Ultimate Vegan Hot Chocolate

5 from 6 votes

The most creamy, rich, bittersweet ultimate vegan hot chocolate. Served with toasted marshmallow fluff and a crisp, cocoa shortbread cookie.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert, Drinks

Cuisine: English

Keyword: ultimate vegan hot chocolate

Servings:

Calories: 492kcal

Author: Richard Makin

100 g plain white flour
30 g cocoa powder
3 tablespoon light brown sugar
60 g coconut oil (deoderised or "refined" works best - make sure it's at room temperature in a solid state)
3-6 tablespoon ice cold water

60 ml aquafaba (from a tin of chickpeas - chilled in the fridge for at least an hour)
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
100 g caster sugar
60 ml water

Place the flour, cocoa powder and light brown sugar in a food processor. Blend briefly to combine.
Add the coconut oil to the food processor and blend until the mixture looks even and sandy.
With the mixer running on low, add the water one tablespoon at a time until a ball of dough forms (you may not need to add all the water, mine took 4 tbsp).
Remove the dough from the food processor and pat into a rough rectangle. Wrap in reusable wrap and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Once chilled, remove the dough from the fridge and lightly flour a clean surface. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a large flat circle, around ½cm thick.
Use a 7-9cm circular cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as you can. Cut a 3cm notch out of the cookie to make sure it can slide onto the rim of your hot chocolate cup.
Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper and place them back in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 170c.
Once chilled, bake the cookies at 170c for 15 mins. If the cookies lose their notch while baking, cut it out again while the cookies are still warm from the oven.
Allow to cool fully on a wire cooling rack.

Place 175 ml water in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Whisk in the cocoa powder well until smooth.
Immediately add the plant milk and bring the temperature back to a simmer (do not let it boil).
Once simmering, add the chocolate, and sugar. Whisking constantly, allow to simmer until completely smooth and the chocolate is completely melted.
Remove from the heat and cover with a lid while you make the marshmallow rim.

Thoroughly clean the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment.
Place the aquafaba into the bowl and whip on medium speed until light and frothy. Stop the whisk, add the cream of tartar and continue whipping for around 10 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Stop the mixer.
Place the caster sugar and water in a saucepan and mix well until the sugar begins to dissolve and forms a paste.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Do not sit the mixture.
Use a candy thermometer to bring the temperature of the sugar syrup to 115c.
Remove the syrup from the heat. Turn the stand mixer to a low speed and very carefully drizzle the sugar syrup into the whipped aquafaba, while the mixer runs.
Once fully incorporated, stop the mixer. If the marshmallow fluff appears too runny, place the mixing bowl in the fridge for 10-20 minutes to chill then whip again until more stiff. Transfer the marshmallow fluff to a piping bag fitted with the widest nozzle you have access to.

Divide the hot chocolate into mugs. Carefully pipe the marshmallow fluff around the rim of the mug or directly onto the top of the hot chocolate. (Optional) Use a chef's blowtorch to scorch the marshmallow topping lightly. Slot a shortbread cookie onto the side of the mug and serve.