Oat Milk Hot Chocolate (Vegan)

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Is there any better way to end your day than with a big mug of hot chocolate? This homemade Oat Milk Hot Chocolate is such a quick and easy way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Similar to our Oat Milk Pumpkin Spice Latte, it's dairy-free, vegan and only requires a couple of simple ingredients. Topped with some Plant Based Whipped Cream it has become my all time favorite hot drink, especially during these cold fall and winter months.

hot chocolate being poured into a big mug.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

It's a comforting, warm drink with a super chocolatey flavour!
It's dairy-free and vegan.
It contains less sugar than regular hot chocolate drinks.
It takes only 5 minutes to prepare!

How to Make Oat Milk Hot Chocolate

Step 1: Combine oat milk, cocoa powder & sugar

Add oat milk, cocoa powder and sugar to a small saucepan and let simmer on low heat for about 2 minutes. Make sure to constantly keep stirring with a whisk to avoid bigger lumps!

Step 2: Add chocolate

Add chocolate chips (or chocolate pieces) and let simmer for 2 more minutes. Again, while constantly stirring.

Step 3: Serve with toppings of choice

saucepan with hot chocolate and chocolate chips being added.

Ingredients & Substitution Notes

all ingredients needed to make oat milk hot chocoalte.

Oat Milk: You could make this hot chocolate with oatmilk or almond milk or any other plant milk. I tried using plant drinks such as almond or soy milk but for this recipe I definitely prefer oat milk. It's naturally sweeter than other types of plant milks. I used the Oatly Barista Milk (which is an unsweetened oat milk).
Cocoa Powder: I used unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe.
Chocolate Chips: I used vegan chocolate chips. You could also use chopped pieces of dark (vegan) chocolate instead, no need to buy the chocolate chips! The combination of cocoa powder and chocolate chips is responsible for the chocolatey taste of this drink!
Brown Sugar: Feel free to use any type of sugar (coconut sugar, white sugarâ€¦) other sweetener of choice such as maple syrup or agave syrup.

(Vegan) Toppings and Add-Ins

Vegan Whipped Cream: Can easily be made at home within less than 10 seconds. Or choose store-bought whipped cream instead.
Caramel Sauce: Try my 2-Ingredient Vegan Caramel Sauce as a topping! I promise you won't regret it!
Cacao Nibs: Top your hot chocolate with chocolate chips or grated dark chocolate for some additional super chocolate flavor!
Marshmallows: Marshmallows are another very popular hot chocolate topping. To keep this recipe vegan, make sure to opt for vegan marshmallows.
Cinnamon Powder: Will slightly change the taste of this recipes but can make a great addition to it.
Vanilla: Similar to cinnamon powder results in a different taste. If you like vanilla, add a dash of vanilla extract and see how you like it!
Peppermint Extract

big mug of hot chocolate on a wooden board.

FAQs

Is Oat Milk Hot Chocolate healthy?

This depends on the recipe. This one contains less sugar than most regular hot chocolate drinks and also doesn't contain additives such as whole milk powder.

What's the best oatmilk for hot chocolate?

Finding the perfect dairy-free milk can be a challenge. I prefer the Oatly Oat Milk Barista Edition. It's a Scandinavian brand that I discovered and fell in love with during my stay in Norway. We also use it for our coffee because it froths up really nicely! Additionally it has got some vitamins and nutrients added such calcium, vitamin A, B12 and D3.

Does hot chocolate have caffeine?

Yes, it does have some amounts of caffeine because cacao beans contain caffeine. The exact amount of caffeine though depends on the brand (the darker the chocolate, the higher the caffeine content) you use and the size of your cup. In terms of actual numbers, a cup of brewed coffee contains between 80-350mg of caffeine whereas a cup of hot chocolate contains between 10-70mg.

Is hot chocolate vegan friendly?

This depends on the milk and chocolate powder you use. This recipe is vegan friendly!

Recipes To Try With Hot Chocolate

📖 Recipe

Oat Milk Hot Chocolate

Author: Katie

This vegan hot chocolate is made with oat milk and a couple of simple, staple ingredients. It’s dairy-free and vegan and the perfect drink for any chocolate lover.

PS.: It tastes especially good during the holiday season and makes an excellent x-mas drink!

If you love this recipe as much as we do, click on the 5-stars below!

4.82 from 49 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 4

Total Time: 5

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: dairy-free, vegan

Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients

2 cups oat milk
3 teaspoon cocoa powder *unsweetened
3 teaspoon brown sugar
3 teaspoon (vegan) chocolate chips
pinch of salt *optional

You can find detailed step-by step-photos above the recipe card.

Instructions

Add oat milk, cocoa powder and sugar to a small saucepan.
Let simmer for about 2 minutes on medium to low heat while constantly stirring with a whisk.
Once fully dissolved, add chocolate chips and let simmer for another 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt if your prefer adding it!
Keep stirring to avoid any lumps!
Serve with toppings of choice such as this homemade vegan whipped cream and enjoy with a big slice of my 5-Ingredient Vegan Banana Bread!

Video

Tips & Notes

Oat Milk: I used the Oatly Barista (unsweetened).
Brown Sugar: Feel free to use any type of sugar (coconut sugar, white sugar…) other sweetener of choice such as maple syrup or agave syrup. For a sugar-free version, choose stevia instead.
Chocolate Chips: Or chopped up pieces of chocolate.

Nutrition

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

How to Make Oat Milk Hot Chocolate