Low Calorie Hot Chocolate [Just 80 Calories]

When that icy cold hits, there’s nothing like a mug of hot cocoa, and even if you’re on the healthy eating train, this low calorie hot chocolate will not break the caloric bank. Ready in less than 5 minutes!

This recipe was originally published in January 2019. It has been updated for content and photos.

There’s something warming and nostalgic about hot chocolate and kids and adults can both agree that winter is the time for this rich, hot drink.

Of course, it doesn’t always line up with our healthy eating goals, so I’ve made a low calorie hot chocolate version that can be enjoyed on a wholesome diet.

Jump to:

• Ingredients + Substitutions
• How to make it
• Variations
• More drinks you’ll love
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients + Substitutions

All you need is a handful of ingredients.

• Milk: I like unsweetened almond milk as its low in calories, but feel free to use the milk you prefer or normally use.
• Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened raw cocoa powder to keep the sugar content low.
• Vanilla: While optional, it adds a nice flavour to your hot chocolate, so I do recommend using it. Make sure to use pure vanilla and not the artificial stuff.
• Maple syrup: I like the maple flavour and the fact that it’s unrefined, but you may use any sweetener in its place. Date syrup, or even granulated sugar work fine, if you prefer.
• Salt: While optoinal, I find the pinch of salt actually helps bring out the sweetness of the hot chocolate, but skip it if you’re avoiding salt/sodium.

How to make it

(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Add all the ingredients to a small sauce pot and heat on stove top until desired temperature is reached. (photos 1-2)

That’s it!

Easy. Peasy. Lemon. Squeezy.

If you’re keeping this low calorie drink healthy, skip the marshmallows on top. But if it’s a cheat day, go for it.

Variations

• For sugar free, just skip the maple syrup.
• For nut free, use soy milk or oat milk instead of almond. But stick to unsweetened variaties to avoid added sugar.
• For a richer version (not as low calorie of course) use canned coconut milk.
• Make it a peppermint hot chocolate by adding ⅛ teaspoon of peppermint extract.

More drinks you’ll love

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Buon appetito

Rosa

📖 Recipe