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.
kim says
can you use this recipe with water
Carolyn says
Please read the blog post.
Leslie Crockett says
it sounds really good and I will make it soon. right now, there is a sleeping cat on my lap. enough said.
Linda says
do you have to use collegen?
Carolyn says
Please read the blog post as I already discuss this. 🙂
Darlene Kassner says
Our weather here in NC has yo-yo’d again. So today I made my third batch. I’m so thankful to be able to get my favorite childhood drink how/when I want it!!
Thank you Carolyn!
Britt says
how long does this store for? and do you store it in the fridge or on the shelf? thank you for all your recipes.
Carolyn says
Storage instructions are in the blog post! 🙂
JLizz says
This is the second time making this Hot Chocolate Mix. It’s soooo good!
Nobody in my house suspects this is sugar free. I actually divide the mix in two jars, the “families” Hot Chocolate mix and my Keto Hot Chocolate mix. They are none the wiser. Tonight, I realized I did not have the dark chocolate to add. I substituted Lilly’s White Peppermint bar I had in my secret stash. It worked perfectly. Thank you for all your great recipes!!
Dendy Webb Williams says
I’m making this for our grandkids in March at “Lolli and Pops Spring Break Camp!”
Carolyn says
Enjoy!
Rachel says
I can’t wait to try this!
Cathy says
This is delicious! I made the Mexican variety and it’s such a warming, decadent treat on a chilly morning. I agree with everything you said about pre-packaged mixes. This is perfect!
Samantha says
Did just a little less sweetener ( 1c instead of 1 1/4) . Fantastic. Hit the sweet craving spot after dinner.
Jeff says
Made this today. All I can say is yummo!
Pam says
I made this yesterday for the first time, it’s delicious! I combined powdered Swerve and allulose as sweeteners. Perfectly chocolatey, and so satisfying! Thank you, Carolyn, for so many fantastic recipes.
Susan Muller says
I have collagen peptides. Is that ok to use for the grass fed collagen? Is there a difference? Can’t wait to make this!💕
Carolyn says
Same thing!
Vi twamley says
I used one cup sweetener and it was delicious. a real keeper. thank you so much. love all your recipes
Vickie Montgomery says
What flavor of collagen did you use for your hot chocolate mix?
Carolyn says
Several different ones… depends on the flavor I was testing! 🙂 You can use plain, chocolate, or salted caramel.
Neva says
oh my goodness the is the best keto hot chocolate for a diabetic. thank u so much.
Dawn Kozash says
Can you use a powdered cocoa?
Carolyn says
I am a little confused… there is already cocoa powder in the recipe.
Penny Reveile says
WOW! I made this today. Some for gifts and some for me! Super easy. Tastes great. I did add more sweetener for our taste. The only issue I had was my unsweetened chocolate didn’t want to cooperate. I have a kitchenaid food processor.
Jlizz says
Thank you a million times over! After covid I have not been able to drink coffee. I get really sick drinking it. Today in Florida I woke to a cold rainy day. I wanted peppermint coffee! I remembered seeing your post about Hot Chocolate and thought I’d try it. WOW! It’s do good and creamy and legal. Between no coffee and hormones outtta whack you may have saved lives!
Carolyn says
I am so glad it helped!
Anita Sweet says
In what part of the grocery store would I find collagen?…
Carolyn says
Health food.
Sally says
Delicious. Being diabetic, thanks to you, we don’t have to miss out on our old favorites. I added the Perfect Keto collagen Salted Caramel as well as Chocolate since I wanted it sweeter. I also had to take out the chocolate chunks and process them separately then as back in. Thank you for all your work.