Cold weather reminds me of hot cocoa!
How bout you?
Of course, if you are a vegan, maybe you make your own because it can be tricky to find 100% plant based options.
Luckily, I found some and tried two popular brands in the video below. So tune in for a taste test and some nutrition facts.
Keep reading to learn more about what to look for in vegan cocoas + some comments about how healthy they are from me – a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist!
Disclaimer: This review includes information and the authors own personal opinions. It is not personal dietary advice. Talk to your doctor about your health/diet questions. Please note that product formulations, and ingredients may change. You should check products for updated information. See our disclaimers for more details.
I thought Hot Cocoa Wasn’t Vegan?
While most store-bought hot cocoa mixes aren’t vegan, there are a few that are 100% plant based!
As a vegan, I am very happy to announce that!
If you are looking for a vegan option in the store, the key is to read the ingredients.
Common non-vegan ingredients you might find in the hot cocoa mixes include:
- whey
- nonfat milk
- gelatin (often an ingredient in marshmallows)
So these are things to avoid in hot cocoa mixes if you’re looking for a vegan product.
With that out of the way, join me as I share my review of two popular store-bought vegan hot cocoa mixes: Swiss Miss Non Dairy and Ghirardelli Double Chocolate.
Vegan Hot Cocoa Review
There’s just something so cozy about a warm beverage that smells rich and sugary.
Here’s my thoughts on some vegan hot cocoa’s from Giradelli vs Swiss Miss:
- Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix: This one had a deep dark flavor. Almost like some dark chocolate was melted. It tasted less sugary than the Swiss miss mix.
If you don’t like deep cocoa flavors, you might not like this one. But if you prefer dark over milk chocolate, you might prefer this one to Swiss Miss! Just my opinion. - Swiss Miss Non-Dairy Chocolate Flavor Hot Cocoa Mix: Compared to the Ghiradelli mix, this one tasted more sweet and less dark. This one also had a more heavy mouthfeel instead of being thin all around. I also thought the Swiss Miss Non Dairy was harder to mix than the Ghiradelli Double Chocolate mix.
Would I get any of these again? Probably not.
While I preferred the Ghirardelli version, the issues of cocoa bean production still stands. You can read more about this in my article on vegan chocolate (under the section called ‘cocoa beans: a sourcing issue’).
Ideally, I’d prefer to make my own home-made hot cocoa + choose different cocoa.
But that’s just me!
I think it’s vegans have more choices than they did a decade ago, and there is something to be said about that.
How Healthy is Vegan Hot Cocoa?
Ok, by now you might be thinking – why is she even talking about hot cocoa – I thought that was an ultra processed food and therefore unhealthy.
First of all – yes, store bought hot cocoa mixes are an ultra processed food – a food that has undergone many modifications to arrive at the finally product.
Many folks automatically think ‘bad’ when they hear the term ‘ultra processed.’
But did you know that whole wheat bread can also be considered ‘ultra processed?’
I hope I don’t have to be the first person to tell you about the benefits of whole wheat bread!
I like to think of processed food in relation to the nutrition and health benefits it may provide.
Is is also healthy and nutritious, or not?
Also, when we are considering what is healthy and unhealthy there’s a bit more nuance than just slapping a label on a food.
We should also consider things like:
- What should I be avoiding according to for my medical history + diagnoses? (ex: allergies, diagnoses, lab values, doctor recommendations)
- What food am I replacing this one with?
- How often am I eating this?
I’m going to make an assumption.
Most folks drinking hot cocoa mixes aren’t doing so every day (correct me if I’m wrong).
There is lots of joy in having a treat every now and then, and hot cocoa could be one of them (vegan marshmallows optional)!
Is your typical store-bought vegan hot coca a health food? No…
Could we make it a bit more nutritious? Sure!
We could make it with plant milk, like calcium fortified soy milk.
This may provide protein and calcium amounts similar to dairy milk (learn more in my article about plant based milks here).
But in the end, most hot cocoa’s will contain few nutrients and significant amounts of added sugars (which we should limit in favor of more healthy and nutrient dense foods).
So I’ll continue to enjoy my warm mug of cocoa – yumminess every know and then, and stay away from the fear mongering around occasional treats.
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Do you enjoy hot chocolate? If so, what’s your favorite brand or recipe?
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