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Living Well Mom

Simple, easy, and natural ways to care for your family.

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Healthy and Easy Hot Cocoa Recipe for Kids

By Erika in Beverages

dairy-free gluten-free refined sugar-freeThis post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to Recipe

It’s the perfect time to start curling up with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa. Finding the right easy hot cocoa recipe when you’re trying to avoid dairy and refined sugar isn’t that simple. I crafted this 4-ingredient recipe to make it a little easier for all the mamas out there.

Take a peek at all the fun mugs we found too! You’ll find those just after the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

dairy free hot cocoa in a owl mug this idea now...

Easy Hot Cocoa Recipe for Kids

It doesn’t have to be complicated to make homemade hot cocoa. In fact, my easy hot cocoa recipe for kids is so simple to make, it’s almost as quick as the store-bought packets! And this recipe is healthy too; there’s no refined sugar and has simple wholesome ingredients you can feel good about giving your kids (and yourself!)

In fact, this version is dairy-free and Paleo-friendly too. (I bet the kids won’t even notice!)

girl holding owl mug filled with homemade hot cocoa

A warm mug of hot cocoa is pretty much a necessity this time of year. Especially for kids. Because hot cocoa is a very good motivator to stay outside longer. You know when they want to come in after 10 minutes and you’ve spent 15 minutes bundling them up? Just offer them hot cocoa if they stay outside a little longer. It works (almost) every time.

Hot Cocoa and Food Sensitivities

I have to be careful about what I feed my kids (and myself) because we all have food sensitivities. That means we can’t buy the store-bought hot cocoa packets, which are loaded with high fructose corn syrup and other ingredients I can’t pronounce.

So this year, when my children started asking for hot cocoa, I decided to create our own homemade hot cocoa recipe. I’ve come up with a few variations, but this particular version is a favorite with my kids. In fact, they’ve told me it tastes just as good, if not better than the old “store stuff.” (Score!)

There are four simple ingredients in this homemade hot cocoa recipe – almond milk, cocoa powder, honey, and vanilla extract. So simple and so good!

warm hot chocolate in a green owl mug on a white towel with cocoa powder and honey in a bowl

Cacao Powder vs Baking Cocoa for Hot Cocoa

I use cacao powder myself, but you can use baking cocoa too. Cacao powder is more bitter, so you may need to increase the sweetener slightly if you go this route.

Now when my kids come in from playing out in the cold snow, it’s no problem to whip up a batch or two of this easy hot cocoa recipe!

girl in purple gloves holding a white mug with hot cocoa in it

 

Print

The Healthy Easy Hot Cocoa Recipe for Kids

dairy free hot cocoa in a owl mug
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 13 reviews

  • Author: Erika Bragdon
  • Prep Time: 2 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 7 mins
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: beverage
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups almond milk (or your milk of choice)
  • 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
  • 2 Tbsp honey or maple syrup*
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Warm the almond milk in a small saucepan, then whisk in the cocoa powder, honey, and vanilla extract. Whisk well to remove any lumps from the cocoa.
  2. Optional: place in your blender (make sure the cocoa isn’t too hot – you don’t want to get burned) and blend until frothy.
  3. Serve warm.

Notes

*add more or less honey, depending on how sweet your kids like it

Keywords: homemade hot cocoa, healthy hot chocolate, vegan, dairy-free

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only by an online calculator. Actual numbers may vary depending on multiple factors such as brand, measurement and portion accuracy, etc.

layout of printable recipe binder pages

Just pin it below to find the recipe for later!

collection of photos - child holding mug of homemade hot cocoa

Dear mom, I have so much more I’d love to share with you…

Fill out this form to join the Living Well Mom email community and receive the best of the best for your family’s journey to living well!
    *Note: ↑ this form does not give you a freebie. If you are looking for a free printable or other freebie, scroll back up to the rest of the post and use the other form.

    Filed Under: Beverages, Food for Kids, Paleo, Recipes, Seasonal, Winter Tagged With: dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-freePublished on November 23, 2020

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    About Erika

    Erika Bragdon is a second-generation homeschooling mom with 3 kids at home and 1 in college. She lives in the beautiful hills of New Hampshire on a small farm and loves writing, baking, nature, and sharing flower essences and more natural solutions with moms.

    Comments

    1. Sabrina says

      January 4, 2016 at 1:01 pm

      Love that you’re making it healthier! I usually just make a ganache and add more milk, but this is WAY healthier! Love it!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Jennifer Sikora says

      January 4, 2016 at 1:04 pm

      I find that I love almond milk so much more in hot cocoa than I do regular milk. This is a great recipe and I cannot wait to make a batch for my family.

