This healthy hot chocolate recipe is dairy-free and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. Sweet, creamy, and ready in 10 minutes, it's a perfect cozy treat for a cold night.
Jump to Recipe
I’d take a mug of this healthy hot chocolate over a store-bought mix any day! This healthy hot chocolate recipe calls for 7 simple ingredients, is naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and is vegan and dairy-free. Still, it’s sweet, creamy, and full of rich chocolate flavor—the ultimate cozy treat for a cold night…or morning. (Jack and I may occasionally drink it for breakfast…)
We love mugs of this healthier hot chocolate on their own, but like classic homemade hot chocolate (or even Swiss Miss!), it’s great with toppings too. Load up your cup with a scoop of coconut whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and/or mini marshmallows. A few gingerbread cookies or peanut butter blossoms on the side wouldn’t hurt either. I hope you love this healthy hot chocolate as much as I do.
Healthy Hot Chocolate Ingredients
You only need a few ingredients to make this healthy hot chocolate recipe:
- Raw cacao powder – Cacao powder is a less processed form of cocoa powder, and it’s high in antioxidants, iron, and magnesium. It makes this recipe rich and chocolatey, but good for you, too! Feel free to substitute unsweetened cocoa powder if you don’t have cacao on hand.
- Maca powder – Its malty flavor adds depth to this healthier hot chocolate. But that’s not all! It has health benefits too. It’s chock-full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and it’s said to improve brain health.
- Almond milk – I use almond milk because it’s what I keep on hand, but feel free to substitute any type of milk you like. Cow’s milk, coconut milk, or my homemade oat milk would also work here.
- Maple syrup – It sweetens this healthy hot chocolate naturally. Plus, I love the maple flavor with the malty maca and rich cacao. If you prefer, you could use another natural sweetener like honey or agave nectar.
- Coconut oil – For richness and healthy fats! Don’t worry—this nourishing treat is still far lighter than a hot cocoa recipe made with whole milk and/or heavy cream.
- Cinnamon – It adds warm depth of flavor.
- And a pinch of salt – Don’t skip it! It makes all these delicious flavors pop.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Healthy Hot Chocolate
I make this healthy hot chocolate recipe in the blender because it’s a quick and easy way to get all the ingredients to combine smoothly. Just combine the almond milk, cacao, maca, maple syrup, coconut oil, cinnamon, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Alternatively, you can whisk the mixture together by hand or use an immersion blender to blend it until no lumps of coconut oil or cacao powder are remaining.
Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and warm it over medium-low heat on the stovetop until steaming.
Taste and adjust the healthy hot chocolate. You’ll know it’s right when you can’t stop tasting spoonful after spoonful. Pour it into mugs, top it with your desired fixings, and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Make peppermint hot chocolate: Omit the maca powder and add a drop of peppermint extract.
- Make spicy hot chocolate: Add a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Make it extra-chocolatey: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips to the saucepan with the hot chocolate. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking often, until they melt into the mixture and it becomes smooth. Be careful not to bring it to a boil, or the chocolate could separate.
More Cozy Drinks to Try
If you love this healthy hot chocolate, try one of these hot drinks next:
Healthy Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 2½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon maca powder
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon coconut oil
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Tiny pinch of sea salt
Optional toppings:
- Coconut whipped cream
- Shaved dark chocolate
Instructions
- In a blender, place the almond milk, cacao powder, maca, maple syrup, coconut oil, cinnamon, and salt and blend until smooth. (You can also whisk this together by hand in a bowl).
- Transfer to a small saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until steaming, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the sweetness if desired. If it's too thick, add a little more almond milk.
- Pour into mugs and serve topped with coconut whip and shaved dark chocolate, if desired.
This is the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.
Could u heat this in microwave? Instead of stovetop?
Lovely recipe however I was once told that cooking Maca strips it of its nutritional value.
I also like to use scoops of maca in my smoothies.
If I leave the maca powder out, should I add something in its place?
Hi Mary Ann, you can just skip it!
This was surprisingly good! Maca has a tendency of making my tummy feel a little sick but I do benefit from consuming it as it gives me more energy. I actually try to stop myself from even smelling the maca and drink it quickly. Anyhow, this really masks the maca taste!! And smooths out the strong cacao taste. Maple syrup makes it sweet enough and you can definitely adjust it. But this was perfect ? thanks for putting this recipe together. I was so excited to try it.
Hi Gaudy, I’m so glad you loved the hot chocolate!
Ah!!!! I am going to make it right now! Thanks for the recipe
Marina
This cocoa is fantastic!! I love maca and what it does for my health, and I normally put it in my smoothies but it’s just been too cold for that. However, everything else that I’ve tried it in has been terrible! I can stomach it if I need to, but I prefer to enjoy my food when possible lol.
So, I found this recipe and tried it today with a few adjustments (according to my personal preferences). First, I used less than 2 cups almond milk. I omitted the oil and instead added maybe 1/2 cup of leftover coconut milk that I had in the fridge. I was out of cacao so I used regular cocoa powder, and I added a couple extra tablespoons because I like my cocoa super thick and rich. I also added extra salt to enhance the sweetness a bit more. I’m always trying to reduce added sweeteners, so I tried it with only a tablespoon of maple syrup and it was good, but I added a teaspoon more. The result: a super rich, decadent, and beneficial cup of cocoa. Yum!
Thanks so much for this recipe!! My new favorite way to include maca in my diet.
We have used this recipe the last few years and my children and husband LOVE it! It’s rich and delectable! I feel good about making them cocoa.
Hi Bernadette, I’m so happy it’s become a staple in your house!
All the stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was delicious, thank you for sharing!
I added a dash of coconut extract, and a dash of almond extract (and a splash of amaretto in my cup.)
I just finished my mug and must let you know this recipe was DELICIOUS! I only used 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk. Keeping this recipe FOR SURE.
Hi Jessica, I’m so glad you loved it!
This is cool! I love this recipe. I will try this out for my kids and husband. Wil be back with feedback. Thanks a lot!
I forgot the cinnamon but it was still DeLICOUS!!
I was searching for a healthy hot chocolate recipe and came across yours. Can I substitute raw cacao butter for the coconut oil? I think it also might have some nutritional benefits as well as making the drink a little richer tasting.. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh my gosh, this looks so wonderful! I just included a reference link to your page and this recipe in my own blog post about chocolate. I hope that’s okay!! Thanks!
Ok, so I may drift away from the health a little, but for a party it may be nice to ‘spike’ a healthy drink. Being that this has maple syrup, it may be the perfect place to substitute with a little maple syrup whiskey?! Any thoughts? Lol.
I’m for that! 🙂
So an update. I was a Christmas party hit! Your recipe with a touch (or more 😉 of organic maple liqueur!!! Awesome! Thanks again!
Sorry forgot to rate!!! ?
so happy to hear that!!
I was wondering why you added coconut oil. Does it give it a different taste or consistency??
It makes it richer – you can skip it if you want!
Wow!This is the Best hot cocoa I’ve ever had! The consistency is slightly thicker, I hate watery cocoa. This is perfect, the health boost is an added benefit. Only change I made was using coconut milk (non canned) instead of almond milk and a few drops of vanilla extract.
MMmmmm! Looks so yummy! Love the coconut.
Wow! The hot chocolate looks amazing and effortless to make. Even though the ingredients are very simple, it fills with nutrients that will benefit my body. I will definitely try out this recipe!
Thank you for this post 🙂