Vegan Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa

Vegan peanut butter hot cocoa. A healthy vegan hot chocolate recipe that’s made with cashews, peanut butter, dates and cocoa powder, blended with hot water. It’s creamy, frothy and nutritious!

I originally shared this recipe in 2018 and since then, it’s been one of the most popular recipes on the blog. It has now been updated with new photography and additional details to help you make the best peanut butter hot cocoa.

This recipe is not like any other hot cocoa recipes. It’s made in the blender with cashews, dates, cocoa powder and peanut butter. It’s sweetened with fruit and there’s no dairy involved!

You might be wondering how this recipe works without dairy or plant-based milk? The answer: Cashews.

The cashews are blended with hot water to create a creamy, homemade cashew milk. The best part? You don’t need to soak them! If you have a strong blender, the hot water will help soften the cashews and you’ll get a creamy, frothy drink instantly.

How to Make a Vegan Hot Cocoa in the Blender:

All you need is a good blender and a handful of simple ingredients: cashews, dates, cocoa powder and hot water. In this recipe, we’re also adding peanut butter for flavor. Blend everything for 30 seconds and you get a frothy, delicious and comforting drink.

Notes on the Recipe:

  • I use a Vitamix, but a Blendtec or other strong blenders will work too. If your blender is on the weaker side, you might get some pieces of dates and cashews in your drink. If this is the case, you can strain the drink using a fine mesh sieve once or twice. This recipe is best made with a strong blender and it should be completely smooth.
  • Feel free to adjust the sweetness to your taste by adding more dates. You can also add granulated sugar or maple syrup to taste if desired.
  • You can increase the cocoa powder as needed for a stronger chocolate drink.
  • I use salted peanut butter in this drink. There’s no other ingredients other than sea salt and peanuts. You can use unsalted peanut butter, but I would recommend adding a tiny pinch of salt with it.

This is my favorite way to warm up and stay cozy on a cold day. I hope you’ll love it too!

Print

Vegan Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa

Vegan peanut butter hot cocoa. A healthy vegan hot chocolate recipe that's made with cashews, peanut butter, dates and cocoa powder, blended with hot water. It's creamy, frothy and nutritious!
Course Drinks
Cuisine vegan, vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 3 cups hot water
  • 1/4 cup cashews, raw or dry roasted, unsalted
  • 3 Medjool dates, pitted
  • 1 1/2-2 tablespoons cocoa powder, or more to taste
  • 1 rounded tablespoon peanut butter, salted

Instructions

  • Boil your water using a kettle.
  • Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender, including the hot water. Blend for 30 seconds until smooth and frothy. Be careful when removing the top of the blender as there will be steam. Serve immediately.

Notes

I use salted peanut butter. If using unsalted peanut butter, add a small pinch of salt before blending. For a lighter peanut butter taste, start with one level tablespoon, taste and add more as needed. I like to use one rounded tablespoon.
If you use a strong blender, you shouldn’t have any pieces of dates or cashews in your drink. If your blender is on the weaker side, try straining your drink with a fine mesh sieve.
If you’re used to a sweeter drink, add more dates or substitute for a desired amount of maple syrup or granulated sugar.
Feel free to increase the amount of cocoa powder for a stronger chocolate flavor.

If you make this peanut butter hot cocoa, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys. And of course, if you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!


Looking for more?

Check out my Cozy Vegan Drinks eBook. It’s packed with a total of 22 warm beverage recipes, including vegan lattes, hot cocoas, matcha lattes, teas and more!

View Comments

  • This looks absolutely gorgeous! Who would have thought hot chocolate could be healthy? :) Thank you so much, will definitely be making this soon! X

  • Just stumbled on this site via Instagram. I haven't tried it but it is on my must prepare list.
    I'm on a new diet track with less sugar.
    Thank you for including this for recipe choices!

    • Hi Linda, I'm so happy you found me! I hope you'll enjoy the recipes. :)

  • We tried this tonight and absolutely loved it. Will be fun to start with this and experiment with other ingrediants too. Thank you!!

    • Thank you Dean, I'm so happy that you liked it! It is a fun, customizable recipe. :)

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