This creamy oat milk hot chocolate is the best vegan hot chocolate recipe. Made with oat milk, homemade chocolate syrup, vanilla extract and a dash of cinnamon for a delicious blend of flavors to keep you warm on a cold and crisp day.
Why this is the best oat milk hot cocoa recipe:
- It’s vegan. Yes, you can make hot chocolate without milk! Everyone can enjoy this dairy-free and vegan drink. Plus, there are no difficulty-to-find vegan alternatives. All the ingredients are easy to find — you probably already have them in your cupboard.
- Oat milk makes a delicious hot chocolate. Even if you aren’t vegan, you have to try this hot chocolate with oat milk! The slightly oaty taste complements the chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla so well, giving this drink an extra cozy vibe.
- No artificial flavors. Everything is made from scratch, including the chocolate syrup.
Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Oat milk: Use your favorite brand of oat milk. This makes up the base of this hot chocolate. You can substitute this for another non-dairy milk such as almond milk, but this will change the flavor.
- Chocolate simple syrup: This homemade syrup adds delicious chocolate flavor and is easy to make using only cocoa powder, sugar and water. If you prefer, you can use a store bought chocolate drink syrup instead, but you may need to adjust the amount you add to get the right taste.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds a little sweet vanilla flavor.
- Cinnamon: Just a dash of cinnamon pulls this hot chocolate drink together.
How to make the chocolate simple syrup:
For detailed instructions, see the full chocolate simple syrup recipe.
On a saucepan over medium heat, heat ¼ cup cocoa powder, ¾ cup water, and ½ cup granulated sugar. Whisk to combine all the ingredients.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool slightly before using. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
FAQ:
Yes, absolutely! However, the taste will change, but both these milks make great hot chocolate.
If you want to add more sweetness to this drink, there are a few options. For more sweetness and chocolate flavor, add an extra tablespoon of chocolate syrup. For extra sweetness without extra chocolate flavor, add an extra teaspoon of sugar or a dash of maple syrup.
Expert Tips:
- Don’t let the oat milk boil. Keep the heat on low. A few small bubbles forming on the surface is ok, but avoid large bubbles creating a vigorous simmer or a boil. Heating the hot chocolate gently will allow the ingredients to warm up and infuse together as well as prevent the oat milk from curdling.
- Use a microwave if you’re in a rush. Add all the ingredients to a microwave safe bowl and whisk them together. Heat them up in 20 - 30 second intervals, whisking in between until the hot chocolate is the desired temperature.
📖 Recipe
Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This creamy oat milk hot chocolate is the best vegan hot chocolate recipe. A delicious blend of flavors to keep you warm on a cold and crisp day.
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat milk
- 4 tablespoons chocolate simple syrup
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat the oat milk on a saucepan over low to medium heat. Bring the milk to a very gentle simmer, just so you see a couple small bubbles. This should take about 3-5 minutes. Do not let the milk boil or reach a full simmer.
- Add the chocolate syrup, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Whisk to combine the ingredients as you continue to heat on low for another 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and let cool for a couple minutes. Pour into a serving mug. Test heat before drinking, and if needed let it cool for a few minutes longer. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t boil the oat milk. Use low heat to avoid boiling, and possibly curdling the oat milk.
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Hot Drinks
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 286
- Sugar: 52.2g
- Sodium: 9mg
- Fat: 1.8g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 66.2g
- Fiber: 2.7g
- Protein: 3.2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Janie
I loved this oat milk hot chocolate! This was perfect to have especially for my son since he has gut issues and cant have dairy. So silky and delicious!
Andrea
Creamy, chocolatey and delicious. A great dairy free alternative.
Gianne
Totally love this recipe. I recently switched to using oat milk instead of full cream.
Jess
I love this vegan option for hot chocolate!
Lima Ekram
Was surprised at how creamy the oat milk was! Very tasty!
Dana
This was fantastic! I love how creamy and rich the oat milk makes it without actually using heavy cream.