Homemade Vegan Hot Chocolate Mix

Learn how to make vegan hot chocolate mix at home with just 4 pantry ingredients in about 5 minutes. It’s rich, versatile, and perfect with your plant-based milk of choice, and a jar of it makes a sweet homemade holiday gift.

Super Quick Dairy-Free Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Every winter, our vegan hot chocolate/cocoa consumption probably increases tenfold, and the cost quickly builds. Luckily, not only is making homemade hot chocolate mix recipe cheaper than buying some, but it’s versatile, adaptable, and contains no extra additives, preservatives, or dairy.

Simply mix the ingredients and store them ready to add hot plant-based milk when desired. By tweaking your ingredient choice, you can change the flavor, texture, and dietary requirements to your liking. It can even be flavored in several ways.

Even better, it takes just a couple of minutes to mix up enough homemade hot cocoa mix to have on hand and enjoy over several months. When combined with vegan milk, it’s rich, creamy, and super satisfying. Plus, it also makes a great holiday gift jar, optionally topped with mini marshmallows. For a homemade gift basket, pair it with a bag of chocolate peppermint bark.

Looking for more simple vegan winter warmers? Check out our easy vegan eggnog, mulled apple cider, and vegan Mexican hot chocolate recipes.

The Ingredients

Just 4 inexpensive pantry ingredients make up a delicious DIY hot cocoa mix.

• Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder. Natural or Dutch-process both work, or you can use a mix of the two.
• Powdered sugar: It blends evenly into the cocoa and dissolves quickly in hot milk. If you only have sugar, blend it in a spice grinder or small blender until it’s fine and powdery. One reader made this with date sugar and loved it! I haven’t tested a sugar-free version yet.
• Salt: Just a pinch brings out the chocolate flavor.
• Cinnamon: This one is optional, but it adds a little warmth.

How to Flavor Hot Chocolate Mix

The easiest way to flavor homemade plant-based hot chocolate mix is with spice blends like gingerbread, chai, or pumpkin pie spice. Even a little cayenne pepper will work. Add depth by adding espresso powder for a richer, more intense chocolate flavor. A gingerbread-spiced mug is my favorite next to a plate of decorated gingerbread cookies.

Alternatively, add flavors when making the hot chocolate. E.g., add a few drops of your favorite extract or syrup (mint, orange, almond, caramel, rose, etc.) to the plant-based milk.

You could also replace the plant-based milk with homemade vegan eggnog.

How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix?

Step 1: Sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar into a small bowl. A fine-mesh strainer works great if you don’t have a sifter.

Step 2: Add the salt and cinnamon (if using) and whisk until everything is evenly mixed.

Step 3: Spoon the mix into an airtight container, like a mason jar, and store it in the pantry.

FAQs

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• Tweak the ingredient ratio: After preparing the homemade hot cocoa mix recipe, make a ‘test’ mug and adjust any ingredients to your liking.
• Use high-quality cocoa: This is THE dominant flavor of the vegan hot chocolate mix, so make sure it’s one you like the flavor of.
• For a richer vegan hot chocolate mix: Add some real vegan chocolate to the mix. The addition of cocoa butter makes a thicker, richer, silkier drink.
• For a thicker hot chocolate: Add 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch to the hot chocolate mix recipe. It will thicken when combined with the hot plant milk. Start with 1 teaspoon and then increase after making a test cup.

How to Use Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate Mix?

1. Heat 1 cup (240 ml) of plant-based milk per mug on the stovetop or in the microwave.
2. Whisk in 1 to 2 Tablespoons of hot cocoa mix per cup of milk. Add any extra flavorings, then serve with your favorite toppings, like coconut whipped cream, vegan marshmallows, candy canes, or chocolate shavings.

Storing Hot Chocolate Mix

Store the hot cocoa DIY mix in a cool, dark, dry location like a pantry for up to a year or 6 months if adding vegan milk powder.