Keto Mexican Hot Chocolate
Our Keto Mexican Hot Chocolate recipe is not only rich and chocolatey, but it’s non-dairy, too! We started with unsweetened Dutch process cocoa (gluten-free), then added a touch of cinnamon, a smidgen of cayenne pepper, and a secret ingredient to give it a bit of a kick! This sugar-free cocoa is extra frothy and quite delicious.
Our cozy beverage is finished with frothed hot cocoa to give it a luxurious mouthfeel. We think you will love this hot chocolate, even if you are not on Keto! Want the richness, but not all the added spiced elements? Want it non-Keto? Visit our Blogs Comments & Tips for a few variations of this recipe.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
Recipe updated as of 3/24/22
KETO MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pour almond milk, into a 2 cup measuring cup, and heat in the microwave (or heat in a saucepan on the stove on medium heat). Heat milk until scalding (just before it reaches boiling point), then remove from the microwave (or stove).
- To the hot milk in the measuring cup (or saucepan), add cocoa, 1 stevia sweetener, ground cinnamon, espresso powder (see Note #1), cayenne pepper (see Note #1), and vanilla, and whisk until combined and smooth.
- Pour ½ cup of the hot chocolate milk mixture into a small mug. With an electric milk frother, whisk the remaining ½ cup of hot chocolate in the measuring cup, to create a foamy froth. Pour the froth on top of the hot chocolate milk in the mug. Sprinkle with a smidgen of cinnamon, and serve immediately. Garnish is optional, but is an extra special touch.
Notes
- Optional Ingredients & Measurements: A pinch is 1/16 of a teaspoon, and a smidgen is about 1/32 of a teaspoon, which is half of a pinch. Although the espresso powder and cayenne pepper are optional, we highly recommend using them in this recipe for a more authentic taste and depth of flavor. The cayenne pepper is used in such a small amount that it should not really be spicy, but it will add an extra mild spice to the chocolate.
- Frothing the top layer of this hot chocolate drink, makes it extra luxurious. However, it’s not a make or break for this recipe. If you don’t have a handy electric milk frother, once you have whisked the chocolate and other ingredients into the hot milk, just pour the entire hot chocolate mixture directly into a mug, and serve immediately.
- Try this stainless steel electric milk warmer & frother for bistro quality and cappuccino style froth and foam for this recipe. It's excellent for all your lattes & other coffee drinks, too!
- For details on how to make a non-Keto version, visit our Blog Comments & Tips at the bottom of our recipe page.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
72.91Fat (grams)
2.83Sat. Fat (grams)
1.01Carbs (grams)
7.51Fiber (grams)
4.83Net carbs
2.89Sugar (grams)
0.38Protein (grams)
3.25Sodium (milligrams)
2.68Cholesterol (grams)
0.00Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
Note: Oops, we forgot to include the pure vanilla extract in the photo!
STEP 1
Pour 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any milk), into a 2 cup measuring cup, and heat in the microwave (or heat in a saucepan on the stove on medium heat). Heat milk until scalding (just before it reaches boiling point), then remove from the microwave (or stove).
STEP 2a
To the measuring cup (or saucepan) with the hot milk, add 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch process cocoa, 1 ½ tablespoons stevia sweetener (Truvia, or any sugar free sweetener - or to taste), ⅛ scant teaspoon ground cinnamon, a smidgen of espresso powder (optional, not instant espresso, see Note #1), a smidgen of cayenne pepper (optional, see Note #1), and ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
Note: For the best sugar free flavor, we recommend using Truvia, but you can use any sugar-free sweetener. If you are not on Keto, just replace Stevia with 1 tablespoon regular granulated sugar (or to taste).
STEP 2b
Whisk until all ingredients are dissolved and the hot cocoa is smooth.
Note: You can also use an electric milk frother for this step. We just wanted to show both ways of preparing this cocoa (using manual & electric tools).
STEP 3
Once the chocolate has dissolved into the milk:
a) Pour on ½ cup of the hot chocolate milk mixture into a mug (the other ½ cup of hot chocolate should remain in the measuring cup).
b) With an electric milk frother (see Note below), whisk the remaining ½ cup of hot chocolate directly in the measuring cup, to create a foamy froth.
c) Pour froth on top of the hot chocolate milk in the mug, using a spoon to scrape out all the foam from the measuring cup.
Note: The above link to the electric frother is an inexpensive tool that creates a small amount of foam. If you want real cappuccino-style foam, we recommend using the milk steamer function on an espresso maker. Or, if you don’t have an espresso maker, try a more economical option like this stainless steel electric milk warmer & frother for a bistro quality froth & foam.
SERVE
Garnish with a sprinkling of cinnamon (or a smidgen of cayenne pepper, if you dare!), and serve immediately.
Note: Garnish is optional, but is an extra special touch.
Notes:
Optional Ingredients & Measurements: A pinch is 1/16 of a teaspoon, and a smidgen is about 1/32 of a teaspoon (which is half of a pinch). Although the espresso powder and cayenne pepper are optional, we highly recommend using them in this recipe for a more authentic taste and depth of flavor. The cayenne pepper is used in such a small amount that it should not really be spicy, but it will add an extra mild spice to the chocolate.
Frothing the top layer of this hot chocolate drink, makes it extra luxurious. However, it’s not a make or break for this recipe. If you don’t have an electric frother, once you have whisked the chocolate and other ingredients into the hot milk, just pour the entire hot chocolate mixture directly into a mug, and serve immediately.
For details on how to make a non-Keto version, visit our Blog Comments & Tips at the bottom of our recipe page.
Blog Comments & Tips
This Mexican hot cocoa is frothy, a little spicy, and chocolatey!
Our Keto Mexican Hot Chocolate has so much depth of flavor for a sugar-free drink. It has just a light touch of heat from cayenne pepper, a nice spice level from the cinnamon, and a smidgen of espresso powder to intensify the chocolate flavor.
To be honest, this Keto Mexican Hot Chocolate was a bit difficult to develop, as traditional Mexican hot chocolate uses Ibarra Mexican Chocolate (or other brands), which has loads of sugar. We did our best to replicate the flavors and added a couple of other ingredients to amp up this cozy sugar-free drink. We attempted to make it with 100% cacao unsweetened chocolate (gluten-free), and it was delicious (see Pimp Our Recipe below). Although it turned out well, it didn’t really knock our socks off. So, we shifted to cocoa powder and settled on Dutch process cocoa, which gives it a much richer and smoother chocolate flavor. Out of all the sweeteners we had on hand, we felt Truvia sweetener offered the best flavor. The addition of cayenne, cinnamon, and espresso powder all intensified the chocolate experience. However, it wasn’t until we added the vanilla, which softened the flavors of all the ingredients; that we felt we had reached a very flavorful chocolate drink that closely resembled the flavors of real Mexican hot chocolate.
Growing up in a half French and half Latin household, our hot chocolates were not like our American neighbors’ version of hot cocoa. My family’s French Hot Chocolate (recipe coming soon) was like Parisian hot chocolate. Not too sweet, but super rich and so thick, you could almost chew it!
My Latin grandmother’s hot chocolate was very sweet and chocolatey, with more of a milky and foamy texture. I used to love watching my grandmother make Mexican Hot Chocolate. She would use large chunks of Ibarra chocolate, whole milk, and then heat it on the stove. Instead of using a whisk, she would bring out her Molinillo (traditional Mexican wooden whisk) and spin it between her hands to blend the chocolate and froth the milk. It was almost magical to watch! Then, she’d pour it into a huge, Café au lait-style cup, that at the time, was almost as large as my whole head (after all, I was a small child)! It tasted like cinnamon sugar and dark chocolate in liquid form. Delicioso! Enough nostalgia...onto our tips and various ways to Pimp Our Recipe!
Our 3 tips to making this Keto Mexican Hot Chocolate:
Use a good quality Dutch process cocoa.
Don’t overheat your milk.
Frothing makes a difference, but if you don’t have a frother, you can whisk the entire mixture really well to create some frothiness.
If you want to try using unsweetened chocolate, use the best quality chocolate bar you can find. Bars are better than chocolate chips, as some chocolate chips are made with stabilizers that prevent them from fully melting.
Have any dietary preferences that won’t quite work with our recipe? It’s time to customize and Pimp Our Recipe.
Pimp Our Recipe:
Make it Milder: Omit the cayenne pepper
Make it Spicier: Increase the amount of cayenne pepper, a little at a time.
Make it Traditional (non-Keto): Instead of using nut milk or other non-dairy milk, replace with whole milk (cow’s milk). Then add 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Use a smidgen of chili powder instead of cayenne pepper, for a milder and smokier flavor. And, don’t forget to use a Molinillo (traditional Mexican wooden whisk)! This version is not Keto friendly.
Make it Kid Friendly: Omit the cayenne pepper, and the espresso powder.
Make it Richer: Replace nut milk with half and half, and replace the cocoa with a chocolate bar (100% cacao). Chop ½ ounce 100% cacao unsweetened chocolate bar (not chocolate chips), into small pieces or shavings. Add in Step 2a, as soon as you remove the milk from the heat, and whisk to dissolve. This version would still be Keto, but will add at least 1-2 net carbs.
We truly hope you enjoy this recipe and would love to hear your feedback. Let us know what you think by leaving a comment and rating, and/or following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Santé!
Mich
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