A cozy and creamy hot drink laced with flavors of a classic Mexican hot chocolate, in a plant-based version. Spicy Oat Milk Hot Chocolate will be a new favorite indulgence on snowy days.

oat milk hot chocolate in a mug with cayenne pepper on top

Is it just me, or is there nothing cozier than a creamy and frothy cup of hot chocolate? I love drinking it while relaxing at night because it’s like a hybrid of a nighttime snack and a treat. Just sweet enough and satisfying due to the healthful fat in the oat milk and cacao.

Trust me when I tell you that THIS is the healthyish treat we’ve all been waiting for. It will pull us through the depths of winter. That weird in-between time after the holidays and between spring when we start getting outside the house again (just me?).

It’s also plant-based and spiked with flavors reminiscent of Mexican hot chocolate (namely vanilla bean and cayenne). As an aside, I feel like there’s no other food combination that more accurately portrays my personality. Vanilla with a hint of spice!

Ingredients

This is a simple five-ingredient recipe (not counting salt) that you’ll likely be able to throw together at any time. Don’t you love when that happens? Here’s what you need:

cacao powder (unsweetened, not hot cocoa mix, I like Navitas)
cane sugar or granulated sugar
vanilla paste or extract
cayenne pepper
oat milk (sure you can use a different one!)

ingredients for oat milk hot chocolate on a plate

How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolate

In a simple three-step process you can take this from ordinary to awesome. It really doesn’t take much more time than the packet, I promise!

Make a homemade syrup (similar to the mocha syrup at your favorite coffee shop)
Heat and add your milk.
Stir and froth.

I highly recommend using a milk frother (affiliate) here. If you don’t have one, I promise this is a $19 investment you won’t regret. This is how you get that beautiful foam on top!

If you don’t have one, you can also shake it up in a mason jar but be careful because it’ll get really hot. Also use caution when you unscrew the lid and the steam releases.

For the sake of presentation I love to make it in a large mug and then transfer to a smaller prettier one, but that’s just me and my neurotic food photographer brain. Be sure to use those barista skills to hold back the foam and spoon it out on top at the end.

Don’t forget the extra pinch of cayenne!

I know this will elevate your Friday night in less than five minutes. Creamy, dreamy, vanilla-y (?) and spicy. Because who wants a “normal” hot chocolate when you can take it up a notch?