It snowed this last week in UT & snow always puts me in the mood for some hot cocoa 😉 I love to curl up in a cozy blanket & sip yummy soothing warm chocolate. My mom went to Italy on a church mission when she was young & she raved about the amazing food there. She came up with this THM recipe for Italian hot cocoa which just means it’s even more rich & decadent than regular hot cocoa
So when you’re in the mood for a cup of warm hot cocoa, this more decadent tasting thicker version will make you feel like you’re sitting in an Italian cafe drink chocolate decadence but without the decadent calories. Believe it or not, this recipe is an FP!
My mom’s version is dark chocolate but I also made a milk chocolate version for variety.
Italian Hot Cocoa (THM FP, low carb, keto)
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Version:
- 1 3/4 c. unsweetened almond milk
- 2 T. unsweetened cocoa
- 1/4 t. xantham gum or gluccie
- 1/4 t. lecithin *
- 1/2 t. vanilla whey protein powder
- 1/4 t. vanilla extract
- 1 T. supersweet or the equivalent of your sweetener of choice
- pinch of salt
- 1/8- 1/4 t. peppermint extract (optional)
- splash of 1/2 and 1/2 (optional) the dairy free version is my fave 😉
- squirt of whipped cream (optional)
- sprinkle of cinnamon (optional
Milk Chocolate Version:
- 1 T. unsweetened cocoa
- use the rest of the above ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the almond milk, set aside 3/4 c.
- Blend 1 c. of heated almond milk with all the rest of the ingredients until well blended
- Pour in a mug & slowly add in the rest of the heated almond milk until the cocoa is as thick as you'd like (you don't have to use the full extra 3/4 c.)
- Mix well
- Add a squirt of whipped cream on top & enjoy!
Notes
What is your favorite way to make hot cocoa?
If you’re looking for really easy: Heat 1 c. almond milk & add 1/8-1/4 tsp peppermint extract, 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/2 T. unsweetened cocoa, 1 tsp. super sweet with some whipped cream on top 🙂 It’s not as thick & decadent, but it sure does the trick when you’re in a hurry!
I have NEVER drank a cup of hot cocoa this delicious!!! Even pre-THM, I never had a cup of hot cocoa with such a rich taste and creamy mouth feel!!! This is definitely my new recipe for life!!!
So great to hear! I’ll pass the compliment on to my mom 😉
This recipe is sublime! I like the milk chocolate version and have now made it 3 times! The xantham seems to make it set a bit less solidly as it cools, which I liked. This was a fun treat and makes me feel like I’m going off plan – but I’m not! My whole family loves it. ❤️
Love to hear it Emily!
This is my second try at a low carb cocoa; the first recipe I tried was disappointing. This one is excellent. I’ve been using cocoa in my coffee since I started drinking coffee. I used to use sugary Mexican spiced cocoa and halved it with Lakanto cocoa when I started on THM. I just ran out and this was surprisingly yummy. So I didn’t use almond milk, just coffee. Yea, saving money on cocoa now!
Sounds like a great alternative 🙂
Oh, my stars! BEST hot cocoa EVER! I made the dark chocolate version and I am never going back! This is a keeper!
So good to hear Cindy!
This is the BEST! I will be making packets of the dry ingredients to have it “at the ready”! Thank you for sharing. .