Cozy Up with Spiced Hot Chocolate + Whipped Cream Hearts

Turn up the heat this Valentine's Day with Spiced Hot Chocolate! This super easy (vegan) recipe from Juli Novotny is free of dairy and gluten, but full of flavor. The addition of frozen whipped cream hearts makes this treat even sweeter. 

I love Valentine’s Day. The logical side of me is always thinking this is such a silly holiday and an expensive one that is really unnecessary. But ever since I had kids I fell in love (pun not intended) with Valentine’s Day all over again. It doesn’t have to be a hyper consumer holiday. The best gift you can give somebody you love is your time, a healthy meal, a drawing, a note, or even a kiss. Each year I like creating really fun cards and gifts for our best friends and loved ones. We decorate the house with hearts and color with pink and glitter. It’s just so fun.

This year we plan to cuddle up and watch a family movie and drink hot chocolate with cute whipped coconut cream hearts. And I’m here to share this creative recipe with all of you! These little hearts are like pillows of cold fluffy cream. And the hot chocolate is full of unique spices. Trust me and just go for it. You’ll be glad you did.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave comments below! Variations include using coconut milk or regular milk instead of the almond milk. You can also use real cream in place of the coconut cream. This recipe was made to be vegan and dairy-free.

SPICED HOT CHOCOLATE

Yields 2 medium sized mugs

Ingredients

2 ⅓ cups almond milk (homemade or store bought)

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 ½ Tbsp turbinado sugar (raw cane sugar)

½ tsp cardamom

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ chili powder

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan or pot, add all of the ingredients.
2. Over medium heat, use a whisk to mix everything together. Keep whisking until the liquid is really warm and starts to bubble/boil.
3. Remove from heat and pour into mugs.
4. Top with whipped cream hearts.

*Note: The spices listed above are optional. You can make the hot chocolate successfully without them. It’s still really good.

WHIPPED CREAM HEARTS

Ingredients

1 can coconut milk, chilled overnight in fridge

2 Tbsp brown rice syrup

1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Instructions

1. Open the can of coconut milk and pour out the contents into a bowl. Separate the thick white cream from the water. Use only the thick white cream for this recipe. (Honest Tip: Save the water for a smoothie!)
2. Using a hand mixer, whip the rice syrup, the coconut milk and the vanilla until everything is well blended and the chunks are gone.
3. When it’s nice and whipped and thick and creamy, you’ll want to transfer this to a small baking dish - I used a bread pan.
4. Flatten mixture and smooth it out nicely with a spatula.
5. Freeze for at least 4 hours then use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Enjoy immediately.

Good luck and I hope you have a fun Valentine’s Day. Get creative and fill your house with hearts and pink and cupcakes! Why not!?

~Juli Novotny, PURE MAMAS

PURE MAMAS is a plant-based food + healthy lifestyle blog for families. You can also find her superfood recipes at BasilHealth, an entirely new way of taking care of your health.