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Dairy Free Keto Hot Chocolate

Annie Lampella, Pharm.D. Recipe developer and pharmacist

Published Updated

30 ratings

A rich dairy-free keto hot chocolate made with cocoa powder, melted chocolate and a coconut milk base. Add an optional light meringue made with pasteurized egg whites suitable for whipping, or enjoy the cocoa on its own.
  • 4gnet carbs
  • 3gprotein
  • 10minutes
  • 4servings
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I use coconut milk instead of cream or cow's milk for this hot chocolate, with macadamia nut milk to loosen the base. Cocoa powder supplies the chocolate flavor first, then melted chocolate chips add body. It is a rich drink, so divide the batch into four portions before choosing your mugs.

The light meringue on top was the idea I especially liked in the recipe that inspired this one. It softens into the chocolate as you sip. The topping is optional, and because it is served without cooking, it needs pasteurized egg whites suitable for whipping. Pasteurized dried egg white powder is a practical option; follow its reconstitution directions.

Whisk the cocoa with the boiling water before adding it to the saucepan. That helps disperse the powder instead of leaving dry pockets in the milk. Keep the heat gentle while melting the chips and stir until the drink is smooth.

dairy free keto hot chocolate topped with meringue

The meringue idea comes from the recipe inspiration credited in my original hot-chocolate video. This version uses a sugar-free sweetener and a pasteurized egg-white option for the uncooked topping.

Which Chocolate to Use

Choose unsweetened cocoa powder and dairy-free, sugar-free chocolate chips. These are different ingredients: cocoa is a powder; chips melt into the milk and add sweetness and body. Sugar-free chocolate can still contain milk, so read the complete label rather than relying on the front of the package.

A chopped unsweetened chocolate bar changes the sweetness and flavor. If using one, adjust the sweetener in the heated cocoa to taste. Powdered sweeteners also differ in concentration; the listed amounts are for the Swerve-style baking sweetener in the original recipe.

Other Milks You Can Use

hot chocolate on table with different ingredients

The recipe uses a 13.66 fl oz can of full-fat unsweetened coconut milk, matching the Thai Kitchen can pictured here, plus one cup of unsweetened macadamia nut milk. Carton coconut beverage is much thinner than canned coconut milk.

Another unsweetened dairy-free milk can replace the macadamia milk. Expect a change in flavor, richness and nutrition. Check all labels if you are avoiding a particular allergen; the optional meringue contains egg.

Make Ahead and Choose a Topping

hot chocolate with a meringue topping

Prepare the cocoa on the stove, then refrigerate the untopped drink promptly in a covered container and use within three days. Reheat gently, whisking as the coconut milk loosens. Prepare the optional meringue just before serving and divide it among the four portions.

For an egg-free option, serve the cocoa plain or use a dairy-free whipped topping whose ingredients suit your needs. Hot cocoa alone is not a reliable way to cook raw egg whites added at the table.

Flavors to Stir In

A few fun flavors you can add to your mug:

  • peppermint extract
  • sugar free caramel syrup
  • raspberries
  • keto marshmallows

Tips for the Richest Cup

Whisk the cocoa and boiling water together first. Heat the coconut milk, unsweetened nut milk, ⅓ cup powdered sweetener and salt gently, then whisk in the cocoa mixture and chocolate chips. Take the pan off the heat before adding vanilla.

For the optional topping, use pasteurized dried egg whites intended for uncooked meringue and reconstitute the equivalent of two whites according to the package. Some cartons of liquid whites are unsuitable for whipping. If you do not have a suitable product, serve the cocoa plain or with a dairy-free whipped topping.

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The recipe

Dairy Free Keto Hot Chocolate

Print Pin
Prep 5 min Cook 5 min Total 10 min Serves 4

Ingredients

Servings 4

Hot Cocoa Ingredients

Optional Meringue Ingredients

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Bloom the cocoa

    In a small bowl, whisk cocoa in ⅓ cup boiling water. Set aside.

    whisking cocoa powder

  2. Heat the milk base

    In a saucepan, mix together coconut milk, macadamia nut milk, ⅓ cup confectioners Swerve and salt. Simmer until combined, about 2 minutes.

    combining milk and sweeteners for hot cocoa

  3. Whisk ingredients

    Whisk in hot cocoa and chocolate until smooth.

    whisking cocoa powder with chocolate

  4. Remove heat

    Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.

