It's hot chocolate season! It's the winter-related activity I'm here for and it tastes delicious! I've been getting into oat milk hot chocolate and it's been a game changer.
I also grew up using a hot chocolate mix (a certain boxed mix with a milkmaid on the front of it) and did not know how easy it was to make with actual chocolate! So, after learning about oat milk at the grocery store recently, I thought, why not use that instead? The resulting Mexican-style hot chocolate is a creamy winter treat that's simple to make and will probably be my go to this winter.
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The Best Homemade Oat Milk Hot Chocolate Recipe!
One of the most comforting drinks to enjoy in during the winter is hot chocolate. With its warm, gooey goodness, it's a treat to be enjoyed with little work or preparation. You can even make it at home! However, it is often made with milk or cream, and sometimes I like to swap in plant based dairy options when I can and oat milk has been a winner and I'm not looking back!
Why Oat Milk?
Why oat milk? It taste delicious. Besides the creamy texture, another great thing about oat milk is that it easier to digest and is a sustainable swap in that you can make at home. Also, oat milk makes for a creamy vegan hot chocolate, but this is a great option if you're vegan or have lactose intolerance. I'll tell you a bit about what you need to amke this and
Ingredients
Oat milk
Oat milk is a good substitute for dairy milk in hot chocolate. I don't know why it works, but it does. Oat milk comes in a carton, not a box. You can find it in the health food aisle of the grocery store.
Mexican-Style Chocolate Disc
Mexican style chocolate is made from cocoa beans. It melts easily, making it perfect for drinking as well as eating. Also known as drinking chocolate because of its consistency, which makes it easy to drink hot or cold with no additional ingredients needed.
All three ingredients are also available online, if you prefer to buy them that way.
Equipment
Heavy Bottomed Pan
A heavy-bottomed pan is essential as you want to avoid a burnt taste in the final product.
Wooden Spoon
Wooden spoons can withstand high temperatures and won't melt. wooden spoon is perfect for sauces, custards and other dishes. It makes stirring easier, especially if you want to stir gently.
On the other hand, the handle of a wooden spoon is often longer than those of other utensils, which makes it easier to stir food in deep pots. Sturdy handles can prevent slippage when using a wooden spoon on non-stick cookware.
Milk Frother
Pouring warm oat milk with melted chocolate into a mug will give you a good cup of cocoa, but if you want a velvety smooth texture, finish it with an electric milk frother. A milk frother improves the texture of hot chocolate by emulsifying the fats in the chocolate with the steaming hot milk. It also aerates the drink, making it lighter and fluffier.
How to Make Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
In a small saucepan over low heat, add oat milk and remove from heat once is warm but not hot. Separately, chop or grate one Mexican disc. Once oat milk is warm but not hot, add chocolate and stir to combine. Use milk frother to further combine hot chocolate mixture. Top with marshmallows or your favorite toppings as desired.
Serving Suggestions
Oat milk chocolate hot cocoa is a great treat to make at home. It's so easy to customize the flavors by adding a variety of ingredients like vanilla, cinnamon, spices and fruits. You can also add any toppings you'd like. Here are some ideas:
- Chocolate chips (vegan or regular)
- Coconut whipped cream (tofu or coconut cream whip)
- Almonds or other nuts
- Agave nectar or maple syrup
- Fresh fruit (raspberries, strawberries and blueberries)
- Dark chocolate shavings (you can use a bar of dark chocolate)
- Ground cardamom, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon
- Shredded coconut, shaved coconut meat or shredded coconut flakes
If you're concerned about your health, be sure to choose ingredients that don't contain any added sugar!
Tips:
- If you want to make your own homemade oat milk, soak 1 cup of oats in 3 cups of water for 4-6 hours before blending.
- Look for different flavors of Mexican disc chocolate and make different flavors of hot chocolate
FAQs
So, what are the best non-dairy milk alternatives for hot chocolate? Here are some options that work well:
Almond milk. If you like the taste of almonds, almond milk is a good choice because it has a light flavor and a creamy consistency. And it's thicker than other non-dairy alternatives, so it has a more decadent feel.
Tofu-based beverage. Tofu-based beverages have a neutral flavor and are available in several flavors — vanilla, chocolate, strawberry — depending on the brand. If you like the taste of tofu, these beverages can be very appealing.
Unsweetened coconut milk. Coconut milk is a popular choice for hot chocolate because of its thick consistency and subtle flavor. It's higher in fat than some other options, so if you're cutting calories try one of the other options on this list.
Oatmilk is a dairy substitute made by soaking oats and then blending them in water. This process removes the oat’s natural sugars, leaving behind a nutty-tasting liquid that has a creamy consistency similar to milk or cream.
Taste and quality vary widely among brands. It’s important to choose wisely when it comes to oatmilk. Depending on what you’re using it for, you may need a specific flavor profile or consistency. There's also the option of making it yourself!
The answer is yes! You can heat up your oat milk in a microwave and it will work just fine in your hot chocolate recipe. As long as it's not in a metal container, you'll be able to use the microwave to heat up your oat milk. Taste tests have shown that oat milk heated up in the microwave tastes similar to oat milk heated on the stove, so if you don't mind a little extra water added to your drink, then heating up the oat milk in a microwave is an effective and convenient way to do so.
In Oaxaca, one of Mexico's largest producers of Mexican style chocolate, beans are roasted in an open fire and not shelled before roasting. The heat is so intense that the shells crack and fall away during roasting.
The beans are then ground into a smooth paste by hand and mixed with sugar, cinnamon and other spices, depending on the flavor desired.
📖 Recipe
Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
Many people eat oat milk for breakfast, but if you haven't tried it in hot chocolate, then you're missing out! This vegan hot chocolate is so simple to make and only requires two ingredients. You will most likely have all of these in your pantry already, so now there's no excuse!
Ingredients
- 1 Mexican Style Chocolate Disc
- 1 cup of oat milk
Instructions
- Chop the chocolate finely and set aside.
- In a small pot on the stove, heat the oat milk on low until it starts to simmer. Make sure that it does not boil.
- Remove from heat it off the heat, and add in the chopped chocolate.
- Use whisk or milk frother to combine ingredeints until froathy and smooth.
- Serve immediately. Top with coconut whipped cream and cocoa nibs for some extra decadence!
Notes
- Mexican style chocolate already has sugar and does not need additional sweetener.
- Do you boil oat milk, or you may risk the oat milk separating
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 15mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 23gProtein: 3g
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