The Ultimate Indulgent Low Sugar Hot Chocolate

This low sugar hot chocolate feels indulgent, but is low in sugar and deep in chocolate-y flavour. A perfect treat for a cool autumn evening.

Were you aware that a Starbucks hot chocolate contains 43g of sugar (that’s 11 teaspoons of the white stuff)?!

I never exactly considered it a health drink, but I certainly never expected it to contain almost twice my recommended daily allowance of sugar. In.One.Cup.

But I am a firm believer that keeping your sugar within the recommended daily allowance doesn’t mean giving up chocolate. In fact, I have a square or two of 85% dark chocolate most days.

So I set about creating a hot chocolate like the ones I remember growing up. Proper hot chocolate that you can practically stand a spoon up in. One that is luxurious, and while certainly not low in fat or in any way a healthy ‘drink every day” food, at the very least it’s an occasional treat low in sugar.

My version has 3g of sugar. In fact, 2.6 grams. Just over half a teaspoon. I wouldn’t recommend drinking it daily, but it is certainly going to do you a lot more good than the one you get at your local cafe.

And I am willing to bet it is a heck of a lot tastier as well.

In fact, I really really insist you try it, simply for you to understand just how superior this hot chocolate is to what you will find in coffee shop chains. While keeping the sugar to as low as it can go without losing the essence of a true, thick, creamy, delicious treat for those cold days that are just starting to set in here.

I’m actually really enjoying the chill that is starting to set in. I love jumpers, blankets, open fires, golden leaves, soups & stews, and, of course, hot chocolates. Particularly when they taste like this one!

And I bet pretty soon your kids will be begging you for this treat over the coffee shop one.

It’s that good.

Little hands can:

• Break up the chocolate into small pieces with their hands or a child-friendly knife like this one
• Help you stir the ingredients into the hot milk/cream (warn them about the hot liquid and pan!) and whisk everything until smooth

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The Ultimate Indulgent Low Sugar Hot Chocolate

Cook Time

5 mins

Total Time

5 mins

 

This delicious, indulgent and creamy hot chocolate is everything you want a hot chocolate to be, with only a fraction of the sugar. The 3g sugar it contains is tiny compared to the 40g+ you find in a coffee shop version!

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250ml) single cream (or coconut cream for vegan - you can also use more full-fat milk for a slightly less high-fat and creamy drink)
• 1 cup (250ml) full-fat milk (or dairy-free milk)
• 1/2 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out (optional, but adds great flavour)
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp cocoa or cacao powder
• 50 g (1/4 cup) very dark chocolate (85-90% ideally)*, chopped into small chunks
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• sweetener (like xylitol, erythritol, rice syrup or liquid stevia), optional
• optional flavours: ground ginger, chilli powder or cayenne pepper, mixed spice, rum, instant coffee...

Instructions

1. Heat the cream and milk with the vanilla and cinnamon over a low heat until just starting to simmer, then remove from the heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients, whisking well until completely combined and smooth.
2. Pour into two cups and serve as is. Trust me, this is a seriously indulgent and rich hot chocolate, no whipped cream needed!

Recipe Notes

*If you want to keep the sugar low, it is crucial to use chocolate this dark. Even 70% can be as much as 30% sugar, so try to aim for as dark as you think you can go. You can buy some amazingly good 85% and 90% ones these days! Chocolates that dark should be vegan-friendly, but some aren't so do read the label if you are vegan and choose a dairy-free option.

Find plenty more low sugar treats over here.