When I first switched to a vegan diet, hot chocolate was something that took a long time to get right. Now, that was 4 ½ years ago, the non-dairy options are a lot better than they used to be. A lot better. But in those 4 ½ years, I realised something. One of the best vegan hot chocolate recipe hacks is actually the laziest option ever. Today, I’m sharing two ways to make a vegan orange hot chocolate recipe.
The Lazy Way?
My friends, the best hot chocolate hack is to heat up chocolate soy/ almond/ oat milk. I usually heat up the Alpro dark chocolate almond milk because I like the slight nutty flavour that comes through, but other options work just as well.
Most hot chocolate powders contain milk, and I find that cocoa powder in milk tastes bitter, even if I’m using a sweetened milk. Maybe I just have a really sweet tooth, but I always had to add an extra sweetener if I used cocoa powder and almond milk. However, if you heat chocolate almond milk, it already has everything combined.
The chocolate milks are the same price as the regular almond milks. It’s already chocolate flavoured, so you don’t need to add cocoa powder and it’s already sweetened enough so you don’t need to add any sugars or syrups. So, it’s cheaper (because you only need the milk) and easier. This was a great discovery for me at the time.
Traditional
Of course, if you want to mix cocoa with a milk of your choice, or if you don’t have access to the flavoured ones, you can always make it the traditional way too.
For this orange hot chocolate, I’d add in some orange coffee syrup, such as this one*. That way the flavour and sweetener is a 2 in 1. And, like the milk, stops me having to add an extra, separate sweetener.
Add Ons
I wanted to find some vegan cream to use with this recipe, and I was about ready to order some ridiculously expensive soy whipping cream on amazon when I stumbled across this in Morrison’s one day. It tastes great, melts a bit faster than dairy cream would, but still does the job.
For mine, I added some cocoa powder and grated orange chocolate to the top. I was going to get some vegan marshmallows but I’ve never found any that taste good and I didn’t want to sit here and pretend to like them just to get a nicer photo. If you’re veggie/ vegan and know of any good ones, please share in the comments for future reference.
Vegan Orange Hot Chocolate Recipe
Vegan Orange Hot Chocolate Recipe
2 ways to make a delicious vegan orange hot chocolate recipe.
Ingredients
Lazy Way
- 1 cup chocolate almond milk
- 1 tsp orange extract
Traditional
- 1 cup non-dairy milk of choice
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp orange syrup OR 1 tsp orange extract and sweetener to taste
Add ons
- Vegan whipped cream
- 1 square free from orange chocolate
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
Instructions
Lazy Way
-
Add the chocolate milk to a small saucepan on a low heat. Let it warm through for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until it’s at drinking temperature.
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Stir in the orange extract while the heat is still on, then pour into mugs and add your toppings.
Traditional
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If you’re making it the traditional way, I find it easier to get a smooth mix if you add the milk to the cocoa powder bit by bit and whisk it in, smoothly rather than adding the cocoa powder to a cup of milk. Add cocoa powder to a mug or jug, then add milk bit by bit and whisk to combine. Once combined, add the liquid to a small saucepan on a low heat. Let it warm through for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until it’s at drinking temperature.
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Stir in the orange syrup while the heat is still on, then pour into mugs and add your toppings.
Serve and enjoy!
Would you guys opt for the lazy option or the traditional method?
Until tomorrow,
Sophie
*This is an affiliate link.
This looks delicious! I love adding flavors to my hot chocolate! Orange sounds amazing! For Halloween we tried pumpkin spiced hot chocolate, and it was actually much better than I thought it’d be!
Mmmm, chocolate orange hot chocolate sounds incredible!! I’ve always been a little anxious to make my own hot chocolate but this sounds lush and easy to make!!
I’m not vegan (or drink hot chocolate for that matter) but that looks delicious!!
This sounds delicious. I’ve found peppermint to be a great addition too!
Mostly I would go the traditional way. So good!
http://www.fashionradi.com
HOT CHOCOLATE YES YES YES – depending on how it’s made, I either love it or it’s just way too heavy – there’s no in between haha! I’m not sure if I’m under a rock but how is this the first time I’m hearing of this lazy way?! I feel like I’ve always done either the packet or using hot cocoa!
Orange chocolate sounds interesting – I haven’t tried it before *cue horror music* but I just imagine the citrus-ness overpowering the sweetness a bit?! AH I have just the place for vegan marshmallows, Trader Joes! I’m not sure if they have chains outside of the US but fingers crossed they do!!
Also can I just say these photos are so aesthetic I can’t wait to pin them on Pinterest!
Oooh! Hot chocolate is the staple of the holiday season! I keep forgetting that I need to go treat myself to some of the Starbucks holiday drinks. I like that there are alternative ingredients available that can still give you the full experience. Big plus that it is easy to make!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
The lazy way sounds perfect, but the traditional way sounds fun :’) I guess both options are great!! I’m so glad that there are a lot of milk alternatives!! Oat & coconut milk are probably my favourites, and I’m excited to make some hot choc this winter. x
My mouth is seriously watering looking at these pictures! Your vegan recipes get better and better every day – I especially love the chocolate ones. 🙂
Soph – https://girlvsworldblog.com x
This looks amazing and perfect for autumn, I just love hot chocolate! I need to try making this with oat milk 🙂
Mel
http://www.moonlightmel.co.uk
This looks amazing – the perfect winter treat! Because it’s a kind of treat, I’d probably go for the traditional method, but the lazy way would be extremely handy if you’re in a rush! xxxx
I’ve never actually had an orange hot chocolate before. But this is SO Christmassy! I’d love to try something like this, this year! x
This looks incredible! You can’t beat hot chocolate on a cold evening xx
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
My son is obsessed with hot chocolate and I know that he’d love this x
Yum, I love a good hot chocolate, would definitely make this :))))) x
I haven’t made my own hot chocolate before but I need to now x