    stir vanilla into hot cocoa

  5. Meringue topping

    For the optional uncooked meringue, use pasteurized dried egg white powder labeled suitable for uncooked meringue. Reconstitute the equivalent of two egg whites according to its package. In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat until foamy, then gradually sprinkle in the ¼ cup confectioners Swerve for the topping. Do not use unpasteurized raw egg whites.

    making meringue topping

  6. Beat to soft peaks

    Continue beating until soft peaks form; whipping time varies by product. Divide the hot chocolate among four mugs and add the meringue just before serving. If you do not have a suitable pasteurized whipping product, skip the meringue or use a dairy-free whipped topping. The hot drink does not reliably cook an uncooked topping.

    meringue soft peaks

Nutrition

Per serving: 1/4 of the recipe

Calories
188
Fat
15.9g
Protein
3g
Total carbs
11.3g
Net carbs
4g

Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this hot chocolate dairy-free?

Use dairy-free milk and chocolate chips, checking every ingredient label. Some sugar-free chips contain milk. The optional topping contains egg, so the recipe with meringue is not vegan.

Which egg whites should I use for the meringue?

Use pasteurized dried egg white powder intended for uncooked meringue, reconstituted to the equivalent of two whites according to its package. Some pasteurized liquid whites do not whip well. Never substitute unpasteurized raw whites in this uncooked topping; serve it plain or with a suitable dairy-free whipped topping instead.

How large is a serving?

Divide the entire recipe into four portions. One portion is one fourth of the cocoa and topping, not a guaranteed measured cup. The existing card estimates 188 calories and 4g net carbs per portion; milk, chocolate, sweetener and topping choices change those numbers.

Can I use almond milk instead of macadamia nut milk?

Yes, use an unsweetened dairy-free milk you enjoy for the one-cup portion. Keep the canned coconut milk for the richer base. Substituting the canned milk with a thin beverage changes the consistency more substantially.

Can I skip the chocolate chips?

You can make a simpler cocoa without them, but it will have less body and a different sweetness. The card and nutrition estimate include chips. Taste the heated drink before deciding whether to add more sweetener.

Can I make this ahead?

Refrigerate the untopped drink promptly in a covered container and use within three days. Reheat gently on the stove, whisking until smooth. Make the optional meringue just before serving; a finished foam is best used promptly.

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Reviews

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4.8 from 30 ratings, 13 written

Made this recipe?

Replying to Sarah

Your rating

Keith

Wow, that meringue on top is such a good call! I thought a dairy free version would taste thin and this one doesn’t at all.

Reply

Fatima Moore

Came out thick and smooth. I made it twice this week.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Twice in one week is where I am with this one. Try the meringue if you skipped it, Fatima. It’s not decoration, it actually changes the texture of every sip.

Reply

Diane C.

Have everything except grabbed hemp milk by mistake, does that work or does the fat ratio from coconut/macadamia actually matter for texture?

Reply

Annie Lampella

The coconut milk is doing most of the fat work, Diane, so replacing the macadamia with hemp is more of a flavor question than a texture disaster. Hemp has an earthy note I notice more in hot drinks than cold. Should still turn out good, just a slightly different taste.

Reply

Connor

Happy with this overall, but if you’re using Lily’s chips, the full Swerve tips sweet. Pulled it back a tablespoon and the chocolate came through better. That two-chocolate combo is honestly why this tastes like actual hot chocolate and not just cocoa.

Reply

Annie Lampella

I calibrated on different chips, so Lily’s skews sweet. That tablespoon adjustment tracks.

Reply

Katie

One thing I needed to figure out before committing to batch prep: whether the coconut milk base would hold in the fridge without the fat separating. It doesn’t separate. Quadrupled the base, portioned into four jars, reheats low and slow on the stovetop and the texture stays smooth. I use Lily’s chips and the cocoa butter content probably helps with the emulsification. Bloom is already built into the batch so you skip it on reheat days. Meringue I do fresh each morning, two minutes with a hand mixer. Weeknight hot chocolate is now just a warm jar and two minutes of whipping.

Reply

Annie Lampella

The Lily’s cocoa butter thing tracks. Higher cocoa butter content keeps it from going grainy on reheat, same reason I always push for quality chips in this one. Warm jar and two minutes of whipping is a genuinely good weeknight system.

Reply

Rebecca

4 net carbs got exactly zero eye rolls when I brought this to Saturday brunch. The coconut milk base is no joke. Converted two people who actively hate dairy-free.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Two converts in one sitting. Nobody expects that coconut milk base to be actually rich, and then it is.

