Keto Hot Chocolate: Original Recipe With a Twist
The fall and winter months bring with them allll the cozy vibes. From warm sweaters to crunchy leaves to family gatherings, cooler months bring the desire for something homey and sweet.
Hot chocolate always comes to mind when we’re thinking of a snug and cozy atmosphere! Even if you call sunny California your home, there’s nothing like a warm cup of hot chocolate to deliver all the comforting seasonal pleasures you’re craving.
If you’re sticking with a keto diet during the holiday season, you don’t have to miss out on the fun of sippable hot chocolate! Being on a ketogenic diet requires quite a few (positive!) dietary changes, but there are ways to make your hot cocoa recipe work for you, no compromises necessary. (And it can be vegan, too.)
Let’s chat about what kind of chocolate can be included in a keto diet and if any hot chocolate is classified as keto-friendly. We won’t leave you hanging after that, either — we have our favorite original keto hot chocolate recipe for you … with a twist!
Can Keto Dieters Eat Chocolate?
Many people choose to start a keto diet with a weight loss goal in mind. This makes sense, as the ketogenic diet has been shown to help individuals looking to shed a few pounds.
Keto diets work by keeping the body in a state of ketosis. Whereas our bodies would normally burn carbohydrates for fuel, ketosis puts a different spin on the usage of energy. Since a keto diet is high in fat and lower in carbs, fat quickly becomes our body’s main fuel source.
Chocolate is generally high in carbohydrates because chocolate is generally high in sugar. As such, many types of chocolates are unfortunately not very keto-friendly. Thankfully, if we look closely at the macronutrient breakdown of various types of chocolate, we can see that folks on a keto diet can include certain chocolates into their diet. It’s all about making mindful choices and knowing what’s going into your cup!
Can Chocolate Be Keto-Friendly?
Maintaining a specific macronutrient ratio is the key to keeping your body in ketosis. Low carbs, low sugar, high in protein, and even higher in fat is the keto dieter’s way. If you’re a numbers person, let’s break it down:
On keto, you will want to get between 70 and 80% of your body’s daily calorie requirements from fat, about 10 to 20% of your calories from protein-rich sources, and a small amount (approximately 5 to 10%) via carbohydrates.
In order for chocolate to be keto-friendly, it has to fit into these macros. Most chocolates — especially milk chocolate and white chocolate — are high in carbs and sugar. You’ll discover that dark chocolate is most likely to be keto-friendly, although there are better options out there (like MiiRO … but more on that later).
Dark chocolate is made of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar. Since there is no milk in most dark chocolate, the caloric density of dark chocolate can be lower. And the higher the cocoa percentage, the less sugar will be included in the dark chocolate. This means that dark chocolate with higher amounts of cocoa will usually be more keto-friendly (although there are some exceptions).
Dark chocolate’s antioxidant properties also make it an amazing addition to a balanced diet, whether you’re keto, vegan, or just trying to make more thoughtful snacking choices!
Chocolate on a Keto Diet: Not Limited to Dark Chocolate
Even though dark chocolate has most often been known as the keto dieter’s lone option when it comes to chocolate indulgence, we are here to shift that narrative.
With careful attention, silky sweet, keto-friendly, and vegan chocolate is our M.O. At MiiRO, we use a thoughtful blend of sweeteners that keep the carb count down, and the sweetness factor bumped up — all with a low sugar content you’ll have to taste to believe. While we will never shy away from enjoying a yummy dark chocolate bar, we’ll also never shy away from letting you know that your chocolate choices are full of possibilities!
Thanks to MiiRO, you can enjoy angelic white chocolate while being on a keto diet, something we personally know many people weren’t sure was possible. Traditional white chocolate is laden with sugar — but not here! Gently fermented erythritol and straight-from-the-source Stevia give our velvety rich white chocolate the sweetness you crave without sugar’s carbohydrates.
Don’t forget about the cocoa butter that gifts our white chocolate bars with a smooth texture. No waxiness here!
Keto Milk Chocolate? Yes, Please!
Dairy milk is high in carbohydrates and is also a no-go if you happen to be a keto dieter. Since milk chocolate can contain up to 20% milkfat, this normally means that those adhering to a keto diet have to kiss milk chocolate goodbye.
