This delicious and decadent Paleo and Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate is a healthy but indulgent drink to enjoy over the holidays!

I don’t eat a lot of sweets, and I don’t even crave it much. I’m still sensitive to candida overgrowth and tend to stay away from desserts. I just don’t do well on them, unfortunately. Most of the desserts I make on the blog usually get thrown in the freezer and I’ll take out a piece to enjoy every few weeks or so.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Recipe

However, I do looooove me some creamy and slightly bitter hot chocolate, especially during the holiday season. What’s different about hot chocolate is that they don’t need much sweetness but still feel indulgent for me, so I don’t feel the after-effects of a sugar binge. It’s a win/win!

My favorite type of hot chocolate is Mexican hot chocolate. Have you ever had it? It’s amazing and you are missing out if you haven’t! It uses a combination of spices along with the typical hot chocolate ingredients to brighten up the flavors. It also has a nice spicy kick to it that complements with the chocolate SO well. It’s just wonderful and tastes so fancy, but it’s actually really easy to make.

Low in Sugar

Like I said, I don’t add any sweeteners to this Mexican hot chocolate, because the melted chocolate chips is plenty sweet on its own, but I do give an option to add them below. To make this recipe paleo and vegan, I highly recommend Enjoy Life’s dairy free chocolate chips!

Don’t you think this would be the perfect thing to drink while unwrapping presents or spending time with family over the holidays? I think that’s a yes!

Paleo Mexican Hot Chocolate

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 224 kcal

Author: Jean Choi

This delicious and decadent Paleo and Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate is a healthy but indulgent drink to enjoy over the holidays!

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Ingredients

Coconut Whipped Cream

• 14-oz can full fat coconut milk with no stabilizers like guar gum, chilled in the fridge for at least 4 hours
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Mexican Hot Chocolate

• 2 cups non-dairy milk (I used 1/2 almond milk and 1/2 full fat coconut milk)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1.5 ounce dairy free chocolate chips
• Optional: 1-2 tbsp honey or maple syrup*
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• Options: cocoa powder, chopped chocolate bar, or cinnamon, for garnish

Instructions

Coconut Whipped Cream

1. Carefully take out the can of coconut milk from the fridge, and turn it upside down.
2. Open the can. You'll see the coconut water floating at the top. Pour out the coconut water, until you see the thick coconut cream resting on the bottom.
3. Scoop out the cream into a large bowl. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract.
4. Using a hand mixer, a stand mixer, or an electric whisk, whip the cream until it becomes fluffy.
5. Place back into the fridge until ready to use.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

1. Pour milk and cinnamon into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium low heat for 5 minutes until fragrant. Whisk occasionally to prevent the milk from burning.

2. Add cocoa powder, chocolate chips, honey or maple syrup (if using), vanilla extract, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and salt. Whisk frequently, until the chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes.

3. Pour the hot chocolate into 2 mugs
4. Top with coconut whipped cream.
5. Garnish with cocoa powder, chopped chocolate, and/or cinnamon.

Recipe Notes

*I don't add like to add sweeteners to my hot chocolate and I really love it that way, but if you need a bit of sweetness, feel free to add some!

Nutrition Facts

Paleo Mexican Hot Chocolate

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 224 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 15g 23%

Saturated Fat 9g 45%

Sodium 487mg 20%

Potassium 120mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 23g 8%

Dietary Fiber 4g 16%

Sugars 13g

Protein 4g 8%

Vitamin A 0.9%

Calcium 34.8%

Iron 14.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.