Seriously you all. SERIOUSLY. This coconut hot chocolate is beyond yummy. It’s addicting, really. So about a week ago the weather finally began to cool down here in Monterey, and I quickly got a hankering for some hot chocolate. That’s pretty much been off limits because of Little Deer’s MSPI, but I figured I could probably make a dairy-free version. So I got to work. And what I came up with is (in my eyes) a delicious dairy-free spinoff of a classic hot chocolate. If you’re ready to try something new and delightful, gather up the following supplies:

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  • 1 can of coconut milk – I tend to use the canned kind since it’s creamier, plus the cans are what I use for other recipes so we have them around. Feel free to use regular coconut milk (or any other milk you’d like – though coconut is awesome!).
  • 1 heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder – Any kind will do (though for other MSPI mamas out there, check to make sure it’s dairy-free!)
  • 2-3 tablespoons of sugar  – Any sugar will work, though I’ve recently decided I like using brown sugar. I think it gives it a little something extra.
  • 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract – Just for fun.
  • pinch of salt – This is optional, but I find that adding a teeny bit of salt to hot chocolate really kicks it up a notch (like the salted caramel hot chocolates at Starbucks, I sure miss those!)

To put it all together you simply:

Fill a mug with coconut milk.

Add a heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder and stir. You may find it doesn’t really seem to stir-in very well but don’t worry.

Place the mug in the microwave for 40 seconds. Stir, then microwave it another 40 seconds (for our microwave this yields the perfect temperature).

After you pull the mug out, give it another good stir. Use your spoon to sift out any cocoa clumps that are floating at the top.

Add your sugar (nothing exact here, I said 2-3 tablespoons but I just usually go by taste) along with your vanilla extract and pinch of salt.

If you really want to make it yummy, you can add a dollop of coconut whipped cream like I mention in this cookie recipe post. It’s easy and delicious. And if you’re really feeling like going all out, throw on some sprinkles. You can’t go wrong with that!

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And there you have it – a super awesome hot chocolate! I’ve always just used store-bought hot chocolate packets, but with the MSPI issue I’ve definitely been getting more creative. Though it takes an extra few minutes to gather your supplies, it’s really is pretty easy. And there is just something about that chocolatey coconut taste that is so yummy. Hope you give it a try, enjoy!

Do you make your own hot chocolate? Anything you would add?