Say hello to keto-friendly and plant-based mylk chocolate from MiiRO. We include the health benefits of almonds when concocting the nut mylk that makes up our chocolates. Almonds are also naturally lower in carbs — snacking on a handful of almonds during the day is a great lil boost in between meals for those on a keto diet, and so is our chocolate!
No added sugar makes all of our keto dreams come true … and leads us down the path to creating a delicious cup of keto hot chocolate.
Can Hot Chocolate Be Keto?
Many hot chocolate recipes include dairy milk. Earlier, we touched upon how dairy milk can have a high carbohydrate content. We’ll need to stay away from dairy if we want to make keto hot chocolate!
You may have seen hot chocolate packets at the store advertising that you can mix the hot chocolate powder with either water or milk. And if you’re anything like us, you’ve experienced the disappointment of making instant hot chocolate with water. Watery hot chocolate just does NOT hit the spot the same way that thick, rich hot chocolate does.
Hot chocolate can be keto by using alternative milks and keto-friendly ingredients. Some examples of milks that can be included in a keto diet because they are lower in carbs are:
- Almond Milk. Almond milk is low in carbs and a yummy base for most milk applications.
- Macadamia Nut Milk. Only one gram of carbs per cup? Sign us up!
- Soy Milk. Mmm, we can’t get enough of unsweetened soy milk for a keto diet.
- Flax Milk. Get your omega-3 fix with flaxseed milk.
- Hemp Milk. Hemp milk of the unsweetened variety rounds out our list of favorite low-carb, keto-friendly milk alternatives.
Keto Hot Chocolate Recipe
May we present the best keto hot chocolate recipe you’ll ever find? Rich, decadent, thick, and with a tasty twist, this isn’t your grandma’s hot cocoa — it’s better. Get your mugs ready.
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 cups of your favorite milk alternative
- 2 tablespoons sugar substitute
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- 6 ounces of MiiRO's Dark Chocolate Baking Chips
Combine all ingredients except for the keto dark chocolate chips into a saucepan. Bring to a strong simmer, whisking until the cocoa powder and sugar substitute dissolve. Then, remove the saucepan from the heat and add your dark chocolate chips.
Stir the mixture thoroughly until the dark chocolate chips melt and become fully incorporated. Top with your favorite keto whipped cream or keto-friendly marshmallows, and enjoy with a loved one! Keto hot chocolate can be just as delicious — or even more so! — than its non-keto counterpart.
For another delicious twist on classic hot chocolate, try using half dark chocolate baking chips and half Keto Peanut Butter Baking Chips. The result is a match made in peanut buttery, chocolatey heaven.
Sweet Treats To Enjoy with Keto Hot Chocolate
We’ve let you in on our ultimate keto hot cocoa recipe — combining our luxurious dark chocolate baking chips with cocoa powder to make for a tasty warming beverage. But no mug of hot chocolate is complete without a little something sweet on the side!
Serve your keto hot chocolate with some Delicious and Easy 3 Ingredient Cookies as a part of a decadent mid-day snack. This cookie recipe only takes five minutes to prepare, and all of the ingredients are keto-friendly and vegan. For an extra treat, add some MiiRO Dark Chocolate Baking Chips for an added dose of low-sugar sweetness.
Our recipe for keto chocolate cake is another fan favorite perfect for any birthday celebration. (It’s also a delicious way to make every day feel like your birthday!) Paired with your keto hot chocolate, this yummy chocolate-on-chocolate combination is guaranteed to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Searching for more recipes that would go hand in hand with some keto hot chocolate? Our roundup of 39 Easy Vegan Keto Dessert Recipes has got your back.
Conclusion
Hot chocolate is a cozy cup of comfort that everyone can enjoy during those chilly months. Our keto hot chocolate recipe combines low-carb milk, satisfying sugar substitutes, cocoa powder, and a twist of creamy keto dark chocolate baking chips for the ultimate treat.
Make a mug of keto hot chocolate to leave out for any gift-giving elves who may stop by, but our original recipe makes two servings for a reason — you’ll want a cup for yourself, too.
Sources:
What is Ketosis? | Charlie Foundation
Ketogenic Diet | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Dark Chocolate Health Benefits | Cleveland Clinic
Whole Milk Nutrition Facts | USDA
Milk Chocolate | ScienceDirect Topics
Health Benefits of Almonds | PMC
Dietary Flaxseed as a Strategy for Improving Human Health | PMC
