What could be better on a cold, winter day than hot chocolate? Just because you have a dairy allergy doesn't mean you can't have a hot cup of cocoa! This dairy free hot chocolate can be made by the cup or in larger quantities for a convenient hot chocolate mix.
My youngest son had all sorts of digestive problems when he was an infant. His pediatrician suspected a food allergy, especially because my oldest son has multiple food allergies.
At the time, I was a nursing mom so I was advised to either transition to formula or remove dairy from my diet. I chose the latter.
I assumed the worst parts of going dairy free would be avoiding 1) cheese and 2) ice cream. Both of those were true, however, for some reason, I really had a craving for hot chocolate!
Dairy free milk substitutes
To cure my craving, I turned to milk substitutes and dairy free chocolate syrup .
At that time, milk substitutes were not as abundant as they are now. For me, it was a choice between soy milk (not one of our allergens), rice milk, and potato milk powder.
I liked the idea of making powdered hot chocolate mix so I could have it made ahead of time. I used Vance's Darifree potato milk.
At the time of this update, I am unable to find Vance's Darifree so I altered my hot chocolate mix using coconut milk powder.
Coconut is technically a tree nut but often people can have coconut if they have other tree nut allergies. Always ask your allergist what foods you should be avoiding for your allergies.
If you can't have coconut, rice milk powder is also available in specialty stores and online.
Why powdered milk? Using powdered milk for hot chocolate allows you to make it more rich than regular milk. Rice milk, for example, can be quite watery but if you use powdered milk and mix it with less water, you get a thicker more rich milk.
If you can't find powdered coconut milk or are allergic to coconut, try this oat milk hot chocolate. It's creamy and delicious!
Serving suggestions
- For a frothy cup of hot chocolate, I blended the hot chocolate in my Magic Bullet for 30 seconds or so. You could also use a milk frother.
- Top your hot chocolate with mini marshmallows or dairy free whipped cream.
- Around Christmas time, we add use mini candy canes as stir sticks (and it also adds a delicious minty flavor!) Sometimes, we even crush up candy canes and add them right into the hot chocolate mix.
- I add a dash of cinnamon for a slightly spicy flavor but you can omit it if you choose.
- The dash of salt brings out the chocolate flavor but this could also be omitted.
- I’ve included recipes for making a single serving of hot chocolate or making hot chocolate mix to keep on hand.
- Looking for a gift for a friend who is avoiding dairy? Make several servings at once, package it in a half-pint jar, and add a pretty ribbon for a super easy gift!
Enjoy!
More chocolate recipes
Dairy Free Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons coconut milk powder
- ½ tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Dash of salt
- Dash of cinnamon optional
- 1 cup boiling water
- Mini marshmallows optional
Instructions
- In a mug, combine the coconut milk, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon (if desired).
- Add boiling water and stir until powder is dissolved. To make the hot chocolate frothy, use a milk frother or pour into a blender and blend for a few seconds to desired frothiness. Top with marshmallows.
To make hot chocolate mix:
- In a pint-sized canning jar, combine 6 tablespoons powdered coconut milk, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional). Cover the jar and shake well to evenly distribute the ingredients. Fill the remaining space in the jar with mini marshmallows (optional).
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