Orange Hot Chocolate (2024)

By Erin · December 20, 2020 · Updated September 26, 2021 · 26 Comments

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Cozy up with a glass of this delicious Orange Hot Chocolate. It's made with simple ingredients in under 5 minutes, and the orange adds even more flavor to this classic recipe.

Hot chocolate is a wintertime essentially around here. I mean, is there anything cozier?

This orange hot chocolate is a fun spin on traditional hot chocolate. Plus, in my opinion, the chocolate-orange combination isn't utilized enough.

If you're in need of other wintertime essential beverages, be sure to check out my cinnamon sesame milk, boozy hot chocolate and of course my favorite cinnamon tequila sour.

Recipe features

A delicious hot chocolate recipe that just so happens to be dairy-free (as long as you use dairy-free chocolate and milk :))
The orange adds even more flavor to this recipe
The whole thing comes together in about 5 minutes!

Ingredient notes:

Dark chocolate - I used 70% dark chocolate; feel free to use whatever chocolate you want depending on the kind you like.

Milk - Any kind! I almost always use almond milk or oat milk for all of my recipes, but any milk will do.

Cocoa powder - No substitution; make sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder works too.

Sugar - Optional. I think hot chocolate should be on the sweet side, and the entire recipe only calls for two tablespoons, but you can definitely omit it if you want.

Orange juice - Preferably freshly squeezed; The recipe calls for two tablespoons, but you can adjust it based on your personal preference.

Method

First: Melt the chocolate. Begin by adding the chopped dark chocolate and the milk to a saucepan, whisking frequently over medium heat until the chocolate has melted, being careful that it doesn't burn.

Second: Make the hot chocolate. Once the chocolate has melted, add the remaining ingredients (cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, and orange juice), and stir everything together. Heat over low for 3-5 minutes, or until it's warmed to your liking.

Third: Add toppings. Toppings are a must! I like adding whipped cream and extra chopped chocolate on top, but a little orange zest would be good too.

Tips and tricks

I know you can buy orange extract, but I haven't tried it in this recipe. If you've used it and love it, feel free to use it in place of the vanilla extract. But, start small -- no more than ½ teaspoon -- and go from there.

Can I use chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate?

Yep! Again, I'd opt for dark chocolate or at least semi sweet over milk chocolate.

Can this be prepped in advance?

Yes; however, this is a single-serve hot chocolate recipe. If you want to double, triple or even quadruple the recipe, you can adjust the serving size in the recipe card where it says "serving size".

To make ahead, prep the exact same way, wait for it to cool a bit then pour it into a sealed container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, pour back into a saucepan and stir until it's warmed to your liking.

More chocolate recipes

Chocolate Peppermint Truffles
Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
The BEST Paleo Brownies

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

Orange Hot Chocolate

Cozy up with a glass of this delicious Orange Hot Chocolate. It's made with simple ingredients in under 5 minutes, and the orange adds even more flavor to this classic recipe.

5 from 10 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1

Author: Erin

Ingredients

¼ cup dark chocolate approx. 2 oz., chopped
1 cup almond milk or milk of choice
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cane sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
2-3 orange peel rinds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Melt dark chocolate and almond milk together in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning it.
Once melted, reduce to low heat and add remaining ingredients.
Simmer ingredients on low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's warmed to your liking.
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Remove from heat and add toppings (whipped cream, chopped chocolate, etc.). Enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per serving and are an estimation

*Feel free to use more/less orange juice based on your personal preference

*Want to keep this dairy-free? Simply use dairy-free chocolate and dairy-free milk.

Nutrition

Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!

UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in February 2017. It was updated with new text and photos in December 2020.

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Winter Kale Salad »

About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Diane says
February 08, 2024 at 7:53 pm
This was a delicious version of hot chocolate. I added a bit of almond extract as well as vanilla. Otherwise followed the recipe. Yumm!
Reply
- Erin says
  February 09, 2024 at 10:09 am
  Thanks Diane! Glad you enjoyed it!
  Reply
Sherrie Petersen says
January 14, 2024 at 1:58 pm
This is a great recipe. Loved the orange chocolate.
Reply
- Erin says
  January 15, 2024 at 10:26 am
  Thanks Sherrie! Glad you enjoyed it!
  Reply
Brenda Austin-Martinez says
December 14, 2023 at 2:28 pm
What about using orange blossom extract?
Reply
- Erin says
  December 15, 2023 at 8:21 am
  That could work! I haven't tried it myself, so let me know if you do.
  Reply
Phathi says
August 14, 2023 at 12:42 pm
I came across this recipe by chance. Before I make it please explain why is it one serving if it’s two cups of milk?
Reply
See Also
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- Erin says
  August 15, 2023 at 8:24 am
  Great question! This is an older recipe that probably needs updated.. so yes, it's probably more like 2 servings instead of 1.
  Reply
Daniel says
February 14, 2017 at 7:30 am

