Paleo Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Rich, chocolatey, and wonderfully festive peppermint hot cocoa, without any dairy, grains, gluten, or refined sugars!

Prep: 10

Cook: 5

Total: 15

Yield:4 servings

1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk at room temperature, see Notes
⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk at room temperature
2 ounces paleo-friendly 100% dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar, see Notes
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup to taste, see Notes
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon peppermint extract more or less to taste

1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk refrigerated overnight, see Notes

Add 1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk, ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk, and 2 ounces paleo-friendly 100% dark chocolate chips to medium saucepan. Place saucepan on stovetop over medium-low heat.
Whisk ingredients together gently, whisking constantly until chocolate begins to melt. Once chocolate begins to melt, increase heat under saucepan to medium. Continue whisking until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Add 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon peppermint extract to saucepan. Whisk to incorporate, then taste mixture and adjust maple syrup and peppermint extract as needed.
Let mixture simmer over medium heat until liquid is very hot but not actually boiling. Whisk mixture occasionally to prevent sticking or scalding.
Before mixture begins to boil, remove saucepan from heat and let mixture cool slightly. While mixture cools, prepare whipped coconut cream if desired.

Remove 1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk from refrigerator, being careful not to shake can or agitate contents.
Carefully open can. Use large spoon to scoop out thick, white layer of cream that formed at top of can, leaving separated water in can. Transfer coconut cream to small mixing bowl. Discard water or reserve to use later if desired.
Gently whisk coconut cream until smooth.

Once hot chocolate mixture has cooled slightly, carefully portion hot chocolate into serving mugs.
If desired, dollop whipped coconut cream on top of each mug of hot chocolate, then garnish hot chocolate with 1 dash chili powder or coarse sea salt and 100% dark chocolate shavings or crushed paleo-friendly candy canes.
Serve hot chocolate immediately.

Coconut Milk: Use coconut milk in a can, not in a carton, and make sure it is completely unsweetened. For the creamiest hot chocolate and whipped coconut cream, use full-fat coconut milk. You can also use unsweetened, full-fat canned coconut cream instead of milk if you prefer a thicker, richer, creamier cocoa. Note that coconut creamer, coco lopez, cream of coconut, and carton coconut milk are not the same as canned coconut milk (or cream) and will not work in this recipe.
Chocolate: I use Ghirardelli 100% cacao unsweetened chocolate which is dairy free, sweetener free, and lists "unsweetened chocolate" as the only ingredient. You can use chocolate chips, chocolate wafers (the button-shaped chocolates for melting, NOT the cookies!), or chocolate bars that you chop or shave into smaller pieces for easier melting.
Maple Syrup: Use 2 tablespoons for a lightly-sweetened hot chocolate, up to 3 tablespoons for a sweeter hot chocolate. If you use a chocolate made with paleo-friendly sweeteners, use less maple syrup to account for the sweeteners in the chocolate.
Candy Canes: Most candy canes aren't compatible with strict paleo diets. If you're able or willing to be a little lax during the holidays, you can use any diet-friendly candy canes (like these from YumEarth) or peppermints that work for you.
Make it Keto: Replace the maple syrup with a keto-friendly maple-flavored liquid sweetener.