Oat Milk Hot Chocolate

This homemade oat milk hot chocolate is ready in just 5 minutes. Plus, it’s naturally sweetened, easy to make, and uses a handful of simple ingredients you likely already have on hand. This recipe is dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan.

A big mug of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows or dairy free whipped cream is my favorite cozy drink to enjoy during the holiday season on a chilly day.

Not only does homemade hot chocolate taste better, but it has nothing artificial, just natural ingredients, and is easy to customize. Because the oat milk gives it such a creamy texture, you wouldn’t even know it wasn’t traditional hot chocolate.

Ingredients

• Creamy oat milk – I love this as a neutral-tasting base for dairy-free hot chocolate.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder – dutch-processed cocoa powder provides a nice milk chocolate flavor. Raw cacao powder has more dark chocolate characteristics with a rich flavor that’s slightly bitter with more antioxidants and minerals.
• Maple syrup – adds a nice natural sweetness that pairs well with the cocoa.
• Vanilla extract – helps to balance out the chocolate and give it more dimension.
• Salt – a pinch helps to balance out the sweetness.
• Marshmallows (optional) – use homemade marshmallows if you’re feeling fancy. Or even vegan marshmallows.

How to Make Oat Milk Hot Chocolate

Step 1. Add all the ingredients (minus the marshmallows, if using) to a small saucepan over medium heat. 

Step 2. Use a whisk to break up any clumps and continue stirring until everything is well combined. Heat until the mixture is hot.

Step 3. Serve with marshmallows, whipped cream, shaved chocolate, or candy canes.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point. 

How can you make this oat milk hot cocoa recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…

• No oat milk? – use a different type of milk such as soy milk, cashew milk, or almond milk (or even regular milk if you’re not dairy-free). If using canned coconut milk, I recommend using it in combination with another type of milk so it doesn’t have an overpowering coconut flavor.
• No cocoa/cacao powder? – you can also use vegan chocolate chips or a roughly chopped high-quality dark chocolate bar in place of the powder. I would start with 1/4 cup and add more as preferred.
• No maple syrup? – use coconut sugar or brown sugar.
• Add-ins – cocoa butter will give it an even creamier texture and more complex flavor, I would add 1 tablespoon. You could also add a dash of cinnamon for more flavor or a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Variations

• Peppermint hot chocolate – add 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract in place of the vanilla extract.
• Orange hot chocolate – add orange zest or orange peel into the hot chocolate to infuse the flavor into the hot chocolate, then strain it out before drinking.

Top Tip

If using chocolate chips in place of the cocoa powder, add them to the saucepan with a little bit of the milk until the chocolate has melted before adding in the rest of the ingredients. You’ll also need less maple syrup if your chocolate is sweetened.

More Dairy-Free Chocolate Desserts

• Puppy Chow Bars
• Date Snickers
• Homemade Peanut Butter M&M’s