Feel Good Hot Chocolate

Who’s ready for ultra-cozy vibes? (Hand raised!)

This easy hot chocolate recipe requires just 7 ingredients and 15 minutes to make.

While I have a more basic Vegan Hot Cocoa, I wanted to elevate it to include maca powder (where the feel-good vibes come in) and ensure it was naturally sweetened.

It starts with making our own chocolate base with cocoa butter, cacao powder, and a little carob powder, which intensifies the chocolate flavor and adds a little natural sweetness.

Next comes coconut milk, maple syrup for a little added sweetness, cinnamon for warmth, sea salt to bring out the sweetness, and vanilla to enhance the chocolate flavor.

Then comes maca powder, which is an adaptogen rich in minerals like calcium, potassium, iron, and zinc. It also helps boost mood, balance hormones, and support the thyroid. It tastes like something between caramel and honeycomb. In other words, I’m obsessed.

Once everything is mixed and hot, it’s time to serve! Enjoy as is or elevate it even more with homemade coconut whipped cream and more cacao powder.

I hope you all LOVE this hot chocolate! It’s:

Rich
Creamy
Chocolaty
Warming
Naturally sweetened
Surprisingly healthy
& So tasty

This is the perfect hot cocoa for chilly evenings spent inside. You can even make it in advance and heat it up on the stovetop as needed.

If you’re into warming, cozy drinks, also be sure to check out our 5-Minute Vegan Golden Milk, Easy Vegan Chai Latte, Best Vegan Matcha Latte, Healing 3-Ingredient Turmeric Tonic, and Apple Cider Rooibos Hot Toddy.

If you give this recipe a try, let us know what you think! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers!

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4.84 from 12 votes

Feel Good Hot Chocolate

Insanely rich, delicious, refined-sugar-free vegan hot chocolate infused with real cocoa butter, cacao powder, and maca powder for serious feel-good vibes. Just 7 ingredients required!

Author: Minimalist Baker

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings: 2 (mugs)

Category: Beverage, Dessert

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan

Freezer Friendly No

Does it keep? 5 Days

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

HOT CHOCOLATE

• 3 Tbsp cocoa butter* (chopped // food-grade)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cacao (or cocoa) powder (sifted)
• 1 Tbsp carob powder (optional // sifted // adds richer chocolate flavor)
• 2 1/2 cups canned light or homemade coconut milk (divided // or sub other milk // subbing full-fat coconut milk will yield creamier hot cocoa)
• 1 dash ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp maca powder (adds honeycomb flavor, promotes hormone balance + energy)
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup (or sub stevia or coconut sugar or blend the mixture with dates then strain)

FOR SERVING optional

• Coconut Whipped Cream
• Chopped dark chocolate (or store-bought // or cacao powder)

Instructions

1. Add 1 inch of water to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place a glass or ceramic bowl on top that rests inside the saucepan but doesn’t touch the water, and add cocoa butter, sifted cacao powder, sifted carob powder (optional), and 1/2 cup (120 ml as recipe is written // if adjusting batch size, use 1/5 of the total coconut milk) coconut milk. Whisk occasionally to melt until well combined.

2. Carefully remove bowl from heat with a towel, and discard any remaining water in the saucepan.

3. Transfer melted chocolate mixture to the saucepan, add cinnamon, maca powder, sea salt, maple syrup, and remaining coconut milk (2 cups or 480 ml as recipe is written), and whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat until just beginning to bubble.

4. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more maple syrup for sweetness, cinnamon for warmth/spice, maca for caramel flavor, or cacao powder (sifted) for more intense chocolate flavor. Additional cocoa butter will add more creaminess.
5. Serve between two mugs and enjoy as is or top with coconut whipped cream and chocolate or cacao powder.
6. Best when fresh, though hot chocolate keeps covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.

Notes

*In place of cocoa butter you could also sub naturally-sweetened vegan dark chocolate, such as Eating Evolved brand. Just scale back on sweetener elsewhere in the recipe to compensate. I used cocoa butter to keep this recipe naturally sweetened.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients or toppings.

Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 2 mugs)

• Calories: 315
• Fat: 26.1g
• Saturated fat: 15.9g
• Sodium: 150mg
• Carbohydrates: 26.1g
• Fiber: 4.1g
• Sugar: 15.1g
• Protein: 2.9g