Hot Chocolate Powder / dairy and refined sugar free!

I ♥ chocolate
I am a chocolate addict. And because I can't have dairy I am confined to sourcing only dairy-free chocolate which if you know where to look, isn't too difficult to find. What narrows my search even further is my choice to avoid refined sugar completely. Dairy-free, refined sugar free, hot chocolate, however, is impossible to find and the few I have found are incredibly expensive. At the rate I drink hot chocolate in the winter and while camping in the summer -- stocking these gourmet hot chocolate powders just isn't in the budget.

Just Add Water
Another draw back to the dairy-free powders I've found is that in order to taste good they require hot milk (either nut, soy, coconut, whatever your preference). When we camp we always have a pot of hot water boiling on the stove for dishes, to wash up at night, for tea or other hot beverages, and boiling my almond milk just proved too annoying -- not to mention the messy boil overs!

Experimentation
I set out to make my own hot chocolate powder that was affordable, and met my requirements (non-dairy, no refined sugar, and just-add-water delicious!). I've spent months experimenting with this recipe and I've finally come to a powder that I think is truly perfect! So if you are like me and can't have dairy, here is my recipe for you!









HOT CHOCOLATE POWDER
Dairy and refined sugar free

Ingredients
50g coconut milk powder
3 tbsp vanilla cane sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Directions
Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. To make hot chocolate add 4 heaping teaspoons of hot chocolate powder to 1 cup (250ml) of boiling hot water. Add more powder if you prefer a richer drink!

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. This recipe makes one small batch (a few cups worth of hot chocolate), feel free to double or triple the recipe to make a bigger batch!

Add some homemade marshmallows and you'll think you'd died and gone to hot chocolate heaven!! My fave recipe is this one: Butter Baked Goods.

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VANILLA SUGAR:
I wasn’t able to find vanilla cane sugar -- I do know that regular vanilla sugar is available. If you don’t have a preference towards cane sugar feel free to use this instead! I made my own vanilla cane sugar by scraping a vanilla bean into 2 cups of cane sugar, burying the pod in the jar as well, and allowing to infuse for 1-2 weeks.

COCONUT MILK POWDER:
I've been able to find 50g packets of various brands of coconut milk powder at asian grocers like Fairway Market but my favourite product is this 300g box by Grace which I purchased from the Bulk Barn. I've also heard that you might be able to find it at the Real Canadian Superstore.

COCOA POWDER:
A quality cocoa powder is always the best! My ginormous tub is from Costco and it's a steal for under 10 dollars!! It's a great product!

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Well my lactose intolerant, dairy-free, and vegan friends, I really hope that you enjoy my recipe! I've found so many great resources and recipes for my dietary restrictions online -- I really wanted to give something back.

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