A creamy, delicious vegan white chocolate recipe that can be enjoyed by low-carb eaters--and everyone else.
Been missing your cup of white hot chocolate this holiday season because you simply cannot stomach all those carbs and throw your weight-loss goals off track? Here's the perfect, low-carb and vegan white hot chocolate recipe with just 2 grams of net carbs in each serving. It tastes divine, and is so easy to make, you might want to have it every day! This recipe is gluten-free and soy-free and, if you're not a keto eater, it can easily be modified to your tastes and palate.
I've always loved white chocolate madly--a madness that has led me to make such confections as this vegan White Chocolate Raspberry Cake, Vegan White Chocolate Pie, Vegan White Chocolate Bark, and this Vegan GF White Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie.
Recently, on my low-carb journey, I developed an insatiable craving for a cup of white chocolate. So I went into the kitchen and experimented with this and that and now I have for you what has quickly become my favorite beverage: a delicious and creamy vegan white hot chocolate. It's keto-friendly, so you don't have to throw your health goals under the bus to enjoy a cup.
Why you'll love this vegan keto white hot chocolate
- It's delicious. Creamy and comforting, with a silky mouthfeel and a lovely white chocolate flavor.
- Everyone can enjoy it. The white hot chocolate is gluten-free and soy-free and you can make it nut-free by using soy milk or coconut milk instead of almond milk. If you're a low-carb eater, keep in mind that both soy and coconut milk will add a few more carbs to the drink.
- It is divinely low-carb. There are just two grams of carbs in each serving, which will help you stay firmly on your weight-loss journey despite the indulgence.
- It is easy to make. All you need is under 15 minutes and a saucepan. Easy peasy.
- It is comforting. A cup of this, a cozy fireplace, and you will be transported into the winter wonderland of your dreams.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp cacao butter (approx 1 ounce, roughly chopped). Chopping any large chunks will help the cacao butter melt faster, so do it please.
- ¼ cup nondairy whipping cream. I used Silk heavy whipping cream alternative, which is also soy-free. You can use a nondairy creamer as well or if you're using a thicker milk, like soy milk instead of almond, you can skip it altogether and just use more milk)
- 2 ¾ cups almond milk. Almond milk is the lowest-carb plant milk out there (the Kirkland brand I use has just 1 gram of carb in each cup), which makes it the best option for a low-carb white hot chocolate. If you are not watching your carbs, just use soy milk or oat milk, which will give a creamier mouth feel.
- 2 tsp cornstarch. This is an unconventional ingredient in hot chocolate, yes, but here's why I recommend it: the cacao butter is pure fat, which gives the white chocolate a slightly oily mouth feel that I don't love. The cornstarch helps cut through some of that, and it also helps thicken the almond milk, making it creamier. You won't taste the cornstarch, it will just disappear into the white hot chocolate. The cornstarch does contribute to the 2 grams of net carbs in this recipe, and if you absolutely can't afford them just leave it out.
- 5 tsp erythritol. You can use any keto sweetener of your choice. If you are not worried about the carbs, use sugar.
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- (Optional, for topping): vegan whipped cream and cacao powder or cinnamon. Many vegan whipped creams available in stores are low-carb. Vegan Keto White Hot Chocolate
How to make vegan keto white chocolate
- Place the cacao butter in a saucepan with the vegan whipping cream. Bring to a boil and let it simmer, stirring frequently, until the cacao butter melts.
- Make a slurry in a small bowl by stirring the cornstarch into ¼ cup of almond milk until smooth. Stir it into the saucepan using a whisk and let the cream come to a boil.
- Add the remaining almond milk and the erythritol. Stir with the whisk to make sure everything is incorporated and heat over medium-low heat until bubbles form on the sides and the white chocolate is hot. Stir in the pure vanilla extract.
- Pour into cups or mugs and decorate with vegan whipped cream, if desired. You can also sprinkle on some cinnamon or nutmeg or, as I did, some cacao powder.
Tips and suggestions:
- Work over medium-low to low heat when making the chocolate as you want to make sure you are in control all the time as the cacao butter melts, the cornstarch is added in, and the almond milk heats up. This is an easy process but there are places where things could go wrong if you walk away. You need under 15 minutes to make this, so make it 15 dedicated minutes.
- Turn off the heat before the almond milk comes to a boil, to avoid the small chance of the milk splitting. This doesn't always happen, but it could.
- To make this a gluten-free vegan white chocolate, use soy milk or oat milk instead of almond milk. Both will add a few more carbs but they will make an even creamier hot chocolate. Also, if you're not keto, you can switch out the erythritol for sugar.
Related recipes
Vegan Keto White Hot Chocolate
Here's the perfect, low-carb and vegan white hot chocolate recipe with just 2 grams of net carbs in each serving. It tastes divine, and is so easy to make, you might want to have it every day! This recipe is gluten-free and soy-free and, if you're not a keto eater, the recipe can easily be modified to your tastes and palate.
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Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 268kcal
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon cacao butter (approx 1 ounce, roughly chopped)
- ¼ cup nondairy whipping cream (or nondairy creamer or unsweetened soymilk)
- 2 ¾ cups almond milk
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 5 teaspoon erythritol (or any keto sweetener of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For decorating (optional)
- Vegan whipped cream
- Cacao powder or cinnamon
Instructions
- Place the cacao butter in a saucepan with the whipping cream. Bring to a boil and let it simmer, stirring frequently, until the cacao butter melts.
- Make a slurry in a small bowl by stirring the cornstarch into ¼ cup of almond milk until smooth. Stir it into the saucepan using a whisk and let the cream come to a boil.
- Add the remaining almond milk and the erythritol. Stir with the whisk to make sure everything is incorporated and heat over medium-low heat until bubbles form on the sides and the white chocolate is hot. Stir in the pure vanilla extract.
- Pour into cups or mugs and decorate with vegan whipped cream, if desired. You can also sprinkle on some cinnamon or nutmeg or, as I did, some cacao powder.
Notes
- To make this a spiked white chocolate, top the chocolate with a tablespoon or two or whiskey, bourbon or single-malt.
- Work over medium-low to low heat when making the chocolate as you want to make sure you are in control all the time as the cacao butter melts, the cornstarch is added in, and the almond milk heats up. This is an easy process but there are places where things could go wrong if you walk away. You need under 15 minutes to make this, so make it 15 dedicated minutes.
- Turn off the heat before the almond milk comes to a boil, to avoid the small chance of the milk splitting. This doesn't always happen, but it could.
- To make this a soy-free vegan white chocolate, use soy milk or oat milk instead of almond milk. Both will add a few more carbs but they will make an even creamier hot chocolate. Also, if you're not keto, you can switch out the erythritol for sugar.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 2mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 275mg | Iron: 1mg
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Hanna Baroncelli
Vaishali,
As far as I know cornstarch is not Keto you may want to substitute to tapioca starch or cassava flour to make your recipe Keto.
Vaishali
Hi Hanna, both cornstarch and tapioca starch are not generally liked for keto because they both are high in carbs (with similar carb profiles). But as I see it, the ultimate goal in keto is not so much to prohibit specific foods (as veganism does) but to keep net carbs low, and that goal is achieved here. The small amount of cornstarch used in this recipe thickens the chocolate better than the tapioca starch without adding any gumminess. I do recommend that those who are very strictly keto can skip the cornstarch altogether if they prefer, but I think 2 grams of net carbs for a better-tasting cup of white chocolate is perfectly acceptable. 🙂