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BLANK » Recipe Index » Smoothies and Drinks

Vegan Orange Hot Chocolate

October 17, 2020 by Charla 16 Comments

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short hot chocolate pin

This hot chocolate recipe is totally vegan made from almond milk, with a squeeze of orange juice, the peel and raw cacao powder. A drink that is guaranteed to warm you up on a cold winters day.

chocolate with whipped cream

During the winter months I simply cannot get enough of soups, stews and hot drinks. With that being said, I just had to share one of my favourite combinations - orange and chocolate.

Both come together quite harmoniously in this simple hot chocolate drink with orange. It's suitable for vegans, paleo and GF, so tasty and comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Before I started to focus my life around plant based milk I used to consume regular hot chocolate made from cocoa.

While the two aren't the same thing for the sake of this post I'm going to refer to both terms interchangeably so stick with me.

Anyway, here the UK there's a brand called " Options" which was a ready made hot chocolate powdered mix.

My mother used to drink it all the time and she subsequently got me addicted to it, namely the mint and orange flavoured drinks.

As a food blogger I wanted to make my own version that was solely plant based making it suitable for those who are afflicted with lactose intolerance or vegans.

I'm pleased to say I have just that, made my very own veganised orange hot chocolate from scratch.

It's so good that you can sip on this hot beverage while eating some Gluten Free Orange and Almond Cake.

two cups of hot chocolate

Ingredients you will need

ingredients orange hot chocolate

How to make orange hot chocolate

Steps 1-2 almond milk with cacao powder

  • Pour the almond milk into a medium sized saucepan on medium heat.

steps 3-4 adding agave nectar and orange juice

  • Add the cacao powder, agave nectar, vanilla,  half the juice from the orange (reserve the rest) and use a whisk to evenly combine everything together.

steps 5-6 adding and removing orange peel

  • Toss the peel of the orange into the saucepan and bring the saucepan to the boil while stirring.
  • Once boiled reduce the saucepan to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove the saucepan from the stove and pour the remaining orange juice into the saucepan (do a taste test to determine how much additional orange you want to add any, if any), stir and allow the hot chocolate to steep for 5 minutes
  • Remove the peel with a slotted spoon or strain the contents in a sieve.
  • Serve in heatproof glasses

Notes and tips 

  • Don't be alarmed if the drink separates, this may happen and it's normal, just give it a good stir.
  • To eliminate the pith (the white flesh from the skin, which is bitter) sit the orange peel in hot water for 15 minutes, then use a teaspoon to scoop and discard the white part.
  • I prefer to use a more neutral tasting plant based milk for this recipe. However, you are more than welcome to use cashew or hazelnut which is creamier. I wouldn't suggest using coconut or pistachio because they will inhibit the taste and counteract the orange flavour.
  • Double up by removing the peel from an orange, cut it in half then extract the juice and add it to your drink.
  • You can add fresh orange juice instead about ¼ cup in two stages (during simmering and when steeping) instead if you wish. This is optional as the orange juice will make the flavour very strong.
  • The longer the orange is left to seep the more intense the flavour becomes. I personally only remove the peel before I'm serving. It's okay to leave the peel in for several hours or overnight if you want to.
  • If you don't care for a strong orange flavour only use the peel and omit the juice. This will yield a very mild taste of orange.
  • You can make this recipe in a blender such as a vitamix but do make sure to pour out the hot chocolate before steeping with the rind.

hot chocolate without the cream

Toppings

  • Learn how to make your own vegan whipped cream
  • Sprinkling of cacao powder
  • Cacao nibs
  • Orange zest

Nut milks you can use for this recipe 

  • Homemade Cashew Milk
  • Brazil Nut Milk
  • Raw Almond Milk

More chocolate drink recipes

  • Healthy Chocolate Smoothie
  • Caribbean Chilli Chocolate Tea
  • White Hot Chocolate 
  • Jamaican Hot Chocolate
  • Vegan Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate

**Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

hot chocolate with the cream topping

Vegan Orange Hot Chocolate

Enjoy this delicious plant based zesty orange hot chocolate during the winter months - vegan, paleo, gluten free
4.88 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American, British
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 246kcal
Author: Charla

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of almond milk 600ml
  • 2 tablespoon cacao
  • ¼ cup agave nectar 60ml
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • The juice of an orange squeezed (see notes and tips, the amount added is optional)
  • The rind/peel of a whole orange

Instructions

  • Pour the almond milk into a medium sized saucepan on medium heat.
  • Add the cacao powder, agave nectar, vanilla,  half the juice from the orange (reserve the rest) and use a whisk to evenly combine everything together.
  • Toss the peel of the orange into the saucepan and bring the saucepan to the boil while stirring.
  • Once boiled reduce the saucepan to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove the saucepan from the stove and pour the remaining orange juice into the saucepan (do a taste test to determine how much additional orange you want to add any, if any), stir and allow the hot chocolate to steep for 5 minutes
  • Remove the peel with a slotted spoon or strain the contents in a sieve
  • Serve in heatproof glasses

Notes

  • Don't be alarmed if the drink separates, this may happen and it's normal, just give it a good stir.
  • To eliminate the pith (the white flesh from the skin, which is bitter) sit the orange peel in hot water for 15 minutes, then use a teaspoon to scoop and discard the white part.
  • I prefer to use a more neutral tasting plant based milk for this recipe. However, you are more than welcome to use cashew or hazelnut which is creamier. I wouldn't suggest using coconut or pistachio because they will inhibit the taste and counteract the orange flavour.
  • Double up by removing the peel from an orange, cut it in half then extract the juice and add it to your drink.
  • You can add fresh orange juice instead about ¼ cup in two stages (during simmering and when steeping) instead if you wish. This is optional as the orange juice will make the flavour very strong.
  • The longer the orange is left to seep the more intense the flavour becomes. I personally only remove the peel before I'm serving. It's okay to leave the peel in for several hours or overnight if you want to.
  • If you don't care for a strong orange flavour only use the peel and omit the juice. This will yield a very mild taste of orange.
  • You can make this recipe in a blender such as a vitamix but do make sure to pour out the hot chocolate before steeping with the rind.

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 70mg | Calcium: 502mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!

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About Charla

I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

Comments

  1. Maria says

    October 18, 2020 at 4:15 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect for holiday <3

    Reply
    • Charla says

      October 18, 2020 at 9:05 pm

      Yes it is!!

      Reply
  2. Amanda Wren-Grimwood says

    October 18, 2020 at 10:26 am

    5 stars
    This looks so good. I love the combination of orange and chocolate - perfect!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      October 18, 2020 at 11:35 am

      I totally agree Amanda

      Reply
  3. Sue says

    October 17, 2020 at 4:01 pm

    5 stars
    Chocolate and orange is one of my favorite holiday combinations, can't wait to try this!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      October 17, 2020 at 4:02 pm

      Thanks Sue. You will enjoy it, I promise!!

      Reply
  4. Angela says

    October 17, 2020 at 2:31 pm

    5 stars
    This is so good! The orange adds great flavor and is not overpowering! Thanks so much for the great recipe. YUM!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      October 17, 2020 at 2:32 pm

      You are so welcome Angela!!

      Reply
  5. Shelley says

    October 17, 2020 at 2:25 pm

    5 stars
    Chocolate and orange are such a classic flavor combination, but for some reason, I never thought to have ORANGE hot chocolate. Why??? It's a brilliant idea! And I love that this recipe is so much healthier and guilt-free, too!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      October 17, 2020 at 2:29 pm

      Thanks Shelly. Yes a lot of people don't move pass a chocolate bar combo, the drink is just as nice!!

      Reply
  6. Jen says

    October 17, 2020 at 2:13 pm

    5 stars
    The weather just turned cooler here so this would be perfect to sip on while sitting by the firepit. Love the orange twist!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      October 17, 2020 at 2:16 pm

      Thank you so much Jen.

      Reply
  7. Dana says

    October 04, 2018 at 6:14 pm

    4 stars
    I am going dairy free with my husband for weight loss purposes. I LOVE hot cocoa and dreaded having to give it up. Now I don't have to! This one is delicious. I may have given it 5 stars had I topped it with coconut cream.

    Reply
    • Charla says

      October 04, 2018 at 7:42 pm

      Dana, no worries! Try the coconut cream next time!! So glad to hear that you like it.

      Reply
  8. Jolie says

    January 27, 2015 at 9:46 am

    Looks delicious, another one I'm going to put on my list to try out! What have you topped it with in your pictures, some kind of vegan cream?

    Reply
    • Charla says

      January 27, 2015 at 11:22 pm

      Let me know your thoughts on this one. This one seems to be a hint with others especially with the cold snap. The topping is whipped coconut milk, I'm going to introduce the device I used to achieve the above in a separate post.

      Reply
4.88 from 8 votes (1 rating without comment)

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a picture of Charla

Hey, I'm Charla!

I'm an avid Caribbean foodie. Welcome to the haven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

About me

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