Keto Hot Chocolate

FINALLY... Finally, finally, finally cold weather is upon us! Bring on cozy sweaters, tall boots, thick scarves, gorgeous leaves, warm bonfires, and, of course, hot chocolate.

Hot chocolate has always been one of my favorite fall/winter drinks. It's rich, creamy, and chocolate, in any form, just has a way of soothing the soul. I honestly never liked the hot chocolate that you bought in packets and poured over hot water. Every now and then I could get my mama to use milk and cream to make real, authentic hot chocolate--topped with marshmellows and/or whipped cream too!

