What can lessen the drear of a long winter like a piping hot mug of cocoa made with a Dairy Free Instant Hot Chocolate Mix? It’s a sweet, simple pleasure that’s grown into a cold afternoon ritual for me.
Dairy Free Instant Hot Chocolate Mix
What can lessen the drear of a long winter like a piping hot mug of cocoa made with a Dairy Free Instant Hot Chocolate Mix? It’s a sweet, simple pleasure that’s grown into a cold afternoon ritual for me.
This Dairy-Free Instant Hot Chocolate Mix is a snap to whip up thanks to the new Native Forest Vegan Coconut Milk Powder and a quality cocoa powder. The gelatin (affiliate link) and vanilla powder (affiliate link) are totally optional, but really do punch up the mouthfeel and flavor of this Dairy Free Instant Hot Chocolate Mix. Another added plus of gelatin is that it offers a protein boost.
Dairy-Free Instant Hot Chocolate Mix may be mixed into hot water or hot non-dairy milk for extra creamy hot cocoa. Another way to enjoy it is mixed into hot coffee—which brings me to a story about coffee makers.
Mold in Your Coffee Maker?
My husband and I recently ditched our drip coffee maker. We had been using it for 15+ years without giving any thought as to what might be leaching into our coffee from all its old plastic parts. It wasn’t until our coffee started tasting moldy—literally and so gross—that we seriously considered the plastic parts and all that could be growing in the tubes and crevices of the machine. Do a Google search on it and you just might do some rethinking as well.
After an exhaustive search for a non-toxic coffee maker, we settled on the French press method of coffee making. The only downside, we found, was that most French presses are constructed of glass and do not retain heat. Well, that wasn’t going to work in a household with a very early riser and a much later riser.
The French Press Method
It wasn’t until we came across the Frieling Stainless Steel French Press that we were sold. Its construction was simple, solid, and beautiful and because it was double wall insulated, it retained heat four times longer than a glass French Press.
We couldn’t be happier with our Frieling Stainless Steel French Press (affiliate link). It produces coffee with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel and there’s not a single plastic part, no breakable glass—just solid stainless steel.
4 Tips to For Making French Press Coffee
I asked my husband for his tips on brewing French press coffee and here’s what he shared.
Tip #1: Coarse Setting
Grind whole beans on “Coarse” or “French Press” setting.
Tip #2: 1:5 Ratio
The purists measure coffee by volume. The rest of us go by tablespoon. A good starting point is to use 1 tablespoon of coffee for every 5 fluid ounces of water. This ratio may require adjusting according to your preferred strength and the roast that you use.
Tip #3: 200˚F Water
Once the water reaches a boil, wait 30 seconds. This will lower the temperature from boiling to around 200° F, which is ideal for brewing.
Tip #4: 4 Minutes
After adding grounds to the decanter, set a timer for 4 minutes and pour water over the grounds. Place the plunger on top of the coffee pot in the up position. This will minimize heat loss. Don’t press down yet. After 4 minutes, push the plunger down gently, evenly and slowly.
Make it a Mocha!
Once you’ve got a nice smooth cup of coffee, make it a mocha by stirring in 2-3 tablespoons of Dairy Free Instant Hot Chocolate Mix. It just may become your new afternoon ritual!
Ingredients
- 1 5.25-ounce bag (18 tablespoons) Native Forest Coconut Milk Powder
- 6 tablespoons quality cocoa powder
- 4 tablespoons cane or coconut sugar and/or powdered stevia (see notes)
- 4 tablespoons gelatin (optional for protein boost and creaminess)
- 1 teaspoon Authentic Foods vanilla powder (for over-the-top flavor)
- Generous pinch salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S blade.
- Process just until combined (do not over process as it may begin to clump).
- Store in an air-tight container.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons Dairy Free Instant Hot Chocolate Mix to 8 ounces of hot water, dairy-free milk or coffee.
Notes
Sugar: Depending on how sweet you like your hot chocolate, you can cut back on the sugar and add powdered stevia or any other natural powdered sweetener to your liking.
Vegan? Omit the gelatin.
Paleo? Sweeten with coconut sugar and/or stevia.
Disclosure: This post features a 44-Ounce Frieling Double Wall Stainless Steel French Press Coffee Maker that Flo & Grace received at no cost in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are our own.
12 comments
We always have to have some quick hot cocoa in the winter!
I didn’t know there was such a thing as coconut milk powder! So excited. I’ll have to try it out. Thank you for the recipe.
I was so happy when I found it. I think it’s fairly new to the market … this one anyway. I like it because it is made with only 3 ingredients. Nothing mysterious! 🙂
This is going to make the winter go by that much faster, but I may still want to drink this in the summer. Looks great!
Over ice, YES!
Where can one find the coconut milk powder? That sounds amazing! And great idea to use gelatin.
Hi Megan, I have found it at Whole Foods and our regional Natural Grocers.
Now that is a new twist! I’ve never seen hot cocoa mix with gelatin before – genius ingredient lady!
It’s the benefits of a cup of bone broth and a cup of hot cocoa all in one. But probably not the way to sell it 🙂
Loving your recipe. I love hot chocolate and this recipe is just what I was looking for. I made a batch and it turned out very nicely. I use Infinity Jars to preserve my homemade hot chocolate. The jars are airtight and the harmful light blocking properties of the jars keep the hot chocolate fresh for a long long time. https://infinityjars.com/collections/screw-top-jars
Recently found out that I am sensitive to cane sugar and dairy. At first didn’t realize how hard avoiding these two foods will be, but it’s so nice to have internet and food bloggers :). Will need to give a try to coconut sugar and creamer (if i can find sugar free). Thanks a bunch for this post!
Lana, we’ve been trying more erythritol (0 calorie alcohol sugar) and it’s actually not that bad. I like the powdered version for the reason that you don’t get a crystal crunch in baked goods. I’ve been using it and some stevia together.