Healthier Hot Chocolate Recipes to Enjoy All Winter Long

Nothing says cozy winter like a steaming mug of hot chocolate—and no one does it better than the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten. While her peppermint hot chocolate recipe is deliciously decadent, it packs a decent amount of fat, sugar, and calories. Sure, a one-off won’t necessarily wreck your diet, but we do have a long winter ahead. With that in mind, we figured we’d ask HUM RD Gaby Vaca-Flores for her take on Garten’s recipe that skews healthier without skimping on flavor or wintry spirit.

Ahead, Vaca-Flores shares her modified hot chocolate recipes—the first with dairy, and the second plant-based—that you’ll want to keep hot and healthy all season long.

Healthier Hot Chocolate Recipe (Dairy)

In this recipe, Vaca-Flores makes a few substitutions so it’s less heavy on your system (and on your diet).

For starters, it calls for using low-fat or 2 percent milk instead of whole and half-and-half. “This significantly reduces saturated fat and overall calories while still delivering calcium, protein, and a creamy base,” she shares.

Next up, we’re encouraged to grab dark chocolate with a high cacao content, which Vaca-Flores says will pack more antioxidants and less sugar than Garten’s choice of semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate blends. (She also sticks to unsweetened cacao powder, which offers a deeper chocolate flavor sans extra sugar.)

Instead of tossing in handfuls of candy canes, Vaca-Flores suggests using a more modest—and optional—helping of a single crushed candy cane or a half-teaspoon of peppermint extract if you prefer to preserve the minty flavor.

Lastly, she recommends dialing back the sweetener from one tablespoon of sugar to one teaspoon (or less) of brown sugar or maple syrup. “If you want to keep sugar low, you can also use a monkfruit/erythritol blend,” she adds.

Ingredients (yields 2 servings)

• 1 cup low-fat or 2 percent milk
• 2 oz dark chocolate (70 percent cacao or higher), chopped
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract or 1 small crushed candy cane (optional)
• Sweetener to taste: 1 tsp maple syrup or 1 teaspoon brown sugar (or less) instead of full tablespoon (alternative: monkfruit/erythritol blend)
• A pinch of salt (optional to help deepen chocolate flavor)
• Water (as needed, if too thick)

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, heat the low-fat milk over medium-low heat until warm. (Do not boil.)
2. Whisk in the chopped dark chocolate and cocoa powder until fully melted and smooth.
3. Stir in vanilla extract, peppermint or candy cane, sweetener, and salt (if using). Adjust sweetness as needed.
4. Pour into mugs and top with a “light whipped cream” option (see below).

Light Whipped Cream / Toppings

• Use a small dollop of lightly whipped 2 percent milk and a tiny splash of cold heavy cream (or half-and-half) whipped until soft. “Because you’re using mostly low-fat milk, the dollop will impart the ‘luxury’ feel with far less saturated fat and calories than full heavy-cream whipped topping,” says Vaca-Flores.
• Healthier alternative: Skip the whipped cream and top with a dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder and a sprinkle of crushed peppermint for flavor and visual flair.

Healthier Hot Chocolate Recipe (Non-Dairy)

This plant-based hot chocolate recipe doesn’t stray too far from the first.

When choosing a plant milk, Vaca-Flores advises seeking out unsweetened, creamier varieties—think oat, cashew, or barista-style almond milk—for a richer texture. “Plant-based milks also avoid lactose, generally have lower saturated fat (or different fat profile), and can be kinder to digestion if someone has a dairy sensitivity,” she adds.

On the chocolate front, you’ll still want to use dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cacao content; just make sure it’s labeled as vegan. “Using dark vegan chocolate and reducing added sugar still keeps the drink rich and satisfying but cuts down on simple sugar load,” says Vaca-Flores.

Ingredients (yields 2 servings)

• 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
• 2 oz vegan dark chocolate (70 percent cacao or higher), chopped
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract or 1 small crushed candy cane (optional)
• Sweetener to taste: maple syrup, a monkfruit/erythritol blend, or minimal cane sugar
• Pinch of sea salt (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the plant milk gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat. (Do not boil.)
2. Whisk in the chopped dairy-free chocolate and cocoa powder until smooth.
3. Stir in vanilla, peppermint (or crushed candy cane), sweetener, and salt. Adjust sweetness to taste.
4. Pour into mugs. Top with a lighter, non-dairy whip or other garnish (see below).

Non-Dairy “Whipped Cream” / Toppings

• Use a small dollop of coconut whipped cream (store-bought or homemade using chilled full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream).
• Healthier alternative: Skip the cream completely and top with a dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder, a sprinkle of crushed peppermint, or even a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg. “All are seasonally festive but low in fat and sugar,” says Vaca-Flores.

“Both of these non-dairy whipped or lighter toppings reduce saturated fat and calories while preserving some of the indulgence [of Garten’s original recipe],” Vaca-Flores concludes.