Spiked Vegan Hot Chocolate

Curl up with mug of this delicious spiked vegan hot chocolate made with melted chocolate, sweetened with maple syrup, and spiked with a bit of bourbon. A yummy, dairy-free treat!

There’s nothing better on a cold winter night than huddling up on the couch with a cup of this yummy spiked vegan hot chocolate or this hot spiced wine and one of these almond butter chocolate chip cookies. All you need are a few simple ingredients to whip up a mug of this hot chocolate. It is so much better than a store-bought hot cocoa mix!

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

A delicious vegan and dairy-free option for the holidays!
Just 6 simple ingredients like soy milk, chocolate chips, and maple syrup.
Rich and creamy and so much tastier than store-bought hot chocolate mix.

Ingredients You’ll Need

spiked hot chocolate ingredients in small bowls with labels.

Soy milk: I like to use soy milk because I think it makes for a richer hot chocolate than other plant-based milks. However, you can use any non-dairy milk like almond, oat, or rice.
Chocolate Chips & Cocoa powder: The combination of both melted chocolate and cocoa powder adds a ton of rich chocolate flavor to this dairy-free hot chocolate. You can use 1 ounce of chopped dark chocolate instead of chocolate chips for a less sweet hot chocolate.
Maple Syrup: Adds some natural sweetness to the hot chocolate and pairs really well with the bourbon.
Bourbon: I love the combo of bourbon and chocolate but feel free to sub with some other liquor if you prefer.
Sea Salt: Add a pinch of salt to your hot chocolate to balance out the sweetness and highlight the chocolate flavor.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

What Spirits are Good in Hot Chocolate?

Not a big fan of bourbon? No worries! There are lots of other liquor options that still taste great on hot chocolate.

Vegan Almond Milk Baileys: Adds a delicious creamy and nutty note.
Spiced Rum: Serve with a cinnamon stick to lean into the delicious spice vibes from the rum.
Coffee Liqueur: Who doesn’t love a hot mocha on a cold day. Coffee and chocolate are a classic combo.
Peppermint Schnapps: Peppermint and chocolate are such a great pair. Garnish with a candy can for extra festive flair. Also, skip the maple syrup as schnapps is sweet.
Peanut Butter Whiskey: I never knew that peanut butter liquor was a thing until I had peanut butter whiskey in a coffee cocktail during brunch a few months ago and now I’m obsessed. It would be the perfect thing to add to a spiked hot chocolate!
Cointreau/Triple Sec: Adds a yummy orange flavor – kind of reminds me of a holiday chocolate orange.
Flavored Vodka: A great way to add more flavor – try vanilla vodka, raspberry, orange vodka, or whipped cream vodka.

Step by Step

add hot chocolate ingredients except liquor to small saucepan.

Step One: Add all of your hot chocolate ingredients except the liquor to a small saucepan.

warm hot chocolate in saucepan with a whisk.

Step Two: Warm hot chocolate on the stovetop over low-medium heat until hot. Use a whisk to stir while cooking. Remove from heat and stir in liquor then pour into serving mugs.

Expert tips

Add your booze after cooking. If you add your alcohol during cooking some of the alcohol will cook off so you have a less strong drink.
Sweeten to taste. Adjust the sugar in this recipe to your liking. If you are using a sweetened milk, you may want to skip the sugar.
Make it frothy. Add your warm hot chocolate to a blender and puree for 30 seconds to a minute on high to make extra frothy hot chocolate. Then, add your booze.
Don’t skip the salt! The salt helps balance out the sweetness of the hot chocolate and enhances the chocolate flavor.

spiked vegan hot chocolate in glass mug with whipped cream.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this sugar free?

Yes! Use sugar free chocolate and replace the sugar with alternative sweetener of choice like stevia. (You’ll just need to adjust the amount of any sweeteners added as you will need much less.)

How do I make spiked hot chocolate for a crowd?

Simply double/triple the recipe below and add to a crockpot instead of a saucepan. Turn on low until chocolate has melted and the hot chocolate is hot then switch to the “warm” setting.

How much alcohol do you add to spiked hot chocolate?

We usually add 2 oz of alcohol for every 6-8 ounce cup of hot chocolate. For sweeter liquors like peppermint schnapps, you may want to use 1 1/2 ounces.

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