Vegan Hot Chocolate Recipe- Thick and Decadent

This vegan hot chocolate is thick and decadent. Make some for a friend or family member and they’ll feel special. It’s a real treat.

How to make Thick and Decadent Vegan Hot Chocolate.

I purchased the Williams-Sonoma FLORENCE cookbook (still available on Amazon) many years ago and came across this recipe for thick Italian hot chocolate and I’ve been able to adapt the recipe to make a vegan version.

Italian hot chocolate is much thicker and creamier than hot chocolate here in the US.  The first time I had it I was amazed.  I’ve spent lots of time in Florence Italy for my Italian antiques business and one of my favorite treats is a Florentine hot chocolate because its like drinking a melted chocolate bar. Trust me, it’s so good and thick! I’m so happy to share this recipe with you.

The ingredients you will need for this recipe.

1. Cacao Powder or Unsweetened Cocoa (like Hershey’s)

This is the brand of cacao I like to use for this recipe.

It tastes richer to me like a high quality chocolate.  The price is a bit higher than Hershey’s brand for example, but I really do prefer and recommend it. The front label, as an added bonus, states that the cacao is a plant-based superfood and on the backside, that is says that the cacao has 325% more magnesium than a serving of spinach! I like the thought that the cacao powder in this hot chocolate is nutritious.

2. Granulated Sugar

Even though this recipe calls for sugar, there’s not a lot.  This hot chocolate taste is more like dark chocolate and is not overly sweet. It tastes more grown up and sophisticated. Not like the hot cocoa drink which for me, brings back childhood memories of a sugary mix out of a can. 

Still, if you prefer your hot chocolate drink a bit more sweet, you can adjust your level of sweetness and add a bit of sugar the end before you serve some up.

3. Soy Milk

I use soy milk for this hot chocolate. This brand at Trader Joe’s works really well.  I really prefer soy milk over any other kind of plant milk for this recipe. The soy milk really helps with the creamy thickness of this drink and the taste is neutral. You want to just taste the chocolate flavor.

4. Arrow Root

A little of this dissolved in some water is the secret ingredient and what makes this hot chocolate so thick and literally like melted chocolate. I used this Bob’s brand because it’s what I had at home. I really don’t have a brand preference here.

5. Vegan non-dairy whipped topping. (Optional)

I really like the So Delicious dairy free Coco whip brand. 

I like the slight coconut flavor of the topping and since you keep it in the freezer, it’s somewhat firm and really holds up when you top the hot chocolate. 

Let’s Make Vegan Hot Chocolate-  Step by Step

You’ll need a heavy-bottomed saucepan, a whisk, a small bowl and a measuring cup.

1. Gather all of your ingredients.

2. Measure the Cacao and the granulated sugar and place in the heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside.

3. In a small bowl dissolve 1 1/2 teaspoons of arrow root in 1/2 cup cold water.  Set aside.

4.  Measure 3 cups of soy milk in the measuring cup. Set aside.

5. Place the saucepan over a low heat and whisk in 1/2 cup (not the full amount of 3 cups) of the soymilk a little at a time. Stir continually with the whisk until there are no lumps and the mixture is smooth.  It will look like chocolate frosting.

6. Next you’ll incorporate the remaining 2 1/2 cups of the soy milk stirring constantly. Bring this mixture up to a boil over a medium heat and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often for approximately 5 minutes.  You’ll notice that the hot chocolate will start to thicken a bit.

The next few steps seem a bit redundant, but just follow the process!

7. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Here’s your break from stirring!

8. Bring the hot chocolate mixture to a boil again, over a medium heat, then reduce to a low heat and simmer.  Again for 5 minutes.

9. Remove the saucepan from the heat again to let slightly cool.  2-3 minutes approximately.

10. Stir the arrowroot and water mixture you have set aside in the small bowl.  Pour this dissolved slurry mixture into the hot chocolate and bring to a boil stirring constantly.   This is the last time I promise! Turn off the heat and you’ll notice how thick the hot chocolate has become throughout this process.

11. Taste the hot chocolate before serving.  It should taste like a good dark chocolate bar.  Not overly sweet. Here’s where you can add a little more sugar based on your personal preference. Serving the hot chocolate with a whipped topping will add some sweetness too.

Now it’s time to serve and enjoy your Hot Chocolate!

Be sure and serve the hot chocolate in a pretty cup! This always amps up the wow factor and makes it feel special.

When serving the hot chocolate, I like to layer the chocolate with whipped cream topping. Pour a small amount of the hot chocolate and then add a spoonful of the whipped topping. Keep layering and then end with a generous dallop of the cream on the top. Serve the hot chocolate with a small spoon on the side. It’s thick and delicious enough to serve as a fancy dessert.

You may prefer to skip the whipped cream topping. Make the hot chocolate look fancy by adding a few nuts on the side or a vegan cooking for dunking.

This Vegan Hot Chocolate is Easy to Make!

This vegan hot chocolate recipe is not complicated. It just requires a bit of time (25 minutes or so) and some stirring! The ingredients are readily available at most grocery stores.

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