Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate Recipes for Rich, Creamy Cocoa

Today is Pickle’s daytime nativity performance and he’s one of the narrators. The house is buzzing with excitement — except for one problem: he’s unwell. I’ve been up several times during the night, so I’m feeling pretty rough too.

We’ve put on Ice Age 3 and I’m balancing working from the sofa while keeping one eye on the movie. There are plenty of sly adult jokes in Ice Age 3 — if your kids are poorly and you need something to occupy them, it’s worth a watch.

Just now the cheeky line “it’s a boy” / “no that’s her tail!” came up and I had to stifle a laugh while Pickle looked completely oblivious. I’ve promised his teacher he’ll still come in this afternoon to deliver his lines, so fingers crossed he’ll be well enough by then. For now, paracetamol is at the ready.

To help speed recovery and keep morale up (and maybe quiet the coughs for a bit), we’re indulging in a truly decadent dairy-free hot chocolate and Nutella on toast. Forget the usual hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows — this is thick, intense chocolate heaven. To me, this is the definition of real hot chocolate.

Before the recipe, a quick note about my Zero Gluten Baker bread machine. Some of you may have seen on Twitter or Facebook that I’m working with Zero Gluten Baker as an ambassador, giving feedback and suggestions for future development. They sent me a machine to try and, after a couple of experiments, I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

The machine makes standard loaves but also fits different tins so you can bake ciabatta-sized breads and rolls. I even made a Nutella twist loaf split into two smaller loaves with ease. I’ll keep sharing updates and hope to post a vlog before Christmas to show more.

Now back to the dairy-free hot chocolate. You only need a small serving of this — it’s luxurious and rich. An espresso cup’s worth gives a satisfying boost, and it’s full of antioxidants to make you feel a little better. Enjoy!

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