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Did you know you can make hot chocolate without milk or refined sugar? This idea came to me while making almond milk from almond butter. If you’re not familiar with the concept, you can make almond milk simply by blending together a spoonful of almond butter with water. It turns unbelievably creamy, with no straining required.
So, I figured we could use the same concept to make hot chocolate, by adding dates and cacao powder into the mix.
What’s amazing about this date-sweetened hot chocolate, is that it tastes just as delicious as the traditional version, but it’s fruit-sweetened and still retains the fiber from the dates. (Because you don’t have to strain it.) I love it so much more than the powdered packets I grew up with!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“So easy and it tastes excellent!! I made it with my kids and we all LOVE it!!” – Cecilia
How to Make Date Hot Chocolate
Step 1:
Bring a kettle of water to a boil. You’ll need approximately 8 to 12 ounces of hot water per serving.
While you wait on that, add two pitted Medjool dates to a blender, along with a teaspoon of almond butter and a tablespoon of cacao powder. (You can eyeball the cacao and almond butter– I usually do!)
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Step 2:
When the water is done boiling, pour 8 to 12 ounces into the blender. Then secure the lid and blend until the mixture looks creamy, with no visible pieces of dates.
Safety Tip: Make sure you use a blender that has a vent in the lid when blending hot liquids. Lightly cover the vent with a thin dishtowel, so that steam can escape without splattering you. This is not the time to use a bullet-style blender, as there’s no where for steam to escape safely.
Date-Sweetened Hot Chocolate (with Fiber!)
Ingredients
- 8 to 12 ounces water
- 1 teaspoon almond butter (or any other nut/seed butter)
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 2 Medjool dates , pitted (or 2-3 teaspoons maple syrup)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. While you wait on that, add the almond butter, cacao powder, and pitted dates to a high-speed blender.
- When the water is done boiling, measure out one cup, pour it into the blender, and secure the lid. Note: Cover the vent in your blender's lid with a thin dish towel to allow steam to safely escape without splattering you. This is not the time to use a bullet-style blender, as there's no way for the steam pressure to safely escape.
- Blend until the mixture looks smooth and creamy, with no visible pieces of dates. Pour it into a mug right away and enjoy. If you don't have a powerful blender, pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer on the way to your mug, to catch any date pieces that might have been missed.
Notes
- Any nut butter should work well for this recipe, but I think almond and cashew butter have the most neutral flavor. If you use peanut butter, tahini, or sunflower seed butter, their flavor may be slightly more prominent, so just keep that in mind.
- When I make this for my kids, I sometimes use only 1 teaspoon of cacao powder instead of a full tablespoon. (This gives it more of a “milk chocolate” flavor.) I also use 1/2 cup of boiled water and 1/2 cup of filtered water from my fridge, so the temperature is easier for them to drink right away.
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Healthy Hot Chocolate (with almond milk and maple syrup)
- Hot Chocolate Mix in a Jar
- Date Balls
- Chocolate Protein Balls
- Date Snickers
If you try this date hot chocolate recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.
Can you use unsweetened cocoa powder instead of cacao powder?
Tried it and love it! Also tried with a teaspoon of peanut butter when I was out of almond butter (and too lazy to make it!).
So good—and so easy! I love that I can drink this hot chocolate and not feel too guilty. I blended it with a cup of oat milk instead of water and also added a few drops of vanilla extract, then heated it in the saucepan. Since I blended it with cold oat milk from the fridge, the dates didn’t blend as smoothly and there were some small date chunks, so I just poured it through a strainer before I heated it in the saucepan. I think I’m gonna try making this with a shot of espresso next time to make a mocha!
This is the most amazing recipe. I am almost ready to give up morning caffeine because of this!
So simple but turned out great. This will be my go-to recipe next winter!
Hi
This is delicious, and I have tried many recipes:)).
I did use maple syrup, so I was able to make it all, right in my mug. Thank you so much for sharing a yummy treat:).
So easy and taste excellent!! I made it with my kids and we all LOVE it!!
This hot cocoa is very good!! My hubby has been making her vegan latte everyday for quite awhile now and I’ve been a little jealous because I can not drink coffee. Now I can have a special, tasty, warm treat too!! Every recipe we’ve made from Detoxinsta (And we’ve made quite a few) have been a success!! So grateful that she shares such amazing creations from her kitchen!!
Thanks for the kind words, Jennifer! I’m so glad you enjoyed the hot chocolate!
I just made this hot chocolate 10mins ago and it is truly fabulous! I used french cocoa and dates and it is sweetened perfectly! Thank you for always posting amazing and super easy healthy recipes! Very much appreciated! ❤
It was absolutely delicious! My kids- 13 and 16 loved it. I did however add a dash of sea salt to counter the sweetness. Thank you! 🙏
Would an immersion blender work, as well?