Sweet & creamy hot chocolate with a fun holiday flavor option. You only need 4 ingredients & 5 minutes to make it, and it’s just 35 calories!
Before hopping in the shower one day early last week, I flipped on the heater that corresponded to the bedroom section of the house. After finishing, I grabbed a snack and sat down at my desk to answer a few emails before dashing out to Target for pumpkin purée (for this amazing pumpkin pie recipefor Thanksgiving!) and head to a Girls Night. Since our gas and electricity bill is already high enough because of how often I bake, I turned the heater back off before leaving the house.
After an incredibly fun evening of munching on the best crispy house-made potato chips at a cute restaurant, giggling through the recently released “Love the Coopers” movie at the theater, and chatting with both old and new friends, I finally arrived home eight hours later and switched the heater back on so I wouldn’t freeze while doing a little work before bed.
Ten minutes later, I stood up and planted my feet right under the vent in the ceiling. Looking up, I felt nothing. No hot air blowing, no cold air blowing… Just nothing.
The following evening, the repairman tinkered around with it before announcing that the heater’s motor had broken, and he would install a new one for us when the replacement part arrived the following week. He also showed us how to start the heater by hand in the meantime while we waited for him to return.
Because I didn’t want to risk numb fingers and toes, we pulled a few little space heaters out of storage that day, and I wore as many layers—shirts, sweaters, scarves, even beanies—as needed to stay warm. I’m a wimp when it comes to the cold!
But the silver lining of the broken heater debacle was that it provided the perfect excuse to drink lots of this 35-Calorie Hot Chocolate! Between both the classic plain and festive peppermint versions, we washed plenty of mugs over the past week… And I foresee many more in the near future!
This recipe is beyond easy. You just need 4 ingredients, most of which you already stash in your pantry and fridge. Even better, it’s ready in only a few minutes and costs a lot less than driving over to the coffee shop to get your holiday hot chocolate fix!
This simple hot chocolate begins with unsweetened cashew milk. It has just 25 calories per cup and a thicker consistency than regular dairy-based milk, as well as soy and almond milks, which makes it perfect for hot chocolate (and this homemade pumpkin spice coffee creamer, too!). Its creaminess makes the hot chocolate taste a little more decadent, almost like it’s made with a hint of real cream!
The most important ingredients are the cocoa powder and the vanilla crème stevia. You can’t have hot chocolate without some sort of chocolate and sweetener! Cocoa powder provides the rich chocolaty taste for a fraction of the calories of melted chocolate, so you’ll use 1 full tablespoon in each serving.
As for the other ingredient, vanilla crème stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s really concentrated. A little goes a long way! It comes in a small glass bottle with an eyedropper, and you can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, as well as online. I love the SweetLeaf brand because of its warm vanilla flavor.
Tip: You’ll also use the same vanilla crème stevia in these recipes of mine!
♥Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte
♥Skinny Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer
♥Skinny Gingerbread Latte
♥Skinny Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
♥The Ultimate Healthy Pumpkin Pie
♥Cinnamon Roll Almond Butter
♥Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
♥and more!
So now, all that’s left to do is whisk those ingredients together in a small saucepan—plus a few drops of peppermint extract, if you want a festive holiday version!—and warm them over medium-low heat. Try your best to incorporate as much of the cocoa powder as possible before turning on the stove, but any lingering tiny clumps will dissolve in the hot milk. Then…
Pour yourself a mug and enjoy!
| 35-Calorie Hot Chocolate | 4.8 from 5 reviews |
Yields: 2 cups
This hot chocolate is so easy to make! It’s sweet, creamy, and perfect for chilly winter days. The recipe is easily doubled or tripled to serve more!
- 2 cups (480mL) unsweetened cashew milk
- 2 tbsp (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 12 drops vanilla crème stevia, or to taste
- 3 drops peppermint extract (optional)
- Add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan, and whisk together until the cocoa powder is mostly incorporated. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, for 3-5 minutes or until warmed through. Pour into mugs and enjoy.
Notes: Any milk or sweetener may be substituted for the cashew milk and vanilla crème stevia.
{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, low calorie, sugar-free}
View Nutrition Information
You may also like…
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies
