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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Drinks / vegan date sweetened hot cocoa

    vegan date sweetened hot cocoa

    Jan 25, 2019 · 16 Comments

    This Vegan Date Sweetened Hot Cocoa requires just 3 simple ingredients and a few minutes of prep to create a thick and chocolatey drink!

    vegan date sweetened hot cocoa | The Baking Fairy

    Hi buddies! Another Friday, another installment of the Winter Warm-Up Drink Series! Earlier this month, I shared a tea drink and an iced coffee... so it only made sense that it's now time for a cup of hot cocoa! This Vegan Date-Sweetened Hot Cocoa requires just 3 ingredients and a few minutes to create a thick, rich chocolatey drink. Just use your favorite non-dairy milk, blend in some dates to add some no-sugar-added sweetness, and finish off with a few spoonfuls of cacao powder. I topped mine with vegan almond milk whipped cream, but it's also perfect in its simplicity. Have you ever tried a drink or dessert that was sweetened with dates?

    vegan date sweetened hot cocoa | The Baking Fairy

    So I've had an infamous "bucket o'dates" for the better part of the last year, and I have been scratching my head at ways to use it up well... the entire time. I made this AMAZING spiced date cake at Christmas and it was a huge hit! But besides that, zilch. Nada. I have been a very bad date user all-around. I saw a recipe for a date sweetened hot cocoa in one of my new cookbooks, Vegan Meals for the Carnivorous Family, which I had reviewed for a blog friend a few months ago, and decided to recreate it! Since I needed a warm drink for this ongoing series, the timing worked out perfectly.

    vegan date sweetened hot cocoa | The Baking Fairy

    vegan date sweetened hot cocoa | The Baking Fairy

    I am always looking for ways to have my cake and eat it, too so ? If I can fulfill my chocolate cravings in a healthier way, then I am all for it! A 2-cup serving of this hot cocoa is 216 calories with 5.6g of protein which doesn't sound too bad to me! And if your mugs are smaller than mine and you have a very reasonable 1-cup serving instead, it's a measly 108 calories. You can't beat that!

    As always, remember to check out my blogger friend's tasty creations for today!

    • An Old Fashioned by Books n’ Cooks
    • Gingerbread Smoothie by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
    • Malted Hot Cocoa by Our Good Life
    • Masala Chai by Palatable Pastime
    • Salted Nutella Latte by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
    • Soursop Soother by A Day in the Life on the Farm
    • Vegan Date-Sweetened Hot Cocoa by The Baking Fairy
    • Winter White Hot Chocolate by Family Around the Table

    vegan date sweetened hot cocoa | The Baking Fairy

    I'm no stranger to trashed-up hot chocolate recipes, so here are some of my past creations! Earl Grey Hot Cocoa, Strawberries & Cream White Hot Chocolate, Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate, and Spiked Italian-Style Hot Chocolate.

    What I made earlier this series: Dirty Earl Grey Latte, Small Batch Vanilla Cinnamon Cold Brew Latte.

    5.0 from 7 reviews
    vegan date sweetened hot cocoa
     
    Save Print
    Prep time
    5 mins
    Total time
    5 mins
     
    This Vegan Date Sweetened Hot Cocoa requires just 3 simple ingredients and a few minutes of prep to create a thick and chocolatey drink!
    Author: Valentina | The Baking Fairy
    Recipe type: Drinks
    Serves: 1
    Ingredients
    • *for 1 serving*
    • 2 cups nondairy unsweetened milk {I used cashew milk}
    • 5 pitted dates
    • 2 tablespoon cacao powder
    • pinch of salt
    Instructions
    1. First, place the nondairy milk in a microwave-safe cup and add in the dates.
    2. Heat milk and dates for 2-3 minutes, until mixture is very hot and dates have softened.
    3. Transfer mixture to a blender, and add in the cacao powder and pinch of salt.
    4. Blend mixture until smooth, then transfer to mug and enjoy! Top with vegan whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa if desired.
    3.5.3251

    vegan date sweetened hot cocoa | The Baking Fairy

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Wendy Klik says

      January 25, 2019 at 3:40 pm

      Great way to enjoy hot chocolate without any guilt.

