Which milk substitute to use for my vegan hot chocolate?

3 May 2022

Hot Chocolate

Create dairy-free hot chocolates with dreamy textures and heavenly flavours

There’s a common misconception that vegans have fewer options available to them, but we think they have more. The number of plant-based milk alternatives and substitute options has increased dramatically over the past few years, opening up a whole new world of beverage possibilities.

Our chocolatiers have even done their own experimenting with vegan delights, coming up with stunning creations like our Nutmilk — a creamy new chocolate genre made from finely milled hazelnuts in place of milk.

With so many dairy-free milk alternatives available, it can be difficult to choose just one. Options like oat, almond, and coconut all have their own benefits, so we prefer to make recommendations based on what they’re going to be used for. If you’re looking for the best milk substitute for making irresistible vegan hot chocolate, these are our tips…

If you haven’t seen our heavenly vegan* hot chocolate flavours yet, be sure to take a peek. They’re made from real chocolate flakes and the same ethical, high-quality cacao we use in our other chocolates.

(*Please note that, although our vegan and Nutmilk products contain no dairy ingredients, they are created in the same environment as our milk chocolate. As such, we cannot guarantee that they are free from milk traces.)

Hot chocolate pouring into a white mug

What vegan milk substitutes are available?

If you walked into a coffee shop 15 years ago and asked for an oat milk hot chocolate, you’d risk receiving a confused look from your barista. Now, it’s common for cafes to stock several dairy-free milk options.

These are some vegan milk alternatives:

  • Oat milk – a popular milk substitute for hot drinks, oat milk is slightly sweet, with a thick creamy texture.
  • Almond milk – adds a subtle nutty flavour to beverages and is less thick than oat milk.
  • Soya milk – rich and creamy with a subtle yet distinctive taste.
  • Hazelnut milk – adds a chocolatey hazelnut undertone to your drink, extra creamy.
  • Coconut milk – offers a fragrant coconut flavour. This milk substitute is generally better for coffee and hot chocolate than tea.
  • Hemp milk – Creamy, earthy, and nutty. Less neutral in taste than oat and rice milk.
  • Rice milk – very sweet with a light texture and refreshing taste.

Each of these options can be used to create a delicious hot chocolate. Even if you’re concerned about creating a silky consistency, all of these milk substitutes will become creamier and more full-bodied with the help of our Velvetiser hot chocolate machine.

Just keep one thing in mind…

All of these milk options should taste delectable with more ‘plain’ hot chocolate options like our 45% Nutmilk, Classic 70%, or 85% Dark Chocolate. If you’re going to be using flavoured hot chocolate (just take a look at our many vegan flavour options) you might want to be a little more careful when selecting your milk…

Different types of milk substitutes in glass bottles

Milk substitute and hot chocolate pairings

While it’s fantastic that there is such a wide range of vegan milk alternatives out there, it does add many more unique flavours to the mix. If you’re serious about creating a delicious hot chocolate, you’ve got to make sure your milk substitute complements the other ingredients.

These are a few of our favourite tried and tested combinations.

Coconut milk and ginger hot chocolate

To start off, an ode to our tropical Caribbean home — Saint Lucia, where fragrant coconuts grow alongside our cacao trees.

Coconut milk is the perfect foundation for creating a thick, creamy hot chocolate — particularly when it’s velvetised. It also adds a subtly sweet vanilla flavour to the beverage. How do we balance out this fragrant foundation? By using a carefully-portioned dose of spice. We think our Ginger Hot Chocolate does the trick, delivering an edge of fiery warmth.

Almond milk and mint hot chocolate

If you’re a fan of the classic tongue-tingling flavour of mint chocolate, you’ll adore this mint and almond hot chocolate combination. Our Mint Hot Chocolate sachets contain real 70% dark chocolate flakes and Tasmanian peppermint for a refreshing taste. When combined with nutty almond milk in our Velvetiser, you get a heavenly hot chocolate.

Mint adds a touch of intrigue to a rich chocolate base, while almond grounds the beverage with a slight earthy tone.

Hazelnut milk and dark hot chocolate

Hazelnut milk is one of our favourite vegan milk alternatives (after all, we did choose hazelnut to create our Nutmilk). With a sweet, nutty taste that reminds us of subtle chocolate, hazelnut milk will add a pleasant touch to a rich, dark hot chocolate. It complements chocolate, without losing itself within it. Choose the intensity of your hot chocolate — 70% Dark, 85% Dark, or 100% Dark.

Before moving on to toppings, why not learn how to make the best vegan hot chocolate?

Vegan hot chocolate toppings

Once you’ve whipped up your hot chocolate, you can get creative with some delectable toppings.

Like your hot chocolate plain and simple? No problem. But those of you who want to go all out with your indulgent beverage, step this way.

Vegan marshmallows and whipped cream

If you’re aiming to recreate the classic hot chocolate from your childhood, you can find vegan-friendly marshmallows and whipped cream at a supermarket or online. They might be hard to find depending on where you’re based — but they are out there!

Two hot chocolate mugs with marshmallows

Vegan truffles

Why not adorn your hot chocolate with scrumptious vegan truffles like our Simple Nutmilk Ganache or Gianduja Bombe? When you get to them, they’ll be little treats in their own right. With more cacao, textures, and flavours than standard chocolates, they’re the perfect garnish for indulgent drinks. You could even let your truffle sink into your hot chocolate for an extra dose of flavoursome cacao.

A chunk of chocolate slab

Ever tried our chocolate slabs? Choose a flavour and break off a chunk to add to your hot chocolate. They look rather artistic as a garnish and are perfect for dipping as you sip your drink. Our Hazelnut 70% Slab works wonderfully with the hazelnut and dark chocolate option mentioned above, while our Dark Chocolate Orange Slab adds a citrus twist to the coconut milk and ginger option.

Why not try the Velvetiser?

Mugs at the ready! We hope you adore your hot chocolate creations. Learn more about how to use our Velvetiser to get perfect hot chocolate at home. You can even whip up some delectable iced hot chocolate drinks to keep you cool throughout the summer!