Basic vegan blender hot cocoa. A delicious hot cocoa made in under 5 minutes! This cozy drink is made in the blender using 4 basic ingredients. Just cocoa powder, cashews, dates and water! Add a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla to take it to the next level.

A new chocolate recipe, just in time for Valentine’s Day! Whether you’re spending Valentine’s Day with a loved one, friends or your dog, I hope you’ll enjoy this warm and cozy drink. Just don’t share it with your dog, please.

I have so many hot cocoa and latte recipes now, but I realized I never shared a basic hot cocoa. One that doesn’t have any special flavors, like my peanut butter hot cocoa or almond hot cocoa. So today, I’m sharing a basic vegan blender hot cocoa! It’s not traditional in any sense, but to me, it tastes just like the hot cocoa I enjoyed as a kid.

An important question before we get to the recipe…

What’s the difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate?

I used to think they were the same. I actually made that mistake with my past recipes. Turns out, they’re different! Many use the terms interchangeably, but hot cocoa is actually a drink made from cocoa powder, sugar and milk. On the other hand, hot chocolate is made of finely chopped or shaved chocolate melted in hot water, milk or cream. Hot chocolate is thicker and doesn’t usually have added sugar as the chocolate is sweet already.

So now that we know the difference, let’s see how I make my very untraditional hot cocoa.

How To Make a Blender Hot Cocoa

This is the most simple hot cocoa recipe EVER. Unlike many recipes out there, you don’t have to heat anything on the stove top. Just dump all the ingredients in a blender and you’re good to go. Here’s how it’s made:

• First, boil your water, like you would to make tea or coffee. I used a kettle.
• Second, add all the ingredients to blender, including the hot water.
• Finally, blend it all together and you’re done.

A Few Notes on the Recipe:

• You ideally need a good blender for this recipe. I used a Vitamix and it worked perfectly to blend the cashews, without soaking. If your blender is on the weaker side, try soaking the cashews overnight and straining the hot cocoa using a fine mesh sieve. You shouldn’t get any cashew pieces in your drink!
• My sweetener of choice is Medjool dates here. It adds a good amount of sweetness with a little added fiber. However, you can easily use maple syrup or honey to taste! They will all be delicious.
• You can use raw cashews or dry roasted cashews. Just make sure they’re unsalted.

Watch How to Make the Recipe:

Looking for more cozy drinks? You can find all of my hot cocoa and latte recipes here.

If you make this blender hot cocoa, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys. And of course, if you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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