To make healthy hot chocolate, whisk 1½ tablespoons of cacao powder into a cup of warm milk with a little maple syrup, a splash of vanilla and a pinch of salt. That's it: real chocolate flavor, a short ingredient list, and you choose how sweet it is. Start with the 5-minute base below using our organic Cacao Powder, then try one of five easy twists. Short on time? Our Cacao SuperLatte makes a creamy cup in one minute.
Why make hot chocolate with cacao powder?
Most hot cocoa mixes lead with sugar, then add cocoa and milk powders. Making it yourself with pure cacao powder puts the chocolate first. You control the sweetener and the milk, so it's easy to keep it lightly sweet and dairy-free. Our organic Cacao Powder has one ingredient: certified organic cacao.
The base: real cacao hot chocolate
Serves 1 · Total 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk of your choice: oat, almond, coconut beverage or dairy
- 1½ tbsp cacao powder
- 1–2 tsp maple syrup, honey or coconut sugar, to taste
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 small pinch of salt
Method
- Add the cacao powder and 2 tablespoons of the milk to a mug or small saucepan and stir into a smooth paste. This keeps the cacao from clumping.
- Pour in the rest of the milk and warm it over medium-low heat until steaming, about 3 minutes, whisking often. Don't let it boil.
- Stir in the sweetener, vanilla and salt. Taste, and add a little more cacao for a darker cup.
- Froth with a handheld frother or blend for 10 seconds for a café-style foam.
Shortcut: skip the measuring and froth 1 serving of Cacao SuperLatte into 2 oz of hot water, then top with 6 oz of hot milk. It's already blended with coconut milk powder and cinnamon, with 2 g of sugar per serving.
1. Mexican spiced hot chocolate
Warm and gently spicy. To the base, whisk in ½ tsp ground cinnamon, a pinch of cayenne and a pinch of nutmeg. Coconut sugar suits this one well. Top with a cinnamon stick.
2. Peppermint hot chocolate
The holiday classic, without the syrup. Add ⅛ tsp pure peppermint extract to the base (start small; it's strong). For a festive finish, top with a little coconut whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed candy cane.
3. Maca hot chocolate
Maca powder has a naturally malty, butterscotch-like flavor that tastes like a malted chocolate milk. Whisk 1 tsp maca into the cacao paste in step 1, then make the base as usual. Prefer a deeper, earthier flavor? Try Black Maca instead.
4. Golden hot chocolate
Chocolate meets golden milk. Add ½ tsp of our Golden Milk Super Blend to the base for warm notes of turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. The blend is lightly sweetened with stevia, so taste before adding your own sweetener. Loving it? See our full golden milk recipe.
5. The 1-minute shortcut: Cacao SuperLatte
No measuring at all. Our Cacao SuperLatte blends organic cacao with coconut milk powder, lion's mane mushroom and cinnamon, with 2 g of sugar per serving.
- Froth 1 serving of Cacao SuperLatte into 2 oz of hot water until smooth.
- Top with 6 oz of hot milk, plant-based or dairy.
- Want it iced? Make the base in hot water, then pour it over 6 oz of cold milk and ice.
Toppings to try
- A spoon of coconut whipped cream
- A dusting of cinnamon or cacao powder
- A few mini marshmallows (look for vegan ones if you're dairy-free)
- Orange zest, for a chocolate-orange cup
Shop the recipes
Hot chocolate FAQs
Can you make hot chocolate with cacao powder?
Yes. Cacao powder makes a rich, deep hot chocolate. Stir it into a paste with a little milk first, then add the rest, so it dissolves smoothly.
How much cacao powder do you use for hot chocolate?
Start with 1½ tablespoons per cup of milk. Use 1 tablespoon for a lighter cup or 2 for a dark, intense one.
What's the difference between cacao and cocoa?
Both come from the cacao bean. "Cacao" usually refers to powder processed at lower temperatures, and "cocoa" to powder roasted at higher heat. Cacao tends to taste fruitier and more bitter, so it pairs well with a little sweetener.
Does cacao have caffeine?
A little. Cacao naturally contains small amounts of caffeine and a related compound called theobromine, but far less caffeine than a cup of coffee.
How do I make hot chocolate dairy-free?
Use oat milk for the creamiest cup, or coconut or almond milk. Every recipe here works with plant-based milk, and maple syrup or coconut sugar keeps it vegan.
Why is my cacao clumping?
Cacao powder doesn't dissolve easily in a full cup of liquid. Make a paste with a splash of warm milk first, or blend it.
Can I make a hot chocolate mix ahead?
Yes. Combine 1 cup cacao powder, ½ cup coconut sugar and ½ tsp salt in a jar. Use about 2¼ tablespoons of mix per cup of warm milk.
