Vegan Hot Chocolate
It’s starting to get a bit nippy out there as we head into December and we all have those nights where we’re in need of a hot chocolate. A lot of hot chocolate contains cow milk, so us vegans need to be in the know about our chocolatey treats. Here are some ideas to indulge for those of us who are vegan-inclined! Why should we miss out on a seasonal fave? Everyone deserves hot chocolate!
I’ve been using Sweet Freedom choc shots recently, which are vegan friendly and come in different flavours: plain, orange spice and coconut. They are a bit unusual because they aren’t powdered, like many hot chocolate brands. It is a squeezy sort of syrup that you mix into your milk and water. Orange spice is nice to have over the Christmas season!
There are also other brands and flavours such as; the Mars hot chocolate, Waitrose gold shimmer hot chocolate, Sainsbury’s own, Cadbury’s Bournville Cocoa, and the Cadbury’s DRINKING chocolate (NOT the Cadbury’s INSTANT hot chocolate). There are probably loads and loads of other hot chocolate products out there to try, but just be sure to check the ingredients list for milk and sneaky things like whey powder.
I know a lot of people like to make their hot chocolates with milk but I find a combination of milk and hot water is best. I pour some almond milk into a mug, squeeze in some Sweet Freedom choc shot, and stir lots, very quickly. Then, I pour in some boiling water and stir again. You can use any plant milk you want though, I know people who like to use hazelnut milk because it gives a Nutella type taste to the chocolate. Otherwise you could try almond or oat milk. There’s no harm in experimenting with which milks you like to use and how much you prefer in ratio to the water.
If you’re feeling fancy you could also add some marshmallows! My favourite brands of vegan marshmallows are, Freedom, which you can get in Holland and Barrett, and Ananda Foods which is available online. Ananda Foods has all sorts of fancy flavours of marshmallow and also does a vegan version of wagon wheels – a childhood favourite! If you’re feeling EXTRA fancy, you can even find soya squirty cream in a can to top off your hot choc! Treat yourself!