I ♥ chocolate
I am a chocolate addict. And because I can't have dairy I am confined to sourcing only dairy-free chocolate which if you know where to look, isn't too difficult to find. What narrows my search even further is my choice to avoid refined sugar completely. Dairy-free, refined sugar free, hot chocolate, however, is impossible to find and the few I have found are incredibly expensive. At the rate I drink hot chocolate in the winter and while camping in the summer -- stocking these gourmet hot chocolate powders just isn't in the budget.
Just Add Water
Another draw back to the dairy-free powders I've found is that in order to taste good they require hot milk (either nut, soy, coconut, whatever your preference). When we camp we always have a pot of hot water boiling on the stove for dishes, to wash up at night, for tea or other hot beverages, and boiling my almond milk just proved too annoying -- not to mention the messy boil overs!
Experimentation
I set out to make my own hot chocolate powder that was affordable, and met my requirements (non-dairy, no refined sugar, and just-add-water delicious!). I've spent months experimenting with this recipe and I've finally come to a powder that I think is truly perfect! So if you are like me and can't have dairy, here is my recipe for you!
HOT CHOCOLATE POWDER
Dairy and refined sugar free
Ingredients
50g coconut milk powder
3 tbsp vanilla cane sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Directions
Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. To make hot chocolate add 4 heaping teaspoons of hot chocolate powder to 1 cup (250ml) of boiling hot water. Add more powder if you prefer a richer drink!
Store in an airtight container at room temperature. This recipe makes one small batch (a few cups worth of hot chocolate), feel free to double or triple the recipe to make a bigger batch!
Add some homemade marshmallows and you'll think you'd died and gone to hot chocolate heaven!! My fave recipe is this one: Butter Baked Goods.
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VANILLA SUGAR:
I wasn’t able to find vanilla cane sugar -- I do know that regular vanilla sugar is available. If you don’t have a preference towards cane sugar feel free to use this instead! I made my own vanilla cane sugar by scraping a vanilla bean into 2 cups of cane sugar, burying the pod in the jar as well, and allowing to infuse for 1-2 weeks.
COCONUT MILK POWDER:
I've been able to find 50g packets of various brands of coconut milk powder at asian grocers like Fairway Market but my favourite product is this 300g box by Grace which I purchased from the Bulk Barn. I've also heard that you might be able to find it at the Real Canadian Superstore.
COCOA POWDER:
A quality cocoa powder is always the best! My ginormous tub is from Costco and it's a steal for under 10 dollars!! It's a great product!
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Well my lactose intolerant, dairy-free, and vegan friends, I really hope that you enjoy my recipe! I've found so many great resources and recipes for my dietary restrictions online -- I really wanted to give something back.
DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE VERSION:
this looks so amazing, and I love that it has no refined sugar! I've been getting into the habit of making hot chocolate at home in the evenings, but have been defaulting to just cocoa powder and sugar. I can't wait to try this!
ReplyDeleteWe are the same in our house -- we often have hot chocolate at night instead of dessert, as a little treat. I've made so many different versions!! Hot chocolate made with dates, almond milk, and cocoa in a blender, I've made hot chocolate syrups with honey and cocoa powder. Having a ready made powder is so much less labour intensive! I wanted to be able to dump a few heaping scoops into a cup of boiling water and be done :)
DeleteIt looks delicious. But it's still sugar :(
ReplyDeleteYes, the recipe does have sugar unfortunately. As I was just telling Julie in the comment above, I've made so many different versions of hot chocolate, many of them without sugar entirely. However my goal for this particular recipe wasn't a sugar-free hot chocolate but rather a dairy-free option that is deliciously rich and creamy with only hot water. The type of sugar used is more just my personal preference since I quite consuming refined sugar a few years ago. I think Chloe's idea (below) of using coconut sugar is inspired! I'll be giving it a try for sure :)
DeleteWhat a gorgeous printable recipe, thanks for taking the time to work that up!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tanis!! I cruise the internet for recipes constantly (big dork, I know), and it drives me nuts when recipes aren't printable. What's even worse are the ones that are, but are poorly laid out so the print version takes up twice as many pages as it really needs to. I have a recipe binder where I keep all of my faves, if a print version is really terrible, I'll copy and paste it into a new document, clean up the layout and add photos, and then print it out, lol. Did I mention I'm a big dork?
DeleteWill need to keep an eye out for coconut milk powder next time I'm at the shops. What a good idea! I've always hated having to heat almond milk up on the stove just to have a hot chocolate. If you wanted to make this even healthier in terms of sugar, give coconut sugar a go. It tastes a bit like brown sugar but is much better for you than any form of cane sugar (it is full of lots of minerals). I think it makes hot chocolate taste even better!
ReplyDeleteI have a Costco size bag of coconut sugar in my cupboard! We love it, and my daughter prefers it to cane sugar. I've been trying to learn how to use it properly to successfully substitute it in recipes. I've learned the hard way that it's not suitable as a stand in for brown sugar because it lacks the sticky moisture from the molasses. I also find it adds less sweetness or maybe it's just a more subtle sweetness than other sweeteners so I've noticed my tendency is to want more of it when I use it (I may have a sweet tooth). I am definitely going to experiment with it in this recipe, I think it would be delicious! Thanks so much for the tip! ...oh and if you have any great recipes for coconut sugar I would love them :)
DeleteThis is awesome!! Those hot chocolate powders always weird me out with their ingredients; nice to know I can make something that I can drink with a clear conscience.
ReplyDeleteLooks wonderful, but don't mistake it for low calorie. I added it up to be approx. 447 calories per 8 oz cup which takes it out of my dietary allowance...for now, anyway. I'll have to limp along for a while longer on the tasteless stuff. ;-(.
ReplyDeleteIt's true, this is not a low calorie drink, the goal was really just a delicious dairy free drink! I hope you can enjoy a cup when you allow yourself a little cheat ;)
DeleteYum - I can vouch for this hot chocolate - it is absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe Jane. xo.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me so happy that you liked it Summer <3
DeleteI can't wait to try this recipe. But I got to know where you got the cute measuring spoons? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAren't those cute! They are from Anthropologie! I adore their house wears!
DeleteAnthropologie? I'll have to check their stuff out. Thanks!
ReplyDelete