On frigidly cold Winter days and nights, hot chocolate really hits the spot with yummy chocolate, cinnamon, and tons of warmth. This vegan, lactose-free, sugar-free (cane sugar), raw, low-fat and nutritious hot chocolate recipe is delicious, low-fat and blissful enough to satisfy the occasional craving for a cup of cacao (yes, it’s cacao, not cocoa – there’s a difference with cacao packed with lots of healthy nutrients, lol). Made from scratch in under 15 minutes!
As I start my workday, I quickly assemble a few simple ingredients for my hot chocolate: organic almond milk, organic cacao powder, cinnamon stick, ground allspice, choice of maple syrup, and a salt (optional) along with my red, heart-shaped Le Creuset case iron pot. And a whisk – mustn’t forget the very important whisk!
My first memory of hot chocolate from scratch occurred with a gaggle of my female friends during a weekend retreat to celebrate our queen bee’s birthday. We stayed at the ‘Top of the Mountain’ house rental in Garrett County, Maryland. A beautiful wooden house with a huge kitchen along with a fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room. I was practically comatose from a seasonal cold and laid up on the living room couch watching a movie – Bridesmaids, if I recall, though it didn’t matter as I was pretty ill – and I missed most of the initial excitement (hot tub on the deck and zipline group outing the next day). Yet, I distinctly remember the comfort and smell of hot chocolate the following morning and karaoke in the evening.
Back in the city, as a woman on the go, I look for healthy, bariatric, and food allergy-free foods, snacks, and meals. Before undergoing bariatric surgery, I was addicted to Starbucks, but I now have caffeine-, sugar-, and lactose-free drinks to avoid adverse reactions. This doesn’t leave me with many options at Starbucks. Yet, a helpful lady offered to make me a warm, vanilla Almond milk drink at the Starbucks drive-through and I had zero reaction to it afterward! This inspired me to try my hand at making comfy, hot chocolate without the additives which cause my stomach an adverse reaction. Below is my creation!
Hot Chocolate from Scratch (Vegan, Lactose-Free, Sugar-Free, Low-Fat, Raw, Nutritious Bliss)
- Cast Iron Pot
- Whisk
- Measuring Spoon, Tablespoon
- Measuring Spoon, Teaspoon
- 2 cups Almond milk (Organic 365 Whole Foods Market)
- 1 stick cinnamon stick (Simply Organic)
- 1/2 tsp allspice, ground (Simply Organic)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (Runamok Bourbon Barrel-Aged or Cinnamon Vanilla Infused)
- 1/3 tbsp cacao powder (Organic Navitas)
- 1 pinch salt (optional)
Assemble ingredients and equipment: cast iron pot, whisk, almond milk, cinnamon stick, allspice, maple syrup, cacao powder.
Add almond milk to the cast iron pot at low-medium heat.
Add cinnamon stick to almond milk heating up in the cast iron pot.
Add ground allspice to almond milk in the cast iron.
Add maple syrup to almond milk in the cast iron.
Whisk almond milk to mix allspice and maple syrup.
Let warm for a few minutes (2-3).
Add cacao powder to almond milk in the cast iron.
Whisk cacao powder in almond milk until blended very well.
Let hot chocolate warm for 10 minutes.
Pour hot chocolate in a cup.
(Note: a strainer or Chinois may be used to remove any unblended cacao powder.)
Diva En La Cocina 