How good do this look! Sometimes you just can't beat a comforting hot chocolate 🙂 I love that this one is pretty healthy too!
Reply
thalia says
February 07, 2017 at 4:56 pm

omg!! blood orange hot chocolate is such a good idea! i have to make this - perfect for Valentine's day! Xx
Reply
- Erin says
  February 09, 2017 at 8:50 am
  I agree--thanks Thalia!!
  Reply
Vida says
February 05, 2017 at 10:42 am
Just to let you know, the pin for the honey garlic chicken brings me to this hot chocolate recipe.
Reply
- Erin says
  February 05, 2017 at 12:01 pm
  Ahhh ok thanks for letting me know!
  Reply
Kevin | economicalchef.com says
February 04, 2017 at 9:48 pm
Wow, really unique take on hot chocolate! Thanks for the recipe.
Reply
Marcy says
February 04, 2017 at 9:50 am
Looks delicious and I love your gorgeous photos!
Reply
- Erin says
  February 09, 2017 at 8:50 am
  Thank you Marcy!
  Reply
Carlos At Spoonabilities says
February 03, 2017 at 4:46 pm

I never try blood orange and I been looking everywhere here in Miami but not luck:(. Your Hot Chocolate with blood orange is unique. I'm very intrigued to know the flavor profile.
How you describe the taste?
I love your pictures!!!
Reply
- Erin says
  February 09, 2017 at 8:50 am
  I hope you can find blood oranges soon! I think they go out of season come March. This tastes just like regular hot chocolate with a hint of citrus.
  Reply
annie says
February 03, 2017 at 12:45 pm
I'm allergic to wheat, so I bake with gluten free flour quite often. My favorite is bob's GF cup to cup (the one in the blue bag, not the red bag). Even when using the cup to cup, my cakes would always come out too dense and heavy. My solution (this works every time) is to 1) measure by spooning the flour, not scooping it and 2) sift *while* you measure. I like to sift the flour three times. It only takes a few extra minutes and yields fluffier results.
Also, use a little more baking powder than you normally would, but don't change the amount of baking soda.
Oh! and let the batter sit for about five minutes after you add the leveners. Is that a word? Leveners?
Love this hot chocolate! Gorgeous photos as always.
Reply
- Erin says
  February 09, 2017 at 8:49 am
  I agree--Bobs 1 to 1 baking flour is my favorite, but I still want to learn how to bake with almond and/or coconut for people who can't find Bob's. If that makes sense. But! I did buy the Bob's flour to lift my spirits, so I'm going to try baking with that this weekend. Thank you for the tips!
  Reply
Allyson (Considering The Radish) says
February 03, 2017 at 10:36 am
Geez louise this looks fantastic. Oranges and chocolate are such a great combination, but I've never thought to make hot chocolate with oranges. Hot chocolate FTW!
Reply
- Erin says
  February 09, 2017 at 8:47 am
  It's SO good (if I do say so myself) 😉
  Reply
Julia Mueller says
February 03, 2017 at 8:11 am
Oh yes, the ol' gluten-free cake debacle...it can be a challenge at first, but once you get the formula, BAM, it's the most magical thing 😉
THIS HOT CHOCOLATE?! I love the orange-chocolate combo, and I'd 200% add whisky to this beauty to make an adult boozy co*cktail. Definitely should whip this up over the weekend for an apres-ski belly warmer!
Reply
- Erin says
  February 09, 2017 at 8:47 am
  SUCH a challenge. I'm not giving up and might give GF baking another whirl this weekend. Thanks friend!
  Reply
Marina @ A Dancer's Live-It says
February 03, 2017 at 8:07 am
Oh my gosh, how do you come up with all of these amazing recipe ideas?! This looks amazing Erin, and your photography is gorgeous.
Reply
- Erin says
  February 09, 2017 at 8:46 am
  Thank you!! I've always been a fan of orange+chocolate, so I figured why not give blood orange+chocolate a whirl 😀
  Reply