Healthy Hot Cocoa with Almond Milk (Vegan, Dairy-Free) (2024)

This super healthy hot cocoa with almond milk is the perfect guilt-free treat for winter. It’s fast, low in calories, dairy-free, keto and vegan. Only 5 minutes and 4 ingredients!

You can’t beat a nice cup of homemade hot cocoa. It’s a simple yet tasty hot drink to enjoy not only kids but also adults.

3 reasons to try almond milk hot cocoa:

• Good source of protein – Thanks to almonds, cocoa and almond butter.
• Healthy – This hot beverage is a good source of nutrients and because it is not packed with additional add-ons like marshmallows or whipped cream, it means you can enjoy it without feeling guilty about it.
• Refined-sugar free

Because this recipe calls for plant-based milk, it means this is also a vegan hot cocoa recipe. Now that being said, it can be enjoyed by anyone (perhaps you are on a low-calorie diet, you are dairy-intolerant, or you simply like to try new things).

Expert tips for making hot cocoa with almond milk:

• Almond butter, as well as almond milk, may vary from brand to brand. Some are sweetened while others are not. When making this cocoa drink with almond milk, I highly recommend checking what type of products you have first. That will help you decide whether you need to add more sweetener or not (this also depends on your taste of course). This almond milk hot cocoa recipe uses sweetened almond butter!
• To add extra sweetness, use maple syrup, honey, agave or date syrup or anything you like.
• Any leftover “milk” can be used in a smoothie.
• I dipped my finger in almond butter and run it around the rim of the mug I used. Then, I dipped the mug in finely chopped almonds – this is completely optional.

How many calories in hot cocoa?

There are 173 calories in a cup of this healthy warm beverage (which is way over half less than in the classic one with chocolate). This number can be even lower if you omit the almonds.

I like experimenting with this popular cold-weather beverage and as a result, my blog contains a good selection of hot chocolate recipes. Some are healthy, others rich and decadent, some with a hint of liquor(s) or festive (gingerbread flavored). There is something for everyone!

For those who would like to try a few, here they are:

• Turmeric Hot Chocolate – Another good-for-you option and quite popular as well!
• Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate – A simple recipe with 3 ingredients.
• Baileys Hot Chocolate – Favorite choice among adults!
• Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate
• Creamy Limoncello Hot Chocolate
• Gingerbread Hot Chocolate – The perfect treat during the Holiday season.
• Dulce de Leche Hot Chocolate

Want to see how to make hot cocoa with almond milk? Watch the video!

This healthy almond milk cocoa post has been updated recently with new text with more tips and information that you might find helpful when making it.