Creamy Keto Hot Chocolate Recipe

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Last Updated on October 16, 2022 by Toya

See how to make this easy creamy keto hot chocolate recipe that tastes like the real thing! This easy keto low carb hot chocolate takes just 5 simple ingredients, is made in minutes and has the most amazing chocolate flavor. And, the best part is that this keto recipe has less than 5 net carbs per serving!

Keto hot chocolate recipe

When it comes to keto, making a low carb hot chocolate recipe is quite easy as it is often quite easy to swap out the 4 or 5 ingredients that are used to make hot chocolate with keto friendly versions. 

The hardest part of making a good tasting keto hot chocolate is ensuring that it is rich thick and creamy and delicious. 

This sugar free hot chocolate recipe I’m happy to say is all of these things. Rich. Creamy. Thick. Tasty. It is in fact, on of the best hot chocolate drinks I’ve tried since starting keto.

Made with only 5 ingredients, this hot chocolate recipe is the perfect hot drink for cold days and for satisfying sweet tooth cravings on keto.

You definitely cannot go wrong with this comforting drink during the winter season. 

What is a keto hot chocolate?

A keto hot chocolate drink is a hot chocolate drink that is made with only keto friendly ingredients. It replaces high sugar, high carb ingredients like sugar with a keto sweetener, whole milk with a unsweetened or non dairy milk, replaces regular cocoa powder with unsweetened cocoa powder and regular chocolate with unsweetened chocolate. 

It is often rich, creamy and sweet, but without all the sugars and carbs found in traditional hot chocolate beverages. 

Easy tips to make the best keto hot cocoa

• To make this keto hot cocoa drink extra creamy, you can use 2 tablespoons of coconut cream per serving. Add this ingredient as the last step or right before you add your heavy cream. So if the recipe makes 2 cups of hot chocolate, use 4 tablespoons of coconut cream to the recipe.
• Sometimes cocoa powder does not dissolve. So make sure to strain the mixture before enjoying your hot cup of cocoa.
• Also, the hot chocolate has a tendency to create a fine crust. If that happens, stir well and strain again or just serve immediately.

Is cocoa powder OK on keto?

One tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder contains 3.13 grams of carbs and 2 grams of fiber. This means that 1 tablespoon of natural cocoa powder contains 1.13 grams of net carbs and so it is okay to use certain cocoa powders on keto as long as they contain no sugar. Some great options are Hershey’s naturally unsweetened cocoa powder and Better Body Foods organic cacao powder.

These other types of cocoa are also quite good and can work for keto hot chocolate drinks or other keto chocolate recipes:

• Anthony’s Organic Cocoa Powder: This organic cocoa powder is dark and delicious and great  for any baking or cooking with only 1 gram of net carbs per tablespoon.
• 365 Everyday Value Organic Cocoa Powder: Made with quality ingredients and a delicious flavor, this no sugar added cocoa powder only contains 1 gram of net carbs per tablespoon.
• Navitas Organics Cacao Powder: The Navitas Organics Cacao Powder made from un-roasted and cold-pressed organic, Fairtrade cacao beans is another great option for keto.

Macros for this sugar free hot cocoa 

Depending on the exact ingredients you use, there will be a few carbs in any sugar free hot chocolate. I tried to be mindful of the carb count for this one drink compared to a persons daily eating while not compromising the taste and creaminess of the drink. 

The macros for this low carb hot cocoa is as follows: In every serving (1 cup), there are 3.8 net carbs, 187 calories, 17 grams of fat and 3.2 grams of protein. 

Ingredients to make low carb hot chocolate

• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tbsp stevia powder
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract, optional

How to make keto hot chocolate

To make this easy sugar-free hot chocolate, first gather all your ingredients in one place.

Next, make a keto hot chocolate mix, by mixing in the cocoa powder and stevia. 

Then, in a small pot add the two cups of almond milk, add the hot chocolate mix and stir well with a whisk. Mix well so no lumps are formed.

 

Next, add the heavy cream and mix until a thick liquid forms.

Heat the hot chocolate over medium heat until it is very hot. But do not allow it to come to a boil.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract if you are using. Lastly pour the hot chocolate into serving glasses and serve. You can top with some sugar-free keto whipped cream if desired.

Microwave, stovetop, or instant pot?

This hot cocoa recipe can be made easily in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in an instant pot.

For the microwave, heat the unsweetened almond milk and heavy cream in mugs for 90 seconds. Then, stir in the keto hot chocolate mix, sweetener, and vanilla extract and serve.

For the stovetop, whisk the homemade hot chocolate mix, unsweetened almond milk, heavy cream, and sweetener in a saucepan until properly mixed. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat, add the vanilla extract then serve. 

For the instant pot, combine all the ingredients except the sweetener in the instant pot, and set to high pressure for 2 mins. Then lock and cook. The sweetener is kept out until the last minute to avoid burning. Once done, add the low carb sweetener of your choice, stir until it dissolves, and serve immediately.

Topping low-carb hot chocolate 

A generous dollop of whipped cream is the most popular way to top hot chocolate drinks. Here are some other ideas that you can try out also:

• Mini keto-friendly marshmallows
• Shaved chocolate
• Cinnamon powder or a cinnamon powder substitute
• Powdered peanut butter
• Dark cocoa powder

For dairy-free hot chocolate, replace the whipped cream with whipped coconut cream and top with cinnamon.

Recipe substitutes

• You can also substitute the unsweetened vanilla almond milk for either unsweetened coconut milk or unsweetened cashew milk as these two are very creamy and will make the hot chocolate even thicker!
• Lastly, you can add some unsweetened melted dark chocolate or keto friendly chocolate chips to this recipe. Use 1 oz per cup of hot chocolate.
• If you don’t have stevia on hand, you can also use monk fruit, erythritol or swerve as low carb sweetener substitutes. I’ve even tried this keto hot drink with the swerve brown sugar replacement and I really enjoyed it.

Dairy free keto friendly hot chocolate option

To make this recipe dairy free, simply leave out the heavy cream and substitute with unsweetened coconut milk. I like the thia kitchen brand the best.

This recipe is made with almond milk which is great for making dairy free hot beverages. However, you can also use other types of non-dairy milk like cashew milk or hemp milk. For creaminess and thickness, use unsweetened coconut cream.

How to store low carb hot chocolate

Hot chocolate should only be allowed to stay out for 3 hours before it is stored away. You can store this hot chocolate recipe in an airtight container for 24 hours in a fridge.

Other hot drinks you can have on keto

Keto is often seen as a restrictive lifestyle. There are so many things that are off limits that it can sometimes be difficult to stick to keto. Finding replacements for recipes and foods you used to enjoy before keto is one way to make this lifestyle easier. 

This easy keto hot chocolate replacement is one of my favorite.

Some other hot drinks for the winter season that you can also have on keto include this keto chocolate milk recipe, this keto bullet proof hot chocolate recipe and this easy slow cooker low carb hot chocolate. All of these recipes fit perfectly into a keto lifestyle and taste amazing. 

More keto chocolate recipes

• • Keto chocolate chip pancakes
  • Keto chocolate chia pudding
  • Keto chocolate ice cream