      Reply
    3. Mama to 5 BLessings says

      January 4, 2016 at 1:58 pm

      What a great recipe. We use almond milk is a healthy creamy option. Your kids look happy with their tasty drink!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. valmg @ From Val's Kitchen says

      January 4, 2016 at 3:44 pm

      We love hot cocoa. I have a container of it in my kitchen all year round. Are you saying the honey is optional, if you want it sweeter?

      Reply
    5. Jennifer says

      January 4, 2016 at 3:49 pm

      That sounds so good! I love to use almond milk in place of regular milk whenever I can.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    6. Sharyl says

      January 5, 2016 at 3:22 pm

      Hi Erick, I’ll be sure to head over to have a cup 🙂

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Sharyl says

        January 5, 2016 at 3:23 pm

        That should of said Erika! LOL

        Reply
      • Erika says

        January 6, 2016 at 4:32 pm

        Anytime, Sharyl!
        I knew what you meant. 🙂

        Reply
      • Girl says

        March 17, 2017 at 1:54 pm

        Boo

        Reply
    7. Esther says

      January 9, 2016 at 10:55 pm

      This looks great! Thanks for the idea – my daughter LOVES coming in from playing in the snow to a warm cup of cocoa. I would love to give her something better than the packets 😉

      Reply
    8. Rebecca says

      January 20, 2016 at 3:34 pm

      I gotta ask- where’d the white embossed mug come from?

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Erika says

        January 21, 2016 at 9:59 am

        Target!

        Reply
    9. Kelly Spears says

      January 11, 2017 at 2:05 pm

      I was looking up healthy recipes for my toddler when I came across your hot coco. I enjoy this myself as do my children it’s yummy my eleven year old said..

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Erika says

        January 12, 2017 at 9:21 am

        That’s great to hear, Kelly!

        Reply
    10. Joanna says

      April 4, 2017 at 11:44 am

      THIS IS THE BEST. THING. EVER. THANKS SO MUCH!!! Still using this recipe in April 2017. It’s not even wintertime, but I don’t care. I’m more of a hot-cocoa-year-round kind of girl 😉

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    11. Tiffany says

      June 19, 2017 at 9:45 am

      It’s super good but I recommend adding a some splenda (maybe around 3 packets) because otherwise it’s way too bitter

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Ann says

        December 22, 2017 at 11:28 pm

        Funny how taste buds are.We (me and the kids) think this is way too sweet.This probably because we don’t eat any sugary,processed foods.Please be careful with splenda,as it has quite a few side effect being an artificial sweetner.

        ★★★★★

        Reply
    12. Shannon says

      January 25, 2018 at 6:25 pm

      Thank you for this!! It hit the spot perfectly! And it’s something my 4 year old can have and my hubby just might try, bonus!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    13. Jahaira Luzzi says

      March 20, 2018 at 11:28 am

      This looks great. I’m wondering…doesn’t the cocoa powder have a significant amount of caffeine? Like too much for a child??

      Reply
      • Erika says

        March 20, 2018 at 12:06 pm

        I’ve never noticed any issues with my kids drinking this cocoa. If you’re concerned about the caffeine levels, decrease the amount of cocoa powder in this recipe and/or don’t give it to them right before bedtime.

        My kids sometimes drink this in the evening and they have no difficulty going to bed.

        Now me? I’m SUPER sensitive to caffeine and don’t drink or consume any coffee, cocoa or chocolate after 3pm, otherwise, I am kept awake.

        Reply
    14. Chelsea Green says

      November 1, 2018 at 3:02 pm

      Loved this recipe!! Was fantastic.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Erika says

        November 6, 2018 at 11:30 am

        Aww yay! Thanks for letting me know, Chelsea!

        Reply
    15. Jana says

      November 22, 2018 at 6:43 am

      Do you use regular almond milk or unsweetened ?

      Reply
      • Erika says

        November 26, 2018 at 8:07 am

        We typically use unsweetened almond milk, but regular almond milk would work well for this recipe too.

        Reply
    16. Leanne says

      December 16, 2020 at 11:50 am

      I dont taste the difference between this and regular hot cocoa. I use whole milk for my toddler. Keeping this recipe since I like to keep sugar low!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Erika says

        December 20, 2020 at 1:27 pm

        Thanks, Leanne!

        Reply
    17. Holly says

      January 28, 2021 at 8:15 am

      This cocoa is so easy to make and yummy too!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    18. Jill says

      January 28, 2021 at 8:17 am

      My kids loved this cocoa recipe – it’s easy and so delicious! Thank you!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    19. Julie says

      May 24, 2021 at 5:08 am

      Thanks for the recipe and tips. My kids will love this too.

      Reply

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    Erika Bragdon sitting on a bench drinking a drink out of her mug

    Welcome! I’m Erika and I’m the creator behind Living Well Mom.

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