Gingerbread Hot Chocolate – Christmas Hot Chocolate Recipe

An easy Christmas hot chocolate recipe! Learn how to make gingerbread hot chocolate in just 5 minutes with 5 ingredients. This homemade hot chocolate recipe is vegan and includes options for paleo hot chocolate, keto hot chocolate, and spiked hot chocolate.

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Homemade gingerbread hot chocolate – Easy Christmas hot chocolate recipe

I don’t know about you, but it wouldn’t be December without healthy holiday hot chocolate drinks. Especially gingerbread hot chocolate. And when you have this super easy and delicious Christmas hot chocolate recipe, there’s no reason to buy IHOP or Starbucks gingerbread hot chocolate. This homemade hot chocolate is healthier, cheaper and tastes better, too.

And for more hot chocolate recipes, check out my peppermint white hot chocolate, which is another dairy-free festive hot cocoa and a great homemade hot chocolate for Christmas.

Gingerbread hot chocolate ingredients

This gingerbread hot chocolate recipe is both vegan and paleo, meaning the hot cocoa recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free and refined sugar-free. Here are the ingredients we need to make this delicious homemade Christmas hot cocoa:

• unsweetened almond milk or any other non-dairy milk
• dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bark
• unsweetened cocoa
• coconut sugar
• 1 tbsp gingerbread spice
• coconut whipped cream (optional, for serving)

Paleo gingerbread hot chocolate

Looking at the hot cocoa ingredient list, you can see that I chose paleo-approved whole foods for this Christmas hot chocolate. When buying hot chocolate chips, be sure to buy a paleo-friendly product. Many chocolate chips contain soy lecithin, which isn’t suitable for the paleo diet.

These chocolate chips are vegan and paleo. I also found these chocolate chips from Enjoy Life, which only cost half. They are dairy-free and don’t contain soy or any of the other 8 most common allergens. They are, however, sweetened with cane syrup. Since only a small amount is used, they are still okay if you aren’t super strict.

Low carb keto gingerbread hot chocolate

The hot chocolate recipe can easily be transformed into gingerbread keto hot chocolate. You only need to make the following two substitutions:

Sugar-free chocolate

Prepare the recipe with sugar-free chocolate. You have a few options:

• Unsweetened baker’s chocolate doesn’t contain any sugar or sweetener.
• Stevia-sweetened chocolate chips are sweetened with stevia and low carb. Or try these sugar-free chocolate chips from Hershey’s.

Low carb sweetener

The other substitution is to swap the coconut sugar for a low carb sweetener. Again, you have several options for how to make keto hot chocolate. For the best flavour, I recommend Monkfruit Golden, but erythritol or liquid stevia would also work.

How to make gingerbread hot chocolate

How do you make gingerbread hot chocolate? This recipe for gingerbread hot chocolate can be whipped up in minutes. You won’t believe how easy it is to make Christmas hot chocolate and you will make it again and again!

All you need to do to make homemade gingerbread hot cocoa is:

• Place the almond milk, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, gingerbread spice, and coconut sugar in a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan.
• Stirring constantly, warm the ingredients over medium heat until the chocolate chips have melted, for about 5 minutes.
• Whisk well to combine.
• Divide the homemade hot chocolate between 4 mugs.
• Optionally, garnish with whipped coconut cream, a dash of gingerbread spice and a gingerbread cookie.

Tip: Instead of coconut whip and a cookie, you can use other hot chocolate toppings such as marshmallows, chocolate shavings, and cinnamon stick. Depending on your diet, try these vegan marshmallows or these keto-friendly, sugar-free marshmallows.

Spiked hot chocolate – How to make boozy hot chocolate

While I don’t drink alcohol, my husband and some of my friends do, and they love spiked hot chocolate. My homemade hot chocolate tastes delicious just as it’s written but also can easily be made into boozy hot chocolate.

Gingerbread hot chocolate pairs beautifully with one of the following liquors:

• Kahlua
• chocolate liqueur
• whiskey
• bourbon
• (spiced) rum

For spiked gingerbread hot chocolate, add 2 to 4 tablespoons alcohol when cooking the hot chocolate recipe. And if you have more ideas for spiked hot chocolate, drop a comment and tell me more!

Can you make this gingerbread hot chocolate recipe in a slow cooker?

Yes, you can make slow cooker hot chocolate. The trick for crock pot hot cocoa is to set your slow cooker to low so that all of the ingredients warm up together, but the milk doesn’t actually cook. You can easily double the recipe if making hot chocolate for a crowd.

Here is how to make hot chocolate in the slow cooker or crock pot:

• Combine all hot chocolate ingredients in the slow cooker and stir to combine.
• Cover with a lid. Heat on low until everything is melted, for about 2 hours on low. Stir occasionally.
• If desired, garnish with marshmallows, coconut whipped cream, gingerbread cookies and a sprinkling of gingerbread spice.

How long does homemade Christmas hot chocolate last?

Every time I make this Christmas hot chocolate recipe, it tends to disappear really fast. However, if you have any left over, gingerbread hot chocolate will keep for about three days in the refrigerator.

How to store gingerbread hot chocolate

Keep leftover dairy-free Christmas hot chocolate in the refrigerator. A lidded pitcher, jug or container is best.

When you reheat this easy hot chocolate recipe, the coconut whipped cream will melt, but the hot cocoa is still perfectly good to drink. It might not look as pretty, just give it a quick stir.

Over to you!

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Cyna xo