Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate (Creamy & Vegan)

This Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate aka Hot Cocoa is so creamy and decadent with only 10 minutes of prep! It will make your entire house smell so incredible. It’s so chocolate-y, tastes incredible and is perfect for large amounts of hot cocoa!

Thanks to Crockpot™ for sponsoring this blog post!  Thanks so much to you my readers for supporting the brands who support Jessica in the Kitchen! All texts and opinions are my own.

My usual go-to drink for the holidays is my vegan eggnog. But now it’s sharing the spotlight with this vegan hot chocolate, or as I’ve always called it, vegan hot cocoa. The idea to make this any holiday drink in the slow cooker first came after I made my slow cooker apple cider years ago. The aromatic smell that filled our then apartment was beautifully warming and intoxicating. It’s like the world’s most natural fall candle! 

What could my winter/Christmas/holiday version be of this? Why – hot cocoa! Not only is this recipe unbelievably easy with only 6 ingredients, it lasts for days, is great for sharing and tastes so delicious. This will for sure be at the centre of your holiday dessert or drink table and since it stays warm, you or your family members could easily serve themselves!

Notes on the Ingredients

Every ingredient here has a purpose, although you can swap the vanilla for another flavouring or leave it out. 

brown sugar or white sugar – either one works, but I prefer brown sugar or cane sugar for that warm it adds. You can easily up the sugar if you want more. I like my hot cocoa more dark chocolate-y so if you want yours sweeter, add more a tablespoon at a time.

unsweetened cocoa powder – use the best kind that you can get or your favourite since this makes the entire recipe!

Sea salt – don’t leave this out! It balances out the cocoa perfectly! Remember I use sea salt, so if you’re using table salt, use less

Vegan milk – I prefer soy milk here for its high protein content (helps to make this thick and smooth and creamy) but you can also use cashew milk or another semi-thick vegan milk.

Coconut milk – you can also use a separate very thick vegan milk here, but you need something to help with the thickness. You don’t taste any coconut flavour after it’s been cooked out.

vanilla extract or paste – this is optional, but recommended! You could even add more here, or another extract such as peppermint!

Equipment needed:

A slow cooker! This has been such an incredible year being a Crockpot Ambassador as it’s helped me to use one of my favourite kitchen tools even more on the blog and to see you all using yours too!! I can’t wait to bring you even more cozy and easy recipes next year. I used my Crockpot™ MyTime Programmable Slow Cooker for this because I love the manual function that it has amongst all of the other incredible functions that it has! I’ve used both throughout the last few months and it’s been such a time saver. 

I also love that you can automatically adjusts the cooking cycle too so that the dish you’re preparing is ready when you’re ready to eat!

My favourite feature for this recipe is the warm mode. It turns your Crockpot off while keeping it warm in time cycles which was so helpful as I was doing other tasks while this beautiful cocoa brewed in the background. I realised the time an hour later one of the occasions I tested this and worried I had burnt it – but warm mode kept it at the optimal temperature! I was seriously impressed, then immediately intoxicated by the incredible scent. Perfect for all of our busy households this holiday season! 

How to Make Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate/Hot Cocoa 

In your Crockpot™ MyTime Programmable Slow Cooker, add in your sugar, sifted cocoa powder and salt. 

Add in your soy or other vegan milk and your coconut milk. Add your vanilla extract.

Stir vigorously to combine with a whisk for at least 3 minutes until fully incorporated and the cocoa is no longer floating on top but is fully mixed in. 

Add your lid and cook on low for 2 hours, optionally stirring halfway through!  

Enjoy! It’s okay if some chocolate is at the edges when you open it, just stir it all back in for another minute or so!

Expert Tips & FAQ

Start with room temperature ingredients, especially for your milks. This helps to ensure that the cocoa doesn’t get clumps. PLEASE use a scale for your cocoa if you can. Cocoa can be very densely packed and you don’t want to end up overdoing it. If you don’t have a scale, ensure you thoroughly fluff the cocoa first with a fork. This will break it up. Then scoop it in until it reaches one cup. Don’t pack it down. 

Sift your cocoa for your slow cooker hot chocolate. You can sift it first or directly into it, either one works. This will prevent any clumps of cocoa (bleh!) and gives you the smoothest possible product. 

When stirring your mix, stir, like properly stir. Put on a song stir! You want to ensure your mix goes from cocoa floating on top to thoroughly incorporated. I stir for at least 3 minutes but visual cues are best if you might need more time.

Don’t leave out the salt! After over half a decade of camping, this was a classic touch that truly brought up the cocoa flavour. It does not taste salty. 

You can add any of your favourite touches to this. Peppermint, cinnamon, even turmeric!

Enjoy friends! If you make this Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate/Hot Cocoa, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!

Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate/Cocoa (Creamy & Vegan)

Servings: 10 servings

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 2 hrs

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins

This Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate aka Hot Cocoa is so creamy and decadent! It will make your entire house smell so incredible. It’s so chocolate-y, tastes incredible and is perfect for large amounts of hot cocoa and is vegan!

5 (from 11 ratings)

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Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups brown sugar, or white sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (80g)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt, do not leave out!
• 6 cups soy milk, or almond or cashew or other vegan milk
• 2 cups coconut milk from the can, carton or homemade creamy coconut milk, your choice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste, or vanilla extract
• Top with coconut cream and cinnamon

Instructions 

• In your Crockpot™ MyTime Programmable Slow Cooker, add in your sugar, sifted cocoa powder and salt.
• Add in your soy or other vegan milk and your coconut milk. Add over your vanilla extract.
• Stir vigorously to combine with a whisk for at least 3 minutes until fully incorporated and the cocoa is no longer floating on top but is fully mixed in.
• Add your lid and cook on low for 2 hours, optionally stirring halfway through! You can easily up the sugar if you want more, a tablespoon at a time. Then allow a few minutes for it to melt out and sweeten to your preferred sweetness.
• When finished, stir completely. It’s okay if some of the cocoa has darkened at the edges, just stir it all in. Enjoy! Serve with vegan marshmallows, coconut cream and cinnamon on top!

Calories: 279kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Sodium: 202mg, Potassium: 486mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 27g, Vitamin A: 556IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 235mg, Iron: 3mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Cuisine: American, Universal

Course: Dessert, Drinks, Drinks & Beverages

Author: Jessica Hylton