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 ½ teaspoon 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 ½ 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 ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ½ 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 ¼ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup grassfed collagen (optional)
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon 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.
Lynn says
I love love this recipe and what a treat this winter as I look out at the snow. THANK YOU!!
Bev says
Better than the real deal…Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Linda says
In case anyone is wondering about alternative “ milk”, I used So Delicious brand coconut milk (unsweetened, in a carton) along with the suggested cream to make this hot chocolate and it tasted great. Sometimes coffee or tea just isn’t right when you need a hot drink to warm you on a cold day.
Pam B says
I finally made a batch of your Hot Chcoclate mix. It is taste like the regular hot chocolate. I love it .
Last year I purchased sugarfree chocolate mix it was nasty.
Susan Yakus says
Hi Carolyn,
I was wondering if my Great Lakes grass fed Beef collagen will work in this. I have never used it, because I can’t figure out if the word beef, means flavoring, or some sort of collagen from a cow? LOL!
Carolyn says
Beef just means from a cow. 🙂 But yes, it should work!
Rhonda Weber says
Will Powdered Vanilla work just as well as the extract in this recipe?
Laini Mitchell says
Yummy! Thank you for a great recipe, Carolyn. I’ve been pining for some good hot chocolate. 🙂
Laura Nelson says
What food processor do you recommend? Mine is ancient and leaks powder everywhere so I need a new one. Thanks!
Yvonne says
If I understand correctly, the vanilla and sugar free block of chocolate to be chopped will add moisture to the processed or blended mix. Yes? So the final product will be “paste like” and not a powder as a regular hot chocolate mix? Yes? Secondly, is the measured 2.5 Tblsp of mixture flat, rounded or heaping?
Carolyn says
No, that is not correct. What you see in the photos is what the end result it… it’s a dry powder, no a paste. The chocolate gets chopped up finely, but it wouldn’t add moisture to the recipe anyway. (And it’s UNSWEETENED chocolate, not sugar-free chocolate). And the vanilla is not enough to turn it into a paste. It simply gets dispersed throughout the dry mix in the processing. And finally, I am very specific when I right my recipes. If I wanted you to add a heaping tablespoon, I would write that.
Dawn Gross says
In the ingredients it say to add vanilla, do u add it to the dry ingredients.. when do u add it?
Carolyn says
Please read the blog post. I explain everything.
Lyn says
How do you store this cocoa?lyn
Carolyn says
Please read the blog post, I already discuss that. Thanks!
Michele says
I wonder how grassfed chocolate protein powder would do ????
Carolyn says
Feel free to try it.
Jen says
Absolutely delicious! Used macadamia milk and cream. Sugar free whipped cream. ????
Leah says
Seriously amazing!! Finally getting to make this. Rainy day comfort drink extraordinaire!! And so easy to make!!!
Marty says
In the keto hot chocolate recipe, an optional but recommended ingredient is collagen powder. Do you recommend the chocolate flavor?
Carolyn says
The chocolate is great… as is the salted caramel!
Lisa says
Do you have to use milk in your hot chocolate?
Carolyn says
Please read the blog post! 🙂
Kim H says
Hi! Someone asked how you store it and you said it was on the blog. I read the blog. It says in an air tight container. But it doesn’t say if it’s shelf stable or if it needs to be refrigerated.
So my question is.. where do you store it? Thank you ???? Oh and do you have a recipe for cold chocolate milk?
Carolyn says
Shelf stable.
Dauneen says
I love this hot chocolate easy mix! As a diabetic it has saved me as I don’t drink coffee or tea. This warms me up. Thank you so much for making this recipe.
Debbie says
OMG!!! Another winner Carolyn! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this HOT CHOCOLATE MIX. Its so good. Sometimes I’ll just take a small teaspoon of this stuff and eat it. I know crazy right? But its does satisfy my sweet tooth. I love making it with hot almond milk and throwing some keto marshmallows in there. Excellent!!!
Elizabeth Lawrence says
How do you store the hot chocolate mix?
Carolyn says
That info is right above the recipe in the blog post.
Fay says
This is really really good! Been missing a good winter hot chocolate. Thank you for a delicious, thick, creamy recipe. I’m did add extra sweetener… personal preference ????