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!
Article Index
- Why you'll love it
- Ingredients
- Tips
- Instructions
- Serving suggestions
- Variations
- FAQs
- Related recipes
- Recipe
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.
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.
Is hot chocolate keto-friendly?
Yes, hot chocolate can be keto-friendly. You just have to use sugar-free and low-carb ingredients.
How do you make dairy-free hot chocolate?
To make it dairy-free, use coconut milk powder instead of powdered dairy milk.
How do you make hot cocoa with heavy whipping cream?
I do have an older recipe for hot chocolate that was made with heavy cream. You can find that recipe here. However, I think this dairy-free hot chocolate recipe tastes better and is easier to make.
How do you store homemade hot cocoa mix?
Make sure you store the mix in an airtight container.
What is the best thing to add on top of keto hot cocoa?
Topping hot coffee or chocolate with whipped coconut cream will add the extra benefit of coconut fat to your diet. Although I've seen "coco whip" sold in natural food stores, the brand I saw was not made with coconut cream. And there was added sugar.
Since I love whipped cream, I've started making whipped coconut cream. It's really easy to make if you have a cream whipper.
I just dump the contents from a can of coconut cream into a bowl and whip in some sweetener and vanilla extract. Then I pour it all into the cream whipper and whip it up with the charger. So simple!
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.
Follow us on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM for even more tasty keto-friendly recipes!
Recipe
Dairy Free Hot Cocoa Mix
4.34 from 6 votes
Need a homemade instant hot chocolate mix recipe that's low carb and dairy free? This recipe for dairy-free hot cocoa mix is our favorite.
Prep Time:2 minutes mins
Total Time:2 minutes mins
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Print Pin Review Recipe Save Recipe
Servings: 13
Calories: 57
Ingredients
- ¾ cups coconut milk powder see note
- ½ cup low carb sugar substitute or powdered sweetener
- ½ cup Lakanto Golden Monk Fruit Granular Sweetener or other low carb brown sugar replacement
- ¾ cup cocoa
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Mix all ingredient together.
Store in a covered container.
To use: Add 3 Tablespoons mix to one cup hot water and stir well.
Notes
You can use any style of milk powder you prefer. Coconut milk powder has fewer carbs than whole milk powder but you could you heavy cream powder instead.
To dissolve quicker, a powdered low carb sweetener can be used.
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Calories: 57 | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 172mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 0g
Additional Info
Net Carbs: 5g | % Carbs: 23.3% | % Protein: 14% | % Fat: 62.8% | SmartPoints: 3
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
First published October 15, 2016. Last updated September 15, 2022, with new images and additional recipe information.