Oat Milk Hot Chocolate with Coconut Cream Topping Recipe

Author: Noelle Khan

With the holidays just right around the corner, you can bet we’re dreaming of snowy winters, cozy knits and all of the indulgent treats that get whipped up during the winter months. While we love tucking into homemade desserts with our family and friends during the festive season, we don’t enjoy the splitting headaches, upset tummies or waves of nausea that come with consuming one-too-many sugar cookies. 

If you don’t have the sugar tolerance of Santa, we recommend swapping your typical plate of Christmas cookies for our refined sugar-free hot cocoa. We use a dairy free milk alternative to curb bloating, antioxidant rich cacao powder, an all-natural lower glycemic sweetener and a dash of peppermint extract for an added holiday twist. Because we’re not skimping on the decadence factor, we love to finish our plant-based peppermint hot cocoa with a creamy coconut topping, crushed peppermint and a few shavings of dark chocolate. 

Not only will our Christmas cocoa alternative ward off the nasty effects of sugar overload, it’ll satisfy your sweet cravings all while lowering your insulin levels and keeping your heart and brain in tip-top shape. Unlike your typical pre-packaged cocoa mix, raw cacao powder doesn’t contain any harmful additives or preservatives. On the other hand, this *major* superfood is rich in flavanols and dietary minerals, like magnesium, copper and potassium, that may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and improve cognitive function and insulin sensitivity. 

Who would’ve guessed that sipping on velvety rich cacao could lower “bad” LDL cholesterol, eliminate brain fog and keep blood sugar levels at bay? Numerous studies assessing the health benefits of cacao found its high flavanol content to be effective in warding off toxins and chronic disease. Take a clinical study that evaluated the daily consumption of flavanol-rich chocolate in twenty-eight male soccer players. Those who were assigned to consume chocolate with a higher flavanol content over a period of two weeks, exhibited lower blood pressure levels and improved insulin sensitivity. In terms of mental sharpness, a 2015 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition saw improved cognitive function in elderly participants who regularly drank a high cocoa flavanol beverage over the course of eight weeks. 

Go ahead and give the gift of good health this Christmas with our high-flavanol peppermint cocoa. It’s indulgent, guilt free, dairy free, refined sugar free and taste bud approved. Keep scrolling for the full recipe. 

Creamy Peppermint Oat Milk Hot Chocolate with Coconut Whipped Topping

Ingredients

Hot Chocolate

• 1 cup plain unsweetened oat milk 
• 2 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa 
• 1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar or maple syrup (add to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract 

Coconut Whipped Cream

• 1 14 Oz can coconut cream or full fat coconut milk (chilled overnight)
• 1-3 Tbsp maple syrup (add to taste)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

Toppings (optional)

• Crushed organic peppermint 
• Dark chocolate shavings (we like Hu’s Crunchy Mint paleo dark chocolate bar)

Steps

1. Before preparing hot chocolate and coconut cream, chill your can of coconut cream or full fat milk in the refrigerator overnight. 
2. Warm oat milk over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, occasionally stirring until hot. 
3. Once hot, whisk in cacao powder and preferred sweetener. Once oat milk, cacao and sweetener are combined, remove saucepan from heat and add peppermint extract. Serve in a mug. 
4. Remove your chilled can of coconut cream or milk from the fridge. Skim the hardened cream from the top with a spoon into a separate large mixing bowl. Discard the liquid or store in a separate container for use in smoothies. 
5. Beat hardened cream in your mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or whisk for 2-3 minutes until creamy. Add vanilla extract and maple syrup to taste and mix for another minute until smooth and combined. Coconut cream can be stored in a separate container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 
6. Add a dollop of coconut cream to your oat milk hot chocolate and garnish with crushed peppermint, cacao nibs or dark chocolate shavings (toppings optional). For some extra chocolaty goodness, we recommend sipping on your decadent plant-based hot cacao with a serving of our Dark Chocolate Brownie.