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!
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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.
Yes, hot chocolate can be keto-friendly. You just have to use sugar-free and low-carb ingredients.
To make it dairy-free, use coconut milk powder instead of powdered dairy milk.
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.
Make sure you store the mix in an airtight container.
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!
Related recipes
If you enjoyed this dairy-free keto hot cocoa recipe, here are some more low-carb drinks you should make next.
- Sugar-Free Peppermint Mocha tastes just like the drink you can order from Starbucks.
- Keto Iced Coffee is a delicious and low-carb way to inject more caffeine into your day.
- Spiced Gingerbread Coffee Recipe is another holiday classic that you'll definitely enjoy.
- Keto Pumpkin Spice Latte is rich and decadent - a great treat without all of the carbs.
- Iced Keto Matcha Green Tea Latte is 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
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
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
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.
Mary
Love this recipe!! How can I lower the amount of carbs it has in it??
I was gonna use less of the sweeteners but they are sugar alcohol so thought that was added differently.
Any help/advice is very appreciated!
Thanks!!
Lisa MarcAurele
You can try using MCT oil powder in place of the coconut milk powder. That's where the carbs are coming from.
Stephanie Thomas
Hi, I'd like to use powdered heavy cream instead of the coconut powder. How much should I use?
Lisa MarcAurele
Although I haven't tried it, a similar amount should work.
Kristina
Hello! What are the amounts needed of each ingredient if I wanted to try a SINGLE cup before mixing everything into a large batch? I've tried recipes like this before that were horrible so I'd like to try a single serving before potentially wasting several cups of powdered sugar/sweeteners. Thanks!
Lisa MarcAurele
If you hover over the number of servings, you can adjust the "13" to "1" and doing that gives these amounts:
0.06 cups (2.88 tsp) coconut milk powder
0.04 cup (1.92 tsp) low carb sugar substitute or powdered sweetener
0.04 cup (1.92 tsp) Lakanto Golden Monk Fruit Granular Sweetener or other low carb brown sugar replacement
0.06 cup (2.88 tsp) cocoa
0.06 teaspoon (roughly a smidgen) salt
Lauren
Six grams saturated fat in one cup. That’s more sat fat than you should have in one day! It’s a liquid heart attack! I was looking for a sugarfree recipe for hot cocoa mix to add to iced coffee. I was excited until I saw the nutrition information. Yuck
Lisa MarcAurele
This is a ketogenic diet recipe. The keto diet aims for daily macros of about 5% carbs, 25% protein, and 70% fat. It's been shown that higher fat diets are much healthier than low fat diets.
Michelle
Got the taste right but still seems a bit powdery/grainy even once stirred several times.
Lisa MarcAurele
I like to use a milk frother to smooth it all out in the cup.
Dora
Excellent recipes
Patrice Fader
Not a coconut fan at all. Not the flour , milk any thing that tastes like coconut. Where do I turn? I like Almond flour, milk the coconut oil is ok an I will use it I just need ways to avoid the bold flavored coconut products
Lisa
You can use powdered MCT oil which doesn't have the coconut flavor.
Catherine Lierley
Where do you find coconut milk powder? Amazon Walmart and Krogers do not carry it. Thank you
Lisa
I bought this one off Amazon.
Candia Lahowetz
Hello Catherine
Sure Amazon does sell it. It’s called “Now Foods Organic Coconut Milk Powder” sells for $15.42
Amazon also sells “Micro Ingredients Organic Coconut Milk Powder 2 pounds for $26.95. I absolutely like the hot chocolate it makes very very much. Instead of using the zero brown sugar. I use 1/4 cup of the real brown sugar, the calories are marginal and it tastes very good.
Megan Mosley
This recipe says that 1 serving is 5g net carbs. Is this correct? I LOVE hot chocolate, but that's 1/4 of my daily carb intake so it seems more like a treat rather than a daily thing.
Also, the bulletproof coffee is said to keep alot of ketoers full until dinner time, sometimes longer due to all the fats in it. In your opinion do you think that this recipe might do the same? If so, then 5g net carbs isn't so bad if it saves me from eating lunch.
Thanks!
Lisa
I find it filling, but adding coconut oil into it might fill you up longer. There is quite a bit of coconut oil in it already. You may want to stick to coffee with fat to lower carb count.
Joni
Chocolate rich and coconut cream goodness. Thank you.
Lisa
And, it's super convenient at the office!
txgrandma
I would love to try this but have found that maltodextrin (which seems to be in of all the powdered coconut milks) is very high glycemic and does raise my blood sugar and so will have to try another version of hot cocoa without it. It looks delicious and I love your recipes!
Lisa
The brand of coconut milk powder I use does not contain that, but it is on the expensive side.
txgrandma
Thanks for taking the time to address this.
I went to the link for the EnerHealth brand that is linked above and if you check out the questions section, there is a list of the ingredients (since it's not pictured) and maltodextrin is one of them. If you aren't watching your blood sugar, it might not matter but those of us who have issues, this is a well known item to cause blood sugar spikes even in small amounts. I then checked out other powdered coconut milks and found that they all have this ingredient as do many other sugar free items. I would be happy to pay more for a product that doesn't include this but it doesn't seem to exist at least in my research.
I love your recipes and find many great ones here. I am going to try the other hot chocolate recipe as I do have some chocolate extract in the pantry. Thanks for the hard work!
Lisa
I have a jar of the EnerHealth and the amount of maltodextrin is only 0.25% which is very tiny. This amount is not enough to have an effect on blood sugar. One rounded tablespoon of the powder has only 0.7g of sugar which is mainly from the coconut sugar in the coconut milk. It's added to help keep the powder from clumping since it contains 65% virgin coconut oil.
Della Ann Humphrey
I agree! Found one that only contains coconut.. Maltodextrin is poison to me.
Kathy
I have a question about your other hot cocoa recipe made with heavy cream on the stove. It calls for 1 cup of heavy cream, which has almost 8 carbs...do you not count those carbs?
Lisa
It's more like 6g per cup depending on the cream used. Those carbs do need to be counted which is why I usually use half cream and half water.
Nanci
Your sukrin gold link goes to cacao powder. :~)
Lisa
Thanks Nanci. Fixed!
allison Gismondi
Oh I happen to have coconut milk powder. I have to try this
Lisa
I love it, especially with whipped cream or coconut cream on top to make it extra creamy.