further reduce the caffeine content by using chopped milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate.
As noted above in the Ingredients section, you can really use whatever milk substitute you like to make hot chocolate. That said, oat milk is usually creamier and a little thicker than almond milk and soy milk. That makes it perfect for a rich and luscious hot chocolate.
Yes! Feel free to double, triple, or quadruple the ingredients as needed. If serving at a party, you can keep your cocoa in a saucepan on the stove over low heat, or even put it in a slow cooker. Then just serve and top as desired.
👩🍳 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. You can also add some vanilla flavor by adding a tablespoon of Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup.
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!
Want to double-down on the chocolate? Try the technique in my Chocolat Chaud (French Hot Chocolate), but substitute a creamy non-dairy milk.
Delicious Vegan Drink 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!
📖 Recipe
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Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 cups oat milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chopped
- Whipped cream and marshmallows to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk cocoa powder and maple syrup with a little bit of oat milk (about 2 ounces) in a small saucepan until well-combined and smooth.
- Then whisk in the rest of the milk, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Heat over medium-high heat until mixture begins to steam and then just starts to bubble, about 8 minutes.
- Add the chopped chocolate, and whisk until chocolate is fully melted.
- To serve, garnish with whipped cream and marshmallows, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
Greta says
I just made this five minutes earlier and it's so delicious! I never made hot chocolate with oat milk, but now I know how to make it. Thanks for sharing.
Chef Molly says
I actually think it's even better than the real thing, when it comes to hot chocolate! 🙂
Shelby says
This hot chocolate is the best way to curl up after a long, chilly day! It was so comforting to sip on.
Chef Molly says
Yes, perfect for a chilly day!
Jennifer says
This was fabulous! I love that it is sweetened with maple syrup instead of sugar. So good!
JD Alewine says
Definitely saving this one for Xmas time!
Chef Molly says
Yup, perfect for some holiday fun. 🙂
Allyssa says
This tasted so amazing! Thanks a lot for sharing this super easy to make recipe! Fam really loves it! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls says
This is such a fun upgrade over traditional hot chocolate. The dark chocolate gives it a really fun bite of flavor!
Chef Molly says
Definitely! I'm a dark chocolate girl all the way, so I always take the opportunity to add dark chocolate where I can!
Jeff the Chef says
I've never tried oat milk, but you've got me really curious about it.
Chef Molly says
It really is a great cow's milk alternative--worth checking out!