If you ask me, I’d choose white hot chocolate over regular hot chocolate any day of the week.
Sure, it’s not technically chocolate, but the silky white chocolate flavor makes for the perfect beverage.
The problem with white hot chocolate is that it is generally packed with calories and sugar.
Until now.
Our version of white hot chocolate contains nearly half the calories of traditional white hot chocolate, is virtually sugar-free, and contains NO dairy (you can easily pick yourself up some non-dairy white chocolate, or if you stick with regular white chocolate, the dairy is actually pretty minimal).
Plus, you only need 5 minutes to throw it together!
If you need a sweet treat to warm you up during a snow day, this is it.
How to make healthy white hot chocolate
For this version of white hot chocolate, we only need 4 ingredients:
- Unsweetened Almond Milk
- White Chocolate Chips (a dairy-free version if you want this completely free from dairy)
- Powdered Sugar Substitute (or regular powdered sugar)
- Vanilla Extract
I forgot to include the vanilla extract in this photo, so please use your imagination and pretend it’s there.
Likewise, I made a version using this “Protein Silk” that you see pictured here. Protein Silk is almond & cashew milk with added protein, and I use it all the time. However, in testing this recipe, I realized that unsweetened almond milk works just as well AND saves calories, so that is what we’ll go with for this recipe!
One of the main ingredients you need for this white hot chocolate is obviously white chocolate. I chose these Lily’s White Chocolate Chips that are sugar-free, but any regular white chocolate will work just fine.
For the purposes of this recipe, I wanted to keep the sugar to a minimum, but taste-wise, regular white chocolate will yield the same exact result.
Technically speaking, the white chocolate I used does contain dairy, but the milk in white chocolate is actually very minimal since the main ingredients are sugar and cocoa butter. If you can’t handle any dairy, there are plenty of vegan options out there too!
To add a little bit of additional sweetness to this white hot chocolate without added calories, I also mix in a small amount of powdered sugar substitute. Regular powdered sugar will work just fine, too!
To make this white hot chocolate, all we need to do is melt down the white chocolate chips in a saucepan with the almond milk.
We start with a small amount of almond milk to make mixing easier, then once it has all melted together into a smooth liquid, add the rest of the almond milk.
At that point, we whisk in the powdered sugar substitute and the vanilla extract, then let that heat up for about 5 minutes.
As the mixture heats up, you’ll want to keep an eye on it and be sure to continuously mix it. If it begins to boil, lower the heat to avoid it spilling over the top.
Trust me, I ran into this issue in my initial test… and it makes a huge mess.
After 5 minutes of heating, it’s ready to serve! Pour the white hot chocolate into 2 mugs or glasses, top with whipped cream (optional, but highly recommended) and enjoy!
More recipes for vanilla lovers
White chocolate is a rather unique flavor in the sense that it isn’t really chocolate. Since it’s basically just sugar & vanilla, I figure it makes sense to point you in the direction of some more vanilla recipes of mine! Here are some great ones to check out…
- Healthy No-Churn Soft Serve Ice Cream
- The Perfect Low-Calorie Sugar Cookies
- Healthier Air Fryer Donut Holes (No Yeast Required)
- Protein Cookie Dough Parfait
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frozen Yogurt Popsicles
Lower Calorie White Hot Chocolate (Dairy-Free)
Starbucks White Hot Chocolate contains 28g of carbs (all sugar) for 8oz, but our version only has 5.5g net carbs with 2g sugar, and all the decadent flavor you'd hope for in white hot chocolate!
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 70g (1/2 Cup) Lily's Sugar-Free White Chocolate Chips (can use any white chocolate- vegan white chocolate works great here)
- 40g Powdered Sugar Substitute
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Add the white chocolate chips to a small saucepan and heat over low-medium heat. Stir frequently until the chips are melted down into a paste.
- Add a small amount of the almond milk and mix together until the white chocolate chips melt into the liquid. I prefer to only do this with a small amount of milk because it makes mixing easier.
- Add the rest of the almond milk, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar, then whisk together.
- Let the white hot chocolate heat for about 5 minutes. A small boil is okay, but if your mixture starts boiling a lot, remove it from the heat- you do not want it to spill over!
- Pour into 2 glasses or mugs, top with whipped cream, and enjoy.
Notes
- For a thicker result, any milk with added fat will give you a thicker beverage. I used "Silk Protein" with great success!
- You can add more white chocolate chips to this recipe if you want a sweeter beverage, but note that it will come with added calories.
- The unsweetened almond milk I used was original and not vanilla, but I'd imagine that vanilla flavor would work great too.
- White chocolate does not contain a lot of dairy, which many people are surprised to hear. If you want to make this 100% dairy-free, check your local grocery store (or Amazon) for completely vegan white chocolate.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information
Yield 2 Serving Size 1 CupAmount Per Serving Calories 170Total Fat 12.5gCarbohydrates 44gNet Carbohydrates 5.5gFiber 8.5gSugar 2.5gSugar Alcohols 30gProtein 3.5g
Caz
Sunday 28th of May 2023
Almod milk is so bad for the bees and the environment and it is full of oxalate :(
Matt
Monday 29th of May 2023
Thanks Caz. You can use a different milk if that is your preference.