      Reply
    2. Terri Steffes says

      January 25, 2019 at 4:21 pm

      We love dates in our house and I have never thought of using them as sweeteners. I cannot wait to try this. We have a Blendtec and it does hot drinks like a dream.

      Reply
    3. Liz @ Books n' Cooks says

      January 25, 2019 at 7:17 pm

      Nope, I've never tried sweetening a hot drink with dates
      But seriously, your gorgeous photos can get me to try just about anything you whip up!

      Reply
    4. Cindy says

      January 25, 2019 at 7:39 pm

      I like the sound of dates in here. So good!

      Reply
    5. Hezzi-D says

      January 25, 2019 at 8:43 pm

      Using dates to sweeten this is such a creative and delicious idea! Yum!

      Reply
    6. Billy says

      January 26, 2019 at 10:09 am

      Cool use of dates and cashews. And I've always found that a touch of salt, especially when you're using dark chocolate, is important to help bring out the flavors. Dates are also a cool alternative to using sugar, even raw sugar which lots of health conscious people tend to think is fine.

      Reply
    7. chahinez tabet aoul says

      February 17, 2019 at 3:04 pm

      I have been trying to find a good hot chocolate recipe using dates for a while but haven't been able to! I will definitely try this one out and who knows if it turns out amazing I might get inspired to take it and run with it and have some variations of it.
      I will let you know and if I make something similar I will definitely link back to you!

      Reply
    8. Jessica says

      December 09, 2020 at 1:04 pm

      My husband and I really enjoyed this cocoa! Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • valentina says

        December 09, 2020 at 9:32 pm

        Thank you for your comment, Jessica. I am so glad you guys liked it! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Rodger says

      December 31, 2020 at 4:55 pm

      how do u melt the dates if you don't have a microwave

      Reply
      • valentina says

        January 01, 2021 at 1:58 pm

        Hey Rodger! The dates do not melt in the microwave - they just absorb the hot liquid so that they soften. You could do this on the stove instead.

        Reply
    10. Karen says

      March 17, 2022 at 11:32 am

      I love this recipe!! The hot chocolate is so creamy and frothy because of the dates and it’s just perfect in every way! I make it for me and my husband using 3 cups of milk and 7 dates and find that it’s the perfect amount.

      Reply
    11. Kim says

      June 15, 2022 at 4:36 pm

      I love vegan hot chocolate! I have made a few changes to how I prepare mine:

      I pour boiling water over the dates, just enough to cover them and let them sit in a mixing bowl for 10-15 min to soften. I add sea salt, 2 teaspoons of Camino Dutch processed cocoa and a heaping teaspoon of Sunbutter. I don’t add any milk just more boiling water and then I whip it up with a immersion blender. It’s creamy, frothy and delicious!

      Reply
    12. Sterling says

      November 05, 2022 at 7:16 pm

      Made this for the first time because I’m 34 weeks pregnant and dates are suggested to be eaten regularly. I added a little almond extract and I can tell this is going to be a go to drink throughout winter (I’m due 12/21). Perfect find!! Thank you!

      Reply
      • valentina says

        November 18, 2022 at 12:38 am

        Congrats!! I am glad you enjoyed this drink! When I was pregnant, my go-to was dates stuffed with some peanut butter and chocolate chips - soo yummy!

        Reply
    13. Jackie Rust says

      November 11, 2022 at 5:59 pm

      Best vegan hot chocolate. I love it. Thank you. Thank you. I dud use 3 T. cacoa powder. I wanted a bit more chocolate .

      Reply

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    Hi! My name is Valentina and I'm The Baking Fairy! Pediatric physician assistant by day and food blogger extraordinaire by night. Full-blooded Italian, but I've lived in Texas for most of my life. I love margaritas, brownies, avocados, and my mamma's homemade pizza. Married to my high school sweetheart (who is ALSO a pediatrician). My mission is to make plant-based cooking fun and delicious, one recipe at a time. I want to show people that vegan food is not just for vegans!

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