I called this the "World's Best Cup of Hot Chocolate" because of that coffee shop scene in the Christmas movie ELF—where Will Ferrel runs in and congratulates a small diner on their "worlds best cup of coffee" sign. The mental congratulatory phrase I gave myself after I made this elaborate looking image (above) was totally in his voice saying "You did it! Worlds best cup of coffee hot chocolate. Congratulations!" You probably have had to of seen the movie in order to get the reference. But seriously, if you celebrate Christmas, what the F*** have you been doing with your life if you haven't seen Elf yet?

Whereas the coffee from the movie was probably not super great, I think that this hot chocolate lives up to the hype. It's refined sugar and dairy-free, but alllll delicious goodness. This is another one of my healthier (yet indulgent) recipes that I really think people won't even know the difference. I hope you enjoy it this weekend over a Christmas movie (maybe Elf?), cozy up, and get into the festive spirit.

This recipe usually serves about four people. (Or, two people if using large mugs like in the image above). If you want to make a different amount, just divide down or multiply up the recipe to your desired serving portions.

I have listed the recipe in both American and Swedish measurements below. Enjoy!

Worlds best Cup of Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate Ingredients:

4 US cups (1 liter) non-dairy milk—I have used almond, coconut, and oat milk successfully. Just use whatever kind you like the best.

1/4 cup (0,6 dl eller 4 msk) raw cacao

3 tbsp (3 msk) organic honey

3 tbsp (3 msk) maple syrup

1/4 tsp (2 krm) vanilla extract

A tiny pinch of salt

And, whatever optional toppings of your choice: non-dairy whipped cream, chocolate sauce, chocolate shavings, sprinkles, marshmallows, caramel sauce, chopped nuts, cookie crumbles, etc.

Optional Chocolate Sauce Ingredients:

100g of milk-free or dark chocolate—I used a Reneé Voltaire coconut milk/sugar chocolate bar

18g coconut oil

Clear glass serving glasses (so you can see the drip effect inside the cups)

Hot Chocolate Instructions:

1. Put all hot chocolate ingredients in a blender, blend until mixed. Sometimes I like to keep running the blender until the mixture develops a tiny bit of a froth on top (like you would get when you froth milk for coffee)—But, that is totally optional. It only works in some blenders and if your non-dairy milk is really cold. You can also use a handheld coffee frother to add a layer of froth on top of the mixture if that works better for you, or just skip the frothing entirely.
   
   
2. Transfer the blended mixture to a large enough saucepan and warm on medium-high heat until slightly simmering. Once the mixture is warm enough to drink you can pour the mixture into glasses for serving. ....BUT, If you are going to make my optional chocolate sauce, I would just keep the mixture on low (to keep it warm) on the stove until you have completed the next steps for the chocolate sauce.

Optional Chocolate Sauce Instructions:

1. Use a double boiler or make a makeshift one and fill the bottom layer with a bit of water and bring it to a boil.
   
   
2. Break the non-dairy chocolate bar into a bunch of smaller pieces and place them in the top layer of the double boiler with the coconut oil.
   
   
3. Heat and stir until melted and well mixed
   
   
4. Coat the inside of your serving glasses with a few large drips in a pattern of your choice, reserving a little bit of the sauce for on top if you are going to have non-dairy whipped topping or marshmallows.
   
   
5. Pour your hot chocolate in the glasses
   
   
6. If topping with non-dairy whipped topping and/or marshmallows. Use some of the remaining chocolate sauce to lightly drizzle on top for a nice looking effect and serve.