Healthy Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Who doesn't love a warm, cozy drink on a chilly day? Peppermint hot chocolate is a delicious way to enjoy the season's flavors and by using healthier ingredients, you can enjoy it guilt-free.

With just a few simple swaps, you'll have a sweet treat that still feels like an indulgence. This healthy hot cocoa recipe is made with coconut milk and cacao powder for a decadent dairy-free treat.

It's been cold and snowy the last couple of days. It's a perfect time to snuggle by the fire with a cup of peppermint hot chocolate. It's rich, creamy, and dairy-free with no refined sugar.

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Ingredients you'll need

Unlike my drinking chocolate recipe, which is made with melted unsweetened chocolate, this is a hot chocolate made with cacao powder. I always have cans of coconut milk and cacao powder in the pantry, so I can whip up this hot cocoa any time. 

Non-dairy milk

The coconut milk makes it extra creamy and decadent. I use BPA-free canned coconut milk with no guar gum or other additives --- the ingredients are just coconut and water. It can be pretty thick straight out of the can. So to make the hot chocolate, I dilute the coconut milk with just enough water to get it to the consistency of whole milk.

You can also substitute almond milk or cashew milk, but I think the coconut milk makes it more creamy

Cacao powder

Unsweetened cacao powder is less processed and just as easy to use as cocoa powder. You can substitute cocoa, just be sure to use one that's unsweetened (not cocoa mix).

Peppermint

You can use peppermint extract or peppermint oil (make sure it's food-grade and meant for cooking). Either way, start slow with just a tiny drop. Peppermint is a strong flavor and a little goes a long way.

Sweetener

I use stevia drops to keep it sugar-free, but you can also use maple syrup, honey or your favorite sweetener.

This is a really easy hot cocoa recipe to adapt to your own taste. I like it not too sweet, and with just a hint of peppermint. It makes a perfect keto hot chocolate sweetened with a touch of stevia.

You can always add more sweetener, or more peppermint if you like.

How to make it

It really couldn't be simpler. Just stir the ingredients together in a saucepan and warm it up over low heat on the stove.

Try serving it with coconut whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings to make it extra fancy.

However you make it, it's sure to warm you up on a cold winter's day - especially if you have it with gluten-free cookies.

More dairy-free chocolate treats

• 10 Easy Ice Cream Recipes That Are Dairy-Free
• Easy Chocolate Bark Recipe
• Easy Dark Chocolate Pots de Creme
• Mexican Chocolate Avocado Mousse
• One Bowl Coconut Flour Brownies