This easy sugar free hot chocolate mix makes ultra rich, decadent keto hot chocolate. It takes five basic ingredients and about 2 minutes of your time to make. And check out all the delicious flavor variations!
I can’t tell you how much money I’ve wasted on keto-friendly or sugar free hot chocolate mix. I keep hoping they will be as delicious as my own homemade keto hot chocolate.
But they never are. They’re either far too sweet, or not sweet enough, or they have unnecessary additives and ingredients.
And they are usually ridiculously expensive too. I’m over it. From here on in, I am sticking with my homemade keto hot chocolate mix. It’s easy, it’s delicious, and I can make it exactly the way I want it!
It also makes a great gift for keto friends and family.
Why make your own hot chocolate mix
Stop wasting your money on the store-bought stuff, my friends. Your own homemade version is infinitely better! And you can adjust it and customize it to your tastes.
The sugar-free hot chocolate mix you see in most grocery stores is full of junk, so don’t even go there. It’s often sweetened with aspertame or sucralose, and has fillers like cornstarch to make it thicker.
The keto hot chocolate mixes you see on Amazon and the like are better options, but they often miss the mark in flavor. Many of them are unpalatably sweet or just have an odd taste.
And they can have some suspect ingredients and fillers too. The very popular Lakanto brand contains brown rice, of all things!
Homemade keto hot chocolate mix is not only easy, but allows you to control for the ingredients, the sweetness level, and the nutrition. I will never purchase a pre-made mix again.
Developing this recipe
I’ve been making my own sugar free hot chocolate pretty much from the moment I went low carb. Usually I just do it ad hoc, when I am in the mood for a cup of cocoa.
But a ready made mix makes life easy, especially when you’re on the go. So I set about testing out perfect best ratios of ingredients.
I wanted to make a mix that could just be combined with hot water, so I tested out both heavy cream powder and coconut milk powder. But it just didn’t live up to my exacting standards.
It wasn’t creamy enough and it had an unpleasant flavor. My daughter likened it to the cheesy powder you can put on popcorn! It also added too many carbs and was too expensive for my liking.
So I went back to basics and created a sugar free hot chocolate mix that can be stirred into any preferred milk or milk/cream combination. Then I tested out a number of flavor variations like mint, mocha, salted caramel, and Mexican chocolate!
Ingredients
- Keto sweetener – Whether you prefer Swerve, allulose, or BochaSweet, you can use your preferred sweetener in this recipe.
- Cocoa powder – I recommend a good Dutched cocoa powder for the best flavor. Raw cacao powder won’t dissolve as easily.
- Unsweetened chocolate – This is what makes it true hot chocolate, rather than just hot cocoa! It intensifies the chocolate flavor and makes it more thick and rich.
- Collagen – This is optional but it produces a truly rich and frothy keto hot chocolate. If you choose to skip it, I recommend adding 1/2 tsp glucomannan for a thicker drink.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla always helps bring out the best in chocolate recipes.
- Salt – Just a little salt brings out the flavor in sweet recipes.
How to make keto sugar free hot chocolate mix
So simple and easy! Here are my best tips for getting it right:
- Use your preferred sweetener: The best part about this recipe is that you can use what you like! Just use something that will dissolve easily when mixed with a hot liquid. I use powdered Swerve but allulose and BochaSweet both work well.
- Adjust the sweetener to taste: We all have different tolerance for sweetness and we experience keto sweeteners very differently. If you aren’t sure how sweet you want it, use less and add more if necessary, after you try it out in a hot chocolate drink.
- Combine in a food processor: Using a food processor helps combine the ingredients really well, and it breaks the chocolate into tiny pieces that dissolve more easily. And yes, you can add the liquid vanilla extract right in there too. The food processor method distributes the vanilla throughout the mix.
- Stir into hot milk: Use 2 to 3 tablespoons of mix per 10 to 12 ounces of hot liquid. My favourite way to make keto hot chocolate is with 8 to 10 ounces of unsweetened hemp milk and about 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) of heavy cream.
Variations
Really, the flavour possibilities for this sugar-free hot chocolate mix are virtually endless. A few things I tested out:
Peppermint hot chocolate mix
Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of peppermint extract along with the vanilla and other ingredients. How much depends on how strong your extract is. I found that about 1 1/2 teaspoons was right for me, and I use Frontier peppermint extract.
Mocha hot chocolate mix
Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of espresso powder in with the other ingredients. Or if you can’t find that, use 3 or 4 Starbucks via packs.
Salted caramel hot chocolate mix
Use salted caramel collagen in place of the plain collagen, and add 1 teaspoon caramel extract along with the other ingredients. You may want to cut down on the sweetener, as flavoured collagen usually has added sweeteners.
Top with my keto caramel sauce, if desired.
Mexican hot chocolate mix
Add 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or cayenne along with the other ingredients.
How to store homemade keto hot chocolate mix
Place the prepared mix in an airtight container with a lid, such as a glass jar or tupperware. The mix will last up to 3 months.
You can also freeze the mix for up to 6 months.
Keto Hot Chocolate Mix
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup grassfed collagen, (optional)
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Hot Chocolate Mix
- Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and process on high until well combined.
To make hot chocolate
- Heat 10 to 12 ounces of your favorite keto-friendly milk (I like 10 ounces hemp milk with 1 ounce heavy cream… divine!). Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of mix until well dissolved.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I’ve made this mix several times and it is delicious especially in my morning coffee ☕️!
I put this in my coffee, and it was delicious! I added a splash of cream as well. Thank you for a great recipe!
It was delicious. I didn’t add the collagen. Mixed up easily in the food processor. I put 2 heaping spoonfuls into a hot mug of 3/4 coconut milk and 1/4 cream. I couldn’t be happier with your recipe!
This is the best keto hot chocolate mix I’ve ever tried. And I’ve tried a few! I like it the Mexican version but instead of 1/2 tsp of chipotle, I use 1/4 tsp cayenne.
Thanks for this recipe, Carolyn!
Have you made a hot chocolate mix with powdered milk and cream? It could be used in Keurig instead of heating the milk and cream separately.
If you read the blog post, I explain why I don’t use it.
Oh my gosh!!! This recipe is THE BEST hot chocolate recipe I’ve ever had! I love that I can use almond milk, and heavy cream rather than adding heavy cream powder to the mix. The flavor is spot on, and I’d venture to say it’s better than any other hot chocolate mix I’ve bought. You’ve saved my sweet tooth! Thank you, Carolyn, from the bottom of my tooth! 😉
I avoid any product that has Erythritol in it. Studies have shown it causes heart problems. I was using Stevia with Erythritol as my sweetener. My BP was higher than normal. I stopped using it totally. I’m buying pure Stevia now . Also, anything with Maltedextrin should be avoided. Not recommended for diabetics as stated on their web-site.
The study on Erthyritol was based on a flawed sample set of a half dozen white males that had preexisting conditions.
I have made this so many times and keep forgetting to review it. It’s easy to make, delicious and satisfies my chocolate craving.
I made this hot chocolate with coconut milk and it was yummy!
does this need to be stored in the fridge or not?
Please read the blog post. 🙂
I made the recipe as is, except my collagen wasn’t flavored and didn’t have any MCT included. It was very, very good. I’m trying to up my collagen so I doubled it in the mix. Do you think I need to up the cocoa to accommodate the added volume of nonflavored item? I felt like it wasn’t quite as chocolate as I would want it to be. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
I liked it, but didn’t love it. I used almond milk, and that may have been the problem. It lacked something and it wasn’t quite sweet enough for my taste. Maybe I need to make your keto marshmallows!
I have been looking for a sugar free hot chocolate mix that wasn’t complicated. I love each flavor you have
Hi, Carolyn. We lost power for a couple of days due to the recent ice storm here in the South. We had a generator and made do switching electrical cords around to refrigerators, air fryer, electric griddle, and Keurig. I love your hot chocolate recipe and was wondering today if it could be adapted to use in a reusable pod for the Keurig. I’m thinking some type of powdered milk, but I’m no recipe creator. Can you help a chocoholic out?? 😉
I am sorry, I really don’t know how to do that.
This is soooooo good! Just what I needed to make it thru the winter, Thank you!
I have been making hot chocolate from this recipe for a few years, now, and with ordinary chocolate and cocoa, it’s way better than what is available already made up. But last year I started using Guittard bittersweet chocolate and cocoa and it is significantly better. Thank you, Carolyn for your inspired recipes and information.