Oat Milk Hot Chocolate

Creamy Oat Milk Hot Chocolate

Best vegan hot chocolate. You’d think finding the perfect vegan hot chocolate would be easy, but make it with coconut milk and it’s much too rich and heavy; make it with almond milk and it’s watery and meh. Friends, oat milk hot chocolate is the answer we’ve been waiting for.

Versatile. It’s got the perfect amount of creaminess, just the right flavor, and you can use it to make all your favorite hot chocolate recipes. Today, we’re going to make a delicious back-to-basics oat milk hot chocolate—and then we’ll share some ideas for customization!

No difficult ingredients. This oat milk hot chocolate starts with oat milk and water. You’ll add cocoa powder and then dark chocolate, which melts into the hot cocoa making it luxurious and rich. Vanilla extract enhances the flavor, as does a pinch of sea salt. Maple syrup is our sweetener of choice, but agave works too, or if you want your oat milk hot chocolate sugar-free, you can use stevia.

Make more/make less. While this recipe serves six, you can easily scale it up for a party (and even keep it warm in your slow cooker!), or scale it down if you’re just whipping up a mug for yourself. You won’t need to go to Starbucks for your fancy hot chocolate fix this winter!

Ingredient Notes

Oat milk: Be sure to buy plain oat milk, unflavored and unsweetened. It can be refrigerated or shelf-stable.
Cocoa powder: Cocoa powder is found in the baking aisle and is unsweetened. There are a few options. Natural cocoa powder will give you that classic hot cocoa flavor while Dutch process cocoa has a more mellow taste to it. Another choice is cacao powder, which is minimally processed but can be more bitter.
Dark chocolate: While you could make this with chocolate chips, we recommend chopping a bar of dark chocolate because it will melt more smoothly. Generally, dark chocolate does not contain milk but it may be processed on machinery used to make milk chocolate so read the labels carefully if you are lactose-intolerant or are allergic to milk.
Maple syrup: Since cocoa powder is unsweetened, and dark chocolate has minimal sugar in it as well, a little sweetness is needed. You can also use agave, granulated sugar, or powdered sugar.
Vanilla extract: While vanilla isn’t essential for this hot chocolate, it does add another dimension of flavor.
Sea salt: A touch of salt balances out the flavors perfectly.
Marshmallows or whipped cream: Optional toppings but are they really optional? You decide! Dandy marshmallows and coconut whipped cream are a good choice for vegans.

How To Make Oat Milk Hot Chocolate

Combine the ingredients. Combine the oat milk, water, cocoa powder, chopped dark chocolate, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt in a large saucepan.

Heat. Set the pan over medium or medium-low heat. Whisk the hot chocolate frequently to keep the chocolate from settling to the bottom and possibly scorching.

Finish. Once the chocolate melts, and the mixture is smooth and steaming, ladle the hot chocolate into six mugs. Top with marshmallows or whipped cream and serve.

Tips for Success

Choose a large enough pan. Since you need to whisk the hot chocolate fairly vigorously to blend it and keep it from sticking, you don’t want to slosh over the edge or splatter the hot mixture.

Keep on eye on it. You don’t want to walk away and forget about your hot chocolate. It requires a little attention. Whisk the mixture fairly frequently to make sure the chopped chocolate hasn’t settled to the bottom.

Low and slow. Keep the heat fairly low; it’s tempting to heat it up quickly but it’s better to heat it low and slow. Don’t let it come to a boil.

Recipe Variations

Make it with milk. This recipe will work perfectly well with any type of milk.

Crockpot hot chocolate. I usually use my crockpot if I’m making a big batch of hot chocolate for a crowd. Refer to crockpot hot chocolate for instructions (double the ingredients of this recipe).

Microwave hot chocolate. If you’d like to make this oat milk hot chocolate in the microwave, you can. Place all the ingredients in a large microwave-safe bowl and heat for a minute at a time, stirring between intervals, until the chocolate is melted.

Flavor variations: Add a touch of spice to your hot chocolate. Add cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne for a little spicy heat, similar to Mexican hot chocolate. Try adding apple pie spice blend or pumpkin pie spice blend for rich delicious flavor. A small amount of peppermint extract (just a drop or two!) will add lots of minty flavor, or you can place a candy cane in each mug.

S’mores style hot cocoa. Place marshmallows on top of the hot chocolate, then use a kitchen torch to toast them. Sprinkle on graham cracker crumbs and add a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

Grown-up hot chocolate. If you’re looking for a hot chocolate recipe with spirits, for adults, check out my recipe for hot white Russians. 

Refrigerate: You can make the oat milk hot chocolate, cool it down, and store it in a glass bottle or airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheating: Use a microwave safe mug and reheat the oat milk hot chocolate in a mug in the microwave, or pour it into a saucepan and simmer over low heat, being careful not to let it boil.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• Combine the oat milk, water, cocoa powder, chocolate, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in large saucepan. Whisk until combined.

  3 cups oat milk, 2 cups water, ¼ cup cocoa powder, 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, pinch sea salt

• Bring to a simmer over medium low heat, whisking frequently to prevent the chocolate from sticking to the bottom and scorching.

• When the chocolate is completely melted, and the mixture is smooth and steaming, carefully ladle it into mugs. Top with marshmallows or whipped cream and serve immediately.

• Milk: You can also use regular milk, either whole, 2%, or low fat.
• Lactose-free: Choose a lactose-free variety of chocolate for lactose-free hot chocolate.

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 284kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 68mg, Potassium: 350mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 257IU, Calcium: 215mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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