Homemade Instant Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe - Dairy Free (2024)

Need a homemade instant hot chocolate mix recipe that's low-carb and dairy free? This recipe for a dairy-free hot cocoa mix is our favorite!

Why you'll love it

Hot chocolate is one of the best things to indulge in when the weather is cold. This recipe uses coconut milk powder to make it shelf-stable and dairy-free.

You'll love the rich flavors of this hot chocolate. It tastes so delicious that kids love it too!

It's not just keto-friendly - this is a vegan hot chocolate recipe too. It's made with only plant-based ingredients. You can give this vegan hot chocolate mix to your friends and family.

Ingredients

There are just a few ingredients in this dairy-free hot chocolate mix. Here's what I used to make this gluten-free recipe.

Unsweetened cocoa powder

It makes a difference what cocoa you use. Regular unsweetened Hershey's (or store brand) is okay in a pinch, but if you want the best taste, go for a higher quality unsweetened cocoa powder.

Organic brands are typically the best, and this one has an exceptionally rich flavor.

Brown sugar substitute

Another thing that really ups the flavor in this homemade instant hot chocolate mix is using Sukrin Gold. The low-carb brown sugar substitute really enhances the flavor of the chocolate.

I like the taste much better than using only a plain sweetener like Swerve. But you can use coconut sugar instead if you don't mind the added carbs.

Coconut milk powder

Most instant hot cocoa mix recipes call for powdered dry milk. But unfortunately, whole milk powder isn't that low in carbs. That's why I chose to use powdered coconut milk instead.

I just happened to have a canister of powdered coconut milk in my pantry that I used to make homemade white chocolate. Each tablespoon serving has only 1g carb, which is more like 3g carbs per tablespoon.

Tip: If you can't find powdered coconut milk, you can leave it out and just make your cocoa with hot dairy-free milk instead of water. Oat milk is a great option.

The other great thing about using coconut milk is that you get the benefits of coconut oil as well. The brand I buy is 65% virgin coconut oil. The fat in coconut milk is much healthier than dairy fat.

Sweetener

To make it easier to mix, use a powdered sugar substitute. This is easy to find in the baking aisle.

Salt

Salt naturally enhances all the other ingredients around it.

Please note:Check out the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients used to make this low-carb recipe.

Tips

• Use your favorite type of powdered milk. You can even make this with heavy cream powder.
• Powdered sweeteners dissolve better. Use a powdered sweetener to make mixing easier.
• Mix with an immersion blender. When you add the hot water, use an immersion blender to make it easier and quicker for everything to dissolve.

Instructions

It's so easy to make low-carb hot cocoa that you will be able to make this for every party that you throw.

Mix the ingredients

Add all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Stir it really well, so every mixes together.

See Also

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Store in an airtight container

When everything is thoroughly combined, place it in an airtight container.

Store it at room temperature for up to three months.

Serving suggestions

Once made, you only need three tablespoons of the mix for each cup of hot water. Then, it's an instant hot chocolate drink!

When making a cup of hot cocoa with this homemade instant hot chocolate mix, I always choose to top it off with whipped cream.

You can use regular whipped cream, but I prefer using whipped coconut cream. Of course, those who choose a dairy-free diet will always go for the coconut-based one!

I think chocolate and peppermint are the perfect pair. So, serve a glass of hot cocoa with some sugar-free peppermint candies.

If you really want to indulge in chocolate, serve a glass with a slice of keto cheesecake cream cheese brownies.

Variations

There are a bunch of different ways you can change this low-carb hot chocolate mix to make it your favorite drink. Here are a few of my favorite variations. If you make a change to it, let me know in the comments.

• Add crushed peppermint candies.When you store this in a jar, place some crushed sugar-free peppermint candies on top. This will infuse the hot cocoa mix with a minty flavor.
• Toss in more chocolate. You can also add some dairy-free chocolate chips to give your keto hot cocoa a richer flavor.
• Include toppings. You can also top it off with mini sugar-free marshmallows or vegan marshmallows if the added sugar isn't an issue. The recipe is super easy to do.
• Use hot chocolate stirrers to add more flavor and fun too!

FAQs

Here are some questions people often ask about making a low-carb hot chocolate mix. If you don't see your question in this list, please leave it in the comments.

If you enjoyed this dairy-free keto hot cocoa recipe, here are some morelow-carb drinksyou should make next.

• Sugar-Free Peppermint Mocha tastes just like the drink you can order from Starbucks.
• Keto Iced Coffeeis a delicious and low-carb way to inject more caffeine into your day.
• Spiced Gingerbread Coffee Recipeis another holiday classic that you'll definitely enjoy.
• Keto Pumpkin Spice Latteis rich and decadent - a great treat without all of the carbs.
• Iced Keto Matcha Green Tea Latteis filled with healthy antioxidants and a refreshing flavor.

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Recipe

First published October 15, 2016. Last updated September 15, 2022, with new images and additional recipe information.