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.
Traci says
I love this recipe so much! I keep a batch in my pantry at all times.
Kathy says
I’ve tried a few but they weren’t very good. This stuff is amazing!
Robyn May says
One of my favorites!
Suz says
Love all your recipes!
Kim says
the best hot chocolate mix
Kate says
This is a decadent, rich hot chocolate mix. ❤️ it!
Sue says
So tasty and delicious! Well worth making
Vicki says
This is so easy and perfect on a cold snowy day! Smooth and creamy. I add a dollop of whipped cream.
Susanne says
This looks very very good and have to try
I live in Denmark a can only find plain collagen how much extra chocolate powder should I add if use in plain collagen ?
Thanks for all your amazing recipes
Carolyn says
The recipe in the card takes plain collagen… no adjustment necessary.
Karen Lowery says
OMG!!! This is delicious! And decadent as you said!
Claudia says
I am about to make my second batch! I think I will try peppermint this time.
Tonya says
The only collagen that I have is the collagen peptides by Vital Proteins. Would this work?
Carolyn says
Collagen, collagen peptides, collagen protein powder… all the same thing.
Margaret says
This hot chocolate mix is SO DELICIOUS, I have some almost every night and no worries about calories. I use coconut milk and love it.
Thank you so much for this recipe.
Kathy says
could I use lilys sugarfree sugar free choc chips?
Carolyn says
Sure!
Gerrie Klingseis says
I am so excited to make this Keto Hot Chocolate Mix, I do have a couple questions: 1. What do you use for the unsweetened chocolate? Everything that I saw at the store had some kind of sweetner in it. When I looked up what is unsweetened chocolate it stated Dark Chocolate bar. I also bought some Perfect Keto Collagen in chocolate and salted caramel, with the chocolate flavor, do I need to do any changes in the amount of cocoa powder or unsweetened chocolate? I am so excited to make this mix, but wanted to get your input before I made my first batch. Thank you for any help, it will be great appreciated.
Carolyn says
I link to unsweetened chocolate in the recipe so check that out. It’s pretty common, unless you don’t live in North America?
Becky says
After an embarrassing foray into the wide world of leftover Halloween candy, I righted my wagon and restored keto order. This hot chocolate hits the craving spot. It’s rich and creamy, even in almond milk. How DID you do it? I’ll definitely keep this mix at the ready from now on. It will keep me out of the Halloween candy!
Carolyn says
It happens! Good for you for getting back on track.
Arleen S says
I will certainly give the hot chocolate recipe a try. The Chai Tea Concentrate recipe is perfect & is always in my fridge for an afternoon pick me up….
Thanks for the excellent recipes, they never disappoint…
Jean says
Could I use Splenda in stead of the Swerve in this recipe? Would I use the same amount?
How are Swerve and Splenda different?
Barbara says
Can you use chocolate collagen? Would I need to adjust anything?
Carolyn says
Yes that works!
Shannon says
This is sooo good! Feels very decadent, like you’re cheating but you’re not ❤️