Authentic Vegan French Hot Chocolate

This thick and creamy authentic French hot chocolate is so richly decadent, you will never guess that it was vegan!

If you’ve ever wandered along the Rue de Rivoli in the premier arrondissement of Paris, you will surely have come across the grand café Angelina, a beautiful café styled in the traditional Belle Epoque décor, with the luxurious ambiance of the 1900s where Coco Chanel herself would sit and sip on the decadent, almost pudding-like authentic French hot chocolate which the Parisians refer to as chocolat l’Africain due to the African origins of the high-quality cocoa beans that are used.

How to get the richest, creamiest French hot chocolate without using dairy

1. USE A HIGH-QUALITY DARK CHOCOLATE If you’ve had the chocolat l’Africain at Angelina, I am sure you are wondering how they get their hot chocolate to be so thick and creamy. Well, I think the secret is to use a bar of very high-quality chocolate that is at least 72% cacao like this one from Valrhona or the organic dark chocolate bars you can find at Trader Joe’s.
2. USE DUTCH PROCESSED COCOA POWDER What’s the difference between regular cocoa powder and Dutch-processed cocoa powder? The biggest difference is the color and the intensity of the taste. Dutch process cocoa is much darker in color with a deeper, more chocolatey taste, but is also surprisingly less bitter due to the cocoa beans being treated with alkali during production which helps to neutralize its natural acidity. Regular cocoa powder such as the traditional Hershey’s cocoa powder that most of us grew up with is lighter in color and slightly more bitter as it retains the cocoa’s natural acidity since it has not been alkalinized like the Dutch processed cocoa.
3. USE A PLANT-MILK THAT’S HIGH IN PROTEIN I have always had great luck with Trader Joe’s unsweetened organic soy milk. It only has two ingredients, organic soy beans and water, and is very high in protein which I think contributes to the creaminess of this vegan hot chocolate. The unsweetened EdenSoy milk also is high in protein (12 g per cup)
4. USE ORGANIC CEYLON CINNAMON STICKS Although I ended up using ground Ceylon cinnamon in this recipe, I much prefer simmering the soy milk with organic Ceylon cinnamon sticks which seems to impart a stronger, more woody cinnamon flavor which ass extra depth and flavor to the dark chocolate.
5. USE FRESH ORGANIC GINGER SLICES Again, I used organic ground ginger in this recipe but a few slices of peeled, fresh ginger adds a slightly spicy, warming effect to the hot chocolate which adds a unique flavor profile to this hot chocolate.
6. USE REAL VANILLA EXTRACT OR VANILLA BEANS Only use real vanilla extract, vanilla beans, or vanilla bean paste to get the aroma and flavor for your hot cocoa
7. USE GELATIN-FREE MARSHMALLOWS Make sure you look at the ingredients in your marshmallows as many conventional brands contain gelatin which will make them non-vegan friendly. I like the Dandies brand.

To add a little extra French flair, I love serving the chocolat chaud in these French café bowls for that ooh la la factor 😆 🇫🇷

Are there health benefits to drinking hot chocolate??

Not only is this vegan French hot chocolate a delicious treat on a cold winter evening, but it also has several health benefits! Dark chocolate has been proven to be very high in biologically active organic compounds that function as antioxidants, and are full of important minerals like phosphorus, zinc, selenium, and potassium, while the flavonoids in dark chocolate may help lower the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health.

Cinnamon is also known to have a variety of health benefits as it too is loaded with antioxidants and polyphenols which have potent anti-inflammatory properties. Cinnamon is also beneficial for diabetics as it is well known for its ability to lower fasting blood sugar levels and improve hemoglobin A1c levels. To make this recipe diabetic friendly, swap the sugar for monkfruit sweetener and omit the marshmallows!

Ginger contains a bioactive compound called Gingerol which has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Ginger has been shown to ease nausea, indigestion, may help with weight loss, can help ease pain caused by osteoarthritis, lower cholesterol, and may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease. Now that’s a lot o health benefits for a lowly root!

Soy milk, which is my favorite non-dairy milk for cooking and drinking also has numerous health benefits. It contains large amounts of high-quality protein which has the highest biological value to humans as it contains all of the essential amino acids that are required by humans and makes it the best plant-based protein for us to consume, can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, and lower blood pressure and inflammation.

Authentic French Hot Chocolate Made Vegan

Tamae Elizabeth

Thick and creamy French Hot Chocolate with a hint of cinnamon and ginger and 100% vegan!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine French

Servings 2 people

Calories 225 kcal

Equipment

• 1 small stainless steel pot
• 1 sharp knife
• 1 fine mesh strainer

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups Unsweetened soy milk or any non-dairy milk
• 3.5 ounces 72% + high quality dark chocolate coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp Dutch process cocoa powder
• 2 sticks Organic Ceylon cinnamon sticks or 1/4 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp Organic ground ginger or 2 slices fresh, peeled ginger
• 1 tsp Organic sugar add more to taste or monk fruit sweetener
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean split or 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 pinch Sea salt

Instructions

 

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat bring soy milk, cinnamon sticks, and ginger slices to a simmer (if using vanilla bean, split the bean open and add here as well), until you see small bubbles appear, about 5 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
• Once the mixture simmers for a few minutes to allow the ginger and cinnamon to infuse into the milk, remove from heat and strain the milk from the cinnamon and ginger then return the milk to the pot.
• Over low heat, add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract or paste, sugar, and a pinch of sea salt and stir with a metal whisk until the cocoa powder has completely dissolved.
• Add the dark chocolate pieces and stir until completely dissolved about 1 minute. Simmer for an additional minute to thicken the chocolate. Serve immediately and top with marshmallows or non-dairy whipped cream, and a dusting of more cocoa if desired.

Notes

This French hot chocolate is thick and decadent in consistency but not very sweet which is how it is served in France.  If you prefer a sweeter American-style hot chocolate, add more sugar to your taste.  

Keyword French Hot Chocolate, Hot Chocolate