Only three simple ingredients and your blender are all you need to make this homemade hot cocoa mix. This rich cocoa can be added to your favorite safe milk to make a warm and comforting drink all winter long. This is free of: gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanuts and tree nuts and is vegan and top-8-free too!
Are you sick of looking for a dairy-free hot cocoa mixes at the store and not finding one? Me too. My son is five and the thought of him going another winter without hot cocoa was killing me. I’ve been meaning for the last two winters to figure this out. And figure it out I did!
Previously, the only way I knew how to make “hot cocoa” for my son was to squeeze some Hershey’s syrup into his milk and warm it up. But, I didn’t feel too great about that because of all the corn syrup and other questionable ingredients in it. But, having hot cocoa is a right of passage, so I would let him here and there. And hello, we live in the mountains of Utah! It gets super cold, and after playing out in the snow the first thing you want is some hot cocoa to warm you up from the inside out.
I was a little nervous to try this recipe since it seemed “too simple”. Usually if something seems too good to be true, it is. But, I crossed my fingers and plunged in anyways. And, we were all pleasantly surprised with the results. My son couldn’t wait for me to finish taking photos so he could try it. It’s probably hard to tell in the photos, but the mug I photographed it in is actually a soup mug so it had a TON of hot cocoa in it. When I let my son have it, I literally turned around and then when I looked back he had almost downed the ENTIRE thing. I couldn’t believe he fit that much into his little belly. With a smile and a cocoa mustache I knew I had hit the jackpot! It’s that smile of gratitude that keeps me going back to the kitchen to figure things out.
This is quite rich, so I like it with a good handful of marshmallows to help sweeten it out. I also love to stir it with a peppermint candy cane to give it an extra kick.
My son has had this with soy, rice and flax milk and it’s worked great for all of them, so feel free to use it with whatever safe milk you’re used to getting.
We’ve only had one big snow storm, and we’re certainly hoping for another so we can go sledding. I know that this will be the perfect treat afterwards. It filled a half gallon Kerr jar, which I’m keeping it in. Since it only takes 1 Tablespoon per cup of milk, I think this will last us for many more snow falls to come. I’m so glad I can make it once, and enjoy it all season.
And, it’s not like it was even hard work! Simply dump the ingredients in a good quality blender (I was given my Blendtec and love it with every bit of my heart) and then pulse it until everything is combined. SO SIMPLE!
As you saw in the opening picture, this also makes for an ADORABLE Christmas gift. Get the smaller, 8 oz Kerr glass jars (or your favorite glass or plastic jar) and simply fill it and place a bow on top. OK–or you could give it out in bigger sizes, I’m just stingy! 🙂 I don’t know any dairy-free or vegan friend that wouldn’t love this. Hot cocoa is just about as classic as it gets!
May your winter be filled with lots of hot cocoa with plentiful marshmallows and great friends to share it with.
If you’d like to watch a video of how it’s made, view the fun how-to video below, or click to watch it on my YouTube channel.
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped out
- 1 cup cocoa
- Safe milk for serving, we like Vanilla Rice Milk, Vanilla Flax Milk or Coconut Milk
- Pour the sugar into the blender. Cut the vanilla bean pod in half. Using a sharp knife, scrap the entire contents out and place them on top of the sugar in the blender. Add the cocoa to the blender. Pulse or blend until everything is combined and there are no clumps or lumps.
- Stir into warmed safe milk. We do 1 Tablespoon for every 8 oz. of milk. Feel free to do more or less depending on your tastes. For Vegans--be sure you do vegan safe marshmallows. It's also great with a candy cane to stir it with, or Coco Whip on top.
Adapted from:Â Food Allergies on a Budget
Don’t forget to pin it, so you don’t lose it. Also, check out my other allergy-friendly Pinterest boards.
My little guy is allergic to dairy, egg, peanut and treenuts but when you live in snowy North Dakota you got to have hot cocoa! What brand cocoa do you buy?
Hey Sara! I feel you 100%! Thanks for stopping by. I am cheap, so I just buy the Nestle Cocoa: http://amzn.to/2h8Zc9Z (aff) But, get whatever one you feel comfortable with buying for your own family’s allergies.
My 6 year old also has EOE and things like hot chocolate are the small things she misses. Thank you for this recipe, I halved the recipe and added powdered coconut milk (twice as much as the sugar). That way she can stir it into water like good old hot chocolate packets:) I also put it in a mason jar in the pantry.
It really is the simple things that make a difference! I’m so glad that my recipe could help another EOE child–I have nothing but love for other EOE children. Great ideas to modify–I’ll have to try that. Thanks for sharing and for stopping by 🙂