Vegan Orange Hot Chocolate

Enjoy this delicious plant based zesty orange hot chocolate during the winter months - vegan, paleo, gluten free

Course Drinks

Cuisine American, British

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 246kcal

Author Charla

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

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

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.