Dairy-free hot chocolate
A rich, silky dairy-free hot chocolate made with oat milk and dark dairy-free chocolate — indulgent, not cloying.
This is the kind of hot chocolate that leaves you thinking dairy wasn’t the point — rich, velvety and properly indulgent, without a drop of milk from a cow. It’s built around creamy oat milk, a little cocoa, a touch of cornflour for body and melting dairy-free chocolate for a lux finish.
Make it for a cold evening, a cosy night in or whenever you need a chocolate fix that won’t feel thin. It’s quick, forgiving and infinitely tweakable.
Ingredients
- 600 ml oat milk — use chilled; reserve 80 ml for the paste
- 20 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 30 g golden caster sugar
- 10 g cornflour
- 60 g dairy-free dark chocolate — chopped finely; choose a dairy-free bar (roughly 70% cocoa)
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- fine salt — pinch
Equipment
- small saucepan
- whisk
- small bowl
- ladle
- small sieve (optional)
- grater (for chocolate garnish, optional)
Instructions
Measure and reserve 80 ml oat milk. In a small bowl whisk the cornflour, unsweetened cocoa powder and golden caster sugar with the reserved 80 ml oat milk to make a completely smooth paste — no lumps.
Pour the remaining oat milk into a small saucepan and warm gently on a low hob until the milk is steaming at the edges but not boiling — about 3–4 minutes.
Whisk the cocoa-cornflour paste into the warm oat milk, add the pinch of fine salt and continue to cook on a gentle simmer for 2–3 minutes, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly.
Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the chopped dairy-free dark chocolate and vanilla extract until completely melted and the drink is glossy.
Taste and adjust sweetness if needed, then pour into two pre-warmed mugs and serve immediately.
Tips
- Reserve a small amount of cold milk to make the cocoa-cornflour paste — it prevents lumps and gives a smooth finish.
- Keep the heat low. High heat risks scalding oat milk and curdling the texture.
- If using a bar with large chunks, chop the chocolate very fine so it melts quickly and evenly.
- Make ahead: keep the hot chocolate chilled for up to 48 hours and gently reheat on a low hob, whisking to restore silkiness.
- For a thicker, more decadent drink add an extra 4 g cornflour (total 12 g) dissolved in the reserved milk — simmer as instructed to cook out the starch.
Substitutions
oat milk → unsweetened almond milk, same quantity
Stays closedairy-free dark chocolate → extra 10 g unsweetened cocoa powder plus 10 g extra sugar (omit the chocolate)
Noticeably differentgolden caster sugar → maple syrup, 25 ml (add at the end to taste)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 430
- Calories
- 9 g
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 21 g
- Sugar
- 120 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I skip the cornflour?
Yes — the drink will still be delicious but thinner. If you skip it, dissolve the cocoa and sugar into a little cold milk as a paste to avoid lumps and heat as directed.
How do I make it nut-free?
Use oat milk (as in this recipe) or rice milk; avoid almond milk. Check the dairy-free chocolate label for any nut traces.
Can I make a larger batch for a party?
Multiply the ingredients and keep heat low when warming. If reheating later, whisk while warming to recover the silky texture.
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