Craving Chocolate
My chocolate cravings have been out.of.control. this week. It’s like I have to follow every meal with something chocolatey or I can’t get on with my day. I blame hormones. And maybe the weather? Nope, yesterday was in the mid-50s and sunny. No complaints about the weather.
I’ve found my hand in the bag of chocolate chips more times than I’d care to admit, but still haven’t felt satisfied. I needed chocolate in a more filling form…but somehow with less calories, since I have chocolate chips running through my veins. And then I remembered hot chocolate! It’s back in the 30s in Boston today – perfect hot chocolate weather.
I love the powdered hot chocolate mixes, but I’ve yet to find one that isn’t made with dairy, even at my beloved Whole Foods. Fortunately, making your own is ridiculously simple and a lot more cost-effective. Plus, I get to control the sweetness and amount of chocolate.
I love to add a little mint extract to mine – it reminds me of when I used to stir my hot cocoa with a candy cane during the holidays as a kid. This version would have been relatively low calorie except I then proceeded to top it all off with a very generous portion of whipped coconut milk. I finally got my hands on some of the full-fat variety and couldn’t resist.
Look at that texture! All those times I tried to whip low-fat coconut milk…
Just kidding. I swear I only tried that once.
Chocolate craving satisfied…for now.
| Vegan Hot Chocolate with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream |
- For the hot chocolate:
- 1 C. non-dairy milk (I used plain, unsweetened almond milk)
- 1 Tbs. Cocoa Powder
- 1 Tbs. Sugar (or other sweetener – I like to add 5-6 drops of the NuNaturals liquid stevia)
- 1/4 Tsp. Mint Extract (optional)
- For the whipped topping:
- 1 15 oz. Can Full Fat Coconut Milk, chilled in the fridge overnight
- 2 Tbs. Powdered Sugar
- Prepare the whipped topping by scooping out the top, almost solid layer of coconut milk into a large bowl. You’ll be left with about 1/2 C. of translucent, syrupy liquid that you can place in a tupperware in the fridge for another use.
- Add your powdered sugar to the thick coconut milk and whip on high speed until the texture resembles whipped cream. Set aside.
- Make your hot chocolate by combining the non-dairy milk, cocoa powder, sugar, and mint extract (if using) in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave time will vary, but 2 minutes usually does the trick.
- Give the hot cocoa mixture a quick whisk to combine everything, transfer to your favorite mug, and top with a generous portion of the whipped coconut milk.
In place of mint, I also really like to add 2 Tsp. instant coffee, or 1/2 Tbs. of nut butter. I know that might sound a little crazy, but peanut butter hot chocolate is so, so good.
You can refrigerate the leftover whipped topping for a few days. I find that it actually holds up really well.