Reply

Marco

My grandmother was firm about hot chocolate needing two forms of chocolate, cocoa for depth and actual melted chocolate for body. She’d say anything else was cutting corners. I thought about her the whole time I was making this because the cocoa bloom plus the chocolate chips is exactly that same two-step logic she swore by, except I never understood why until I tasted it here. The coconut milk makes it richer than I expected, honestly closer to what I remembered from her version than I thought possible. Four stars because the meringue took some warming up to for me, she would have left it plain, but it changes each sip in a way I can’t quite explain. Made it three times in two weeks and I keep thinking about her stovetop method every time.

Reply

Annie Lampella

The two-chocolate logic your grandmother had is exactly what I was trying to nail. Cocoa powder alone goes flat, the chip melt is where the body comes from. The meringue usually takes one cup to click, but that’s the part I’d never take off.

Reply

Brooke

Making this Sunday for a group of 8, if I quadruple the recipe, does the meringue still come together right or should I beat that many egg whites in batches?

Reply

Annie Lampella

Batches. That many whites at once overwhelm the bowl and you end up with soft peaks that won’t hold. Two rounds of 4 works better, they whip up faster and get stiffer. Make them right before serving though, meringue starts weeping if it sits.

Reply

Brooke

Good to know on the timing, I would have made them an hour ahead and wondered why they deflated.

Reply

Elaine

Made this on a weekend and brought my daughter a mug with the meringue topping before she’d seen me put it together. She spent the first few minutes poking at it trying to figure out if it was ice cream. Once it started dissolving into the hot chocolate she called me back in to watch, like it was actually doing something. Not helpful feedback, but she’s been asking for it on weekends since and I’ve started making a double batch of the meringue because she puts extra on everything.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Fair guess on the ice cream, it does look like it before the heat hits, for piling stuff on, I do a stiffer peak so it holds longer.

Reply

Rick

Was skeptical about the coconut milk base since most dairy-free versions taste thin and flat, but this one actually has some weight to it. Blooming the cocoa first plus the chocolate chips at the end is what makes the difference.

Reply

Annie Lampella

The bloom was a late addition actually. I kept getting flat chocolate flavor until I started treating the cocoa like a roux first. The chips at the end do double duty too, richness and body without scorching.

Reply

Quinn D.

Add a small pinch of cream of tartar while beating the egg whites. Keeps the meringue stiff for close to an hour instead of weeping into the drink. Worth knowing if you’re making a batch for more than one.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Cream of tartar makes a real difference. I skip it when I’m just making one for myself, but the second I’m doing a batch it goes in.

Reply

Stephanie

Added a pinch of cinnamon to the cocoa bloom on a whim and now I can’t imagine making it without. The coconut milk base is already so creamy I didn’t expect the cinnamon to even come through, but it really does.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Cinnamon in the bloom is smart. I’ve done a tiny pinch of cayenne too.

Reply

Mei

Was skeptical about dairy-free hot chocolate (every version I’d tried tasted like sad cocoa water) but the coconut milk actually has body to it and I haven’t touched my usual mix since.

Reply

Annie Lampella

The chips are what close the gap. Coconut milk and cocoa alone still comes up a little thin. Once those melt in, you’re actually there.

Reply

Hannah

Tried maybe four or five of these over the past year. This is the only one that doesn’t taste watered down. The coconut milk base actually delivers where the others didn’t. Four stars because the meringue is a bit fussy for a weeknight, but worth it when you have time.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Weeknight rule at my house: no meringue, extra chocolate chips. The coconut milk is what the other versions are missing.

Reply

Hannah Wilson

The meringue topping sounded like extra for no reason and now I’m the person who won’t make it without it.

Reply

Annie Lampella

It changes the texture of every sip. Hard to explain until you’ve had it that way.

Reply

Sarah

Added a shot of espresso when I bloomed the cocoa and it turned into basically a mocha. The coconut milk already makes it so thick, the espresso just took it over the top. Can’t go back now.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Espresso bloom hadn’t occurred to me. You’re building a mocha base before the coconut milk even touches it. Trying this.

Reply

Lakshmi

Been making this on repeat since winter and this week I tried bumping the cocoa to 5 tablespoons instead of 4 before blooming it, and the depth just changed completely. The coconut milk base already does so much but that extra bloom pushed it into something I’d choose over actual hot chocolate without even thinking about it.

Reply

Annie Lampella

That extra tablespoon in the bloom concentrates it before the coconut milk hits. Might update the recipe.

Reply

Laura

The coconut milk makes it so much creamier than regular hot chocolate.

Reply

Annie Lampella

The coconut milk plus the chocolate chips melted in really does it. Way richer than I expected the first time I tested it.

Reply

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