Creamy Keto Hot Chocolate

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When it’s cold outside and you feel like something warm and cozy, it doesn’t get much better than rich and creamy hot chocolate.

But wait — isn’t hot chocolate packed with sugar, milk, artificial flavors, and other ingredients that aren’t keto-friendly? Yes, most store-bought (and even homemade) versions are. But not this hot cocoa.

This low-carb hot chocolate recipe is made from just a few keto-friendly ingredients including heavy cream, 100% cocoa, stevia, and collagen. If you look at the nutrition facts below, you’ll see one serving contains just 3 grams of net carbs, 13 grams of protein, and 13 grams of total fat. It’s definitely not your average mug of hot cocoa.

Keep reading to learn how to make this delicious cold-weather treat and why it’s not only low in carbs but also good for you.

How to Make Low-Carb Hot Chocolate

To give your favorite hot chocolate recipe a low-carb spin, you’ll need to make a couple of adjustments:

• Use real dark chocolate (or pure cacao)
• Only use full-fat heavy cream (or coconut cream)
• Forgo added sugar

With those simple tweaks, this keto recipe will fit in perfectly with your meal plan.

Choose a Dark Chocolate or Pure Cacao

In its purest form (before it’s processed and mixed with milk and sugar to make milk chocolate), unsweetened cocoa is surprisingly good for your health.

Cacao beans come from the seeds of the cacao tree. These beans are then processed and broken down into cocoa powder or can be dried and broken down into cacao nibs. Both are used in the recipe below.

Cacao powder is packed with magnesium, dietary fiber, and iron[*]. Cacao is also a great source of polyphenols and antioxidants, which help your body fight free radicals[*].

Only Choose Full-Fat Dairy Products or Coconut Milk 

You can make this recipe one of two ways: with or without dairy. If you can tolerate dairy (meaning, you don’t experience gas or bloating when you consume it), dairy is fine to consume on keto, with a few caveats.

First, only choose full-fat products. Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are fine, while skim and low-fat milk should be avoided.

Secondly, always choose the highest quality dairy you can afford, selecting grass-fed, organic dairy products whenever possible.

If you believe you’re lactose intolerant or experience gastrointestinal discomfort when consuming dairy products, you can easily substitute a dairy-free version.

Almond milk, hazelnut milk, or coconut milk are all excellent options. If you enjoy an extra creamy hot chocolate, use coconut cream, which gives it a thicker consistency.

One final recipe note on dairy substitutes: If you love your hot cocoa with a dollop of whipped cream, you can whip coconut cream, coconut oil, and vanilla extract with a hand mixer to make dairy-free whipped cream.

Only Use Low-Glycemic Sweetener

Most hot chocolate mixes are packed with unnecessary and undesirable ingredients, particularly when it comes to sugar. Luckily, there are plenty of options when it comes to sweeteners suitable for the keto diet. Monk fruit and stevia are sugar-free sweeteners that are also incredibly low in carbohydrates (if they contain carbs at all), have a minimal effect on blood sugar levels, and contain zero grams of sugar.

Why Use Stevia?

Native to South America, stevia has sweetened food and beverages for roughly 200 years. While it’s 250 to 300 times sweeter than sugar, it doesn’t spike your blood glucose levels[*]. Which is why it makes an excellent sweetener to use within a ketogenic or other low-carb diet.

And because it’s so sweet, you only need to use stevia sparingly. Many times, just a few drops of liquid stevia — or less than one packet of the powdered version — is enough to sweeten your favorite low-carb recipes.

Like pure cacao, stevia has multiple health benefits. Stevia has been shown to have positive effects on blood glucose levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and prevent oxidative stress[*][*].

Finally, stevia contains zero sugar alcohols — unlike xylitol or Swerve — which can cause digestive distress in some people.

Ways to Enjoy Your Keto Hot Chocolate 

Because this recipe is low-carb, gluten-free, and sugar-free, it works well on keto, paleo, and grain-free diets. To make this recipe your own, try these variations to give it a unique spin:

• Add a splash of peppermint: Add a few drops of peppermint extract to give this keto hot chocolate a minty taste that’s reminiscent of minty mocha Starbucks drinks. Serve alongside these low-carb peppermint patties for a special holiday treat.
• Make a Mexican hot chocolate: To give this recipe a little extra kick, add a dash of chili powder or cayenne pepper and cinnamon.
• Whip it up: Try adding a dollop of keto salted caramel whipping cream or collagen whipped cream for a decadent dessert.
• Make it a Keto Coffee: Want to get an extra dose of healthy fats? Spoon (or blend) a tablespoon of grass-fed butter into your mug of keto hot chocolate. It will make it extra rich and creamy — perfect for a wintertime treat.

Why Add Collagen?

The two scoops of chocolate collagen certainly add to the flavor of this keto hot chocolate, but you’ll really love it for its health benefits.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It’s found naturally in bones, tendons, cartilage, heart, gut, and other connective tissue. To get the incredible health benefits of collagen, you can purchase it in supplement form. Collagen supplements usually come in the form of a tasteless white powder that you can easily mix into a variety of drinks, whether hot or cold.

Collagen has been shown to improve joint health, help strengthen hair and nails, support gut health, and even prevent cellulite[*][*][*][*].

Since Perfect Keto Grass-Fed Chocolate Keto Collagen contains 5,000 mg of MCTs per serving, you can get even more health benefits.

Warm Up With Keto Hot Chocolate

This sugar-free hot chocolate is the perfect guilt-free treat for the winter season or anytime you feel like a hot, comforting drink.

It requires just five clean ingredients, hardly any prep time, and two minutes on the stovetop to prepare. Plus, by using a zero-sugar sweetener and 100% cacao, you can keep your net carb count in check.

So cozy up next to the fire (or space heater) with a warm blanket, a must-read novel, and a piping mug of hot chocolate. It’s the perfect way to spend a winter evening.

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