Paleo Hot Chocolate (Whole30 Hot Chocolate)

Warm, rich paleo hot chocolate is the cozy drink you need in your life! This Whole30 hot chocolate only has 6 ingredients and takes just a few minutes to make. It’s the perfect drink for a cold day! As a bonus, it has no added sugar – it is sweetened using dates, and you won’t miss the sugar one bit. 🙂

Hot chocolate is such a fun drink, and just because you are eating Paleo or Whole30, or avoiding added sugars doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this treat! I love that this version is sweetened with dates, and adds cinnamon and turmeric for some extra anti-inflammatory goodness. A cup of this tastes rich and decadent, so you won’t feel deprived in the least. This is one of my family’s favorite wintertime drinks!

How to Make this Paleo Hot Chocolate

All you need is 6 ingredients: non-dairy milk, dates, cocoa powder, cinnamon, turmeric, and vanilla extract. Combine everything in a blender and blend until smooth, then heat until steaming and enjoy! Marshmallows and whipped cream are optional. 😉

Tips for making this Whole30 Hot Chocolate:

• You can use any non-dairy milk you’d like, but I love unsweetened coconut or cashew milk for the creaminess factor
• Soak your dates in boiling water before blending, especially if you don’t have a high-powered blender (like Vitamix) – this will make sure your hot cocoa is smooth and doesn’t have tiny bits of dates in it
• Use any cocoa powder you like, but the higher quality powder you use, the richer the chocolate flavor

Can you have cocoa powder on Paleo?

The short answer is – Yes, cocoa powder is paleo-friendly. The longer answer is that not ALL cocoa powder is paleo. Here’s why: Some cocoa powder is highly processed and has other added ingredients that are not paleo-approved. The best way to know if a cocoa powder is paleo compliant is to check the label – cocoa or cacoa should be the ONLY ingredient.

Is chocolate paleo-friendly?

Chocolate comes with SO MANY health benefits – it is packed with powerful antioxidants like polyphenols, flavanols, and catechins. It also contains fiber and minerals like iron, magnesium, copper and manganese. But not all chocolate is created equal!

You’ll get the majority of these antioxidants, fiber, and minerals by eating the LEAST PROCESSED form of chocolate that contains the most cocoa, which is usally dark chocolate (at least 85% dark). Just be sure to check the label for any added ingredients that aren’t paleo friendly, like sugar or dairy.

What is the healthiest hot chocolate?

Well, this can be debatable based on your definition of “healthy”, but I would say the healthiest hot chocolate is the least processed, with the most nutrition possible. I love that this hot chocolate recipe has no added sugar, and is packed with nutrition – there’s fiber from the dates and cocoa powder, antioxidants and minerals from the cocoa, turmeric, and cinnamon, and added protein and fat from the non-dairy milk.

Is hot chocolate good for inflammation?

Some hot chocolate is. Cocoa powder itself is anti-inflammatory, which is great since cocoa powder is a staple in most hot chocolate recipes. Where things get dicey is when you start adding other stuff into hot chocolate, especially sugar and dairy, both of which can lead to MORE inflammation. So, while THIS recipe is anti-inflammatory, not every hot chocolate recipe is, especially not those with lots of sugar, dairy, and refined ingredients.

I’d love your help!

If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to rate it – just scroll down to comments and click on the star to rate it. Ratings help my recipes to be seen by more people, and help me know better which recipes are your favorites. 🙂 You can also share my recipes with your friends on Facebook or Instagram. I appreciate you stopping by my blog, and hope you enjoy the recipes as much as I do!