Vegan Hot Chocolate / Magic Milkshake

Maybe its a spin off of the whole introvert thing.

Perhaps a craving for relief from the usually scorching Australian sun.

Maybe I just enjoy a good knitted snood. 

Whatever the reason, I am without a doubt one of those 'winter people'. I enjoy comfy boots, scarves and beanies. I like curling up on the lounge in my trackies with a hot drink and a good book (or TV marathon if we're being honest, it just doesn't sound as Pintresty...). I even prefer battling the rain and wind-inverted umbrellas over the uncomfortable sweating and sunburn I get just from thinking about stepping into the actual sunlight.


 

And what goes hand in hand with winter and cold nights? Why the classic hot chocolate of course! Rich, warm and comforting to fight of the chill, yet typically full of fat, sugar and a gluttony of dairy. Not so much my style. So, like many vegans and health bloggers before me, I decided to have a go at whipping up my own version!  Preferably one which wouldn't leave me feeling bloated, sluggish and just generally 'blah' (how I missed my calling as a wordsmith and/or poet I'll never know). 


Mission accomplished folks! 

Admittedly I was kind of lazy and really just thinned out a chocolate shake recipe and heated it up to see what would happen... and it was glorious! I may or may not have drunk half the mix before I got around to heating it up (hence why I added the 'magic milkshake' into the post title!) but I choose to see this as a testament to its chocolate deliciousness rather than my personal glutton issues.

The nuts and dates can be omitted if you want to keep the calories a little lower but they really do add a richness and added flavour so just keep that in mind, personally I think its worth the extra few km's on the treadmill! Other than that it is really just your favourite non-dairy milk, a little cacao and your preferred sweetener to tie it all together.

Grab your cup.

Grab a book/remote.

Grab a snuggle buddy/unwilling pet to small to escape your desperate clutches.

Enjoy the bliss! 
 

    

Vegan Hot Chocolate

 

1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight if possible

7 pitted dates, soaked overnight if possible

2 tbsp cacao

2 tbsp maple syrup (or preferred sweetener)

2 cups nut milk (macadamia hey-oh!)

Blend it all together in a high powered blender and (if you can resist drinking it down cold!) heat over a low heat until warm and generally froth-inducing.

Serve as is, topped with an extra sprinkle of cacao or even dunk in some vegan marshmallows!