Want to know how to make keto hot chocolate? There’s nothing like a delicious cup of hot chocolate on a cold evening – or any time really. I love the stuff (who doesn’t?) and so finding ways to be able to enjoy this on the keto diet was a bit of a blessing.
To put it simply, the tricks are to keep it sugar free, keep the carbs down, stay away from anything fake, and make it as healthy as possible.
So the answer to this question…
Can You Have Hot Chocolate On The Keto Diet?
Yes! The good news is that you can have hot chocolate on the Keto diet. In fact making keto hot chocolate is really easy, and there are actually multiple ways to make this yummy drink low carb and keto friendly.
Let’s answer a couple of common questions about keto hot chocolate, and then I’ll share a couple of ways you can make a keto friendly version yourself.
So first up…
What IS Keto Hot Chocolate?
Keto hot chocolate is yummy hot chocolate without all the sugar and carbs. The sad truth for those of us on keto who are partial to a cup of chocolatey deliciousness, is that the reason most hot chocolate tastes so damn good is because it’s filled with refined sugar, and it’s super high in carbohydrates.
And of course if you’re on a keto diet you don’t want all those carbs, and you certainly don’t want all that sugar!
What’s The Difference Between ‘Normal’ Hot Chocolate And Keto Hot Chocolate?
A keto version of the hot chocolate we know and love is one that still tastes good, but is low in carbs and contains no sugar.
Is Keto Hot Chocolate Healthier?
Lesson number one: Just because it says ‘Keto’ on the label, doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
You’re doing Keto to improve your health – right? That means ideally you also want to make sure your hot chocolate is as healthy as possible.
So I’m going to chat for just a minute about avoiding harmful additives, and then I’ll share three ways to make keto friendly hot chocolate that vary from the instant but possibly not quite as healthy version, to the super healthy, scrumptious cacao superfood version.
Let’s get to it…
Is There Keto Hot Chocolate?
There is. As I mentioned there are options to buy an instant hot chocolate like this one from Iherb or to make your own.
Personally, I opt for making my own. It’s really no more difficult, doesn’t take much longer and will almost always be healthier.
Plus you can tweak it to suit your tastebuds!
But if you’d rather buy something instant here’s a few suggestions and a few things to watch out for.
Read the label! Check the carbs!
Make sure you read the ingredients and the nutrition panel on any instant varieties. Some companies are sneaky… They’ll put ‘Keto’ on the label, but still sell a product containing sugars under other names.
Always check out the carbohydrate and sugars on the nutrition panel. Any more than about 3 or 4 net carbs per serve and I’d be giving it a miss!
Check the ingredients!
Also when it comes to any processed, packaged food, less is more when it come to ingredients. Hot chocolate really only needs a handful of ingredients. If the ingredient list is a mile long, don’t go there.
A few ingredients to avoid besides sugars are artificial flavours, colours and sweeteners, and vegetable oils. Do a little digging on anything that is a number, or ingredients you’re not sure about to ascertain whether you want to put them in your body or not.
A great idea is to have something like the E-Numbers app on your phone so it makes it easy to find out the potential hazards of an ingredient while you shop, before you buy the product.
A word on sweeteners…
Most instant keto hot chocolates will contain either erythritol or stevia, or both. Some people prefer to avoid these sweeteners. Some class them as ‘artificial’, others as a somewhat natural, if processed product.
In my opinion, with the knowledge I currently have, erythritol and stevia are definitely a much better choice than aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, or acesulfame potassium. These ‘lab experiments’ are evil products with known side effects such as causing cancer or being neurotoxic. My suggestion would be to avoid those horrible sweeteners at all costs.
But it’s your body.
You get to make those decisions for yourself. Personally I currently use the more ‘natural’ sweeteners like erythritol, stevia, & allulose, but I do so sparingly as I’m experimenting to try to ascertain what effects they have on my body, my weightloss and my cravings. If any.
So if you decide you’d like to try an instant, ready made keto hot chocolate, maybe go for something this popular brand available from Iherb.
Now let’s get to the good stuff! I make both of the following versions depending on what I have available and how much time I have. The first recipe is the quickest. The second requires blending so takes just a little longer.
Recipe Number One
This recipe is quick and easy and can of course be adjusted to taste.
Keto Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Cacao powder Organic if possible
- 2 tsp erythritol sweetener (or sweetener of choice) or to taste
- 2 tbsp Cream (or coconut cream) or to taste
- 1 cup Boiling water
Instructions
- Place cacao powder and sweetener in cup or mug
- Add cream and combine using teaspoon
- Add boiling water and stir well
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Number Two
This recipe is based on the Ceremonial Cacao drink traditionally made with cacao paste. It is rich and decadent – and healthy!
Keto Hot Chocolate Made With Cacao Paste
Equipment
- 1 Blender or Thermomix
Ingredients
- 15 gm cacao paste
- 2 tsp erythritol sweetener (or sweetener of choice) to taste or can be left out
- 1 cup boiling water
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into blender and blend on high for 30 seconds
- Pour into cup or mug and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I hope you like enjoy recipes and that I’ve given you a treat that you can easily add to your keto diet. I often have the ceremonial cacao, sometimes the cacao powder version.
If you have any questions or comments, as always please leave them in the comments below and I’ll reply asap.
PS – Here’s a #hottip! Use doTERRA essential oils to add flavour variety to your hot chocolate without adding any additional calories or carbs. My favourite is Wild Orange! It goes so well with chocolate… Other suggestions are Cardamom, Cinnamon, Ginger, Black Pepper or Peppermint. If you need oils
