Oat Milk Hot Cocoa (only 3 ingredients!)

This homemade Oat Milk Hot Cocoa is my go-to winter time hot cocoa recipe! It’s only made with 3 ingredients and it’s so creamy and delicious! Made in just 5 minutes with unsweetened oat milk, raw cacao powder, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup.

If you ask me, hot cocoa is a winter essential! After some time playing out in the cold snow or going sledding, there’s just something so comforting about enjoying a cozy cup of hot cocoa ☕️ . With just three ingredients you can have the best, simple dairy-free hot cocoa in just 5 minutes!

Why You’ll Love This Hot Cocoa

It’s easy to make! It doesn’t get much easier than 3 simple ingredients and 5 minutes of your time!

It’s so creamy. I love making hot cocoa with oat milk because it’s so creamy!

It’s healthy! Skip the pre-mixed hot cocoa mix and just use raw, pure cacao powder, pure maple syrup, and oat milk!

Hot Cocoa Ingredients

Oat milk. Oat milk has become very popular in recent years, so you should be able to find it in most supermarkets. I like this oat milk that I get on Amazon. For this hot cocoa recipe to serve 3-4 people you will need 3 cups of oat milk.

Cacao powder. you can certainly use cocoa powder that you find at the grocery store but I like to use cacao powder that is minimally processed, in its purest form. You can find the cacao powder I used here. If you do purchase it at the store, make sure that it’s unsweetened.

Maple syrup. I love using maple syrup as a natural sweetener. Out of all the natural sweeteners, I use maple syrup most often in my dessert recipes and it’s perfect in this Oat Milk Hot Cocoa! You can feel free to modify the sweetness of this hot cocoa recipe per your preference, but this recipe calls for 1/4 cup of maple syrup.

Cocoa Powder vs. Cacao Powder

Both cocoa powder and cacao powder are made from raw cacao beans. Cacao powder is the rawest, most minimally processed form of cacao, other than whole cacao beans and cacao nibs. Because cacao powder is less processed and unroasted, it retains more nutrients. Cocoa powder is derived from roasted cacao beans to decrease the bitterness resulting in a sweeter, more mild flavor.

Optional Add-Ins

Vanilla. If you want to add a slight vanilla flavor, adding about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to this hot cocoa recipe would be delish!

Salt. Add a pinch of salt to enhance the sweetness if desired!

Peppermint. If you like peppermint hot cocoa, adding 1/4 teaspoon of pure peppermint extract would also be yummy.

Toppings

Of course you can drink this hot cocoa as it is, but it’s much more fun with traditional toppings! Here are a few of my favorite hot chocolate toppings:

Whipped cream. My favorite hot cocoa topping is whipped cream. Whether you’re looking for a canned whipped cream or more of a frozen tub of whipped topping (pictured in this recipe), there are some really great dairy-free whipped cream options now.

Marshmallows. Vegan marshmallows also make a great hot chocolate topping! You can buy these or you can make my Vegan Marshmallows recipe.

Cacao nibs. Cacao nibs are gently crushed cacao beans. They are not sweetened and slightly bitter tasting but do have some great health benefits.

Chocolate chips. If you’re not a fan of cacao nibs you can sprinkle some dairy-free chocolate chips on top.

Chocolate sprinkles. Chocolate sprinkles would also be super cute and fun!

Cinnamon. Sift a little cinnamon on top for another flavor profile.

How To Make This Oat Milk Hot Cocoa

I prefer the stovetop method of making this hot cocoa recipe. Simply heat the oat milk over medium-high heat and whisk in the cacao powder and maple syrup. Heat the hot cocoa until it’s steaming but not boiling. Pour into mugs, add toppings, and enjoy!

Can I Use Another Plant-Based Milk?

Yes! If you don’t like oat milk or prefer to use a different dairy-free milk feel free to do so. Other plant milks that I would suggest would be coconut milk, soy milk or cashew milk for the creamiest flavor, but you could also use almond milk, flax milk, rice milk, or hemp milk!

Let me know how you like this dairy-free Oat Milk Hot Cocoa down below in the comments section as well as giving it a five rating  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so that others can discover an easy and delicious hot chocolate recipe! Be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make it.

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