Vegan Cinnamon Oat Hot Chocolate from Scratch
This is a versatile, from-scratch recipe inspired by classic Mexican hot chocolate, which is made with water, corn, cacao, and spices (often without sugar!). The nice thing about this hot chocolate is that as the mixture simmers, it gets sweeter, thicker, and a bit frothy by aeration.
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Effort: Easy |
Total: 50 min Active: 10 min |
Yield: 4 servings |
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Roast Cacao Beans (or buy pre-roasted here) - Spread out your cacao beans to roast in the oven at 250F for 30 min for a light, fruity roast, or at 280F for 20-25 minutes for a dark roast.
- Cool Cacao Beans - Let them cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
- Blend Ingredients - blend together all of your ingredients, including your cooled cacao beans, in a blender on high until very smooth, or until your desired drinking consistency.
- Set aside - any portion of the mixture you don't plan to serve right away. Leftovers can be easily heated over the stove when you want a quick, nourishing pick-me-up. Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week, after which point it may begin to sour.
- Heat and Serve - Pour the mixture into a pot and bring to simmer on the stove. Turn up the heat until the simmer is almost at a boil, then remove it from the heat and serve.
Notes:
You can throw whatever ingredients you fancy into the blender, such as fresh ginger, chili, or your milk of preference for a creamier option.
Food For Thought:
You may find that simmering it gives it a kind of malty sweetness. This is because the carbohydrates from the oats break down into sugars as they cook. This is also why the recipe does not call for much sweetener, because of the natural sweetness from the oats.
Nutrition:
This warm, comforting indulgent drink is perfect for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon pick-me-up snack or for a light, cozy after dinner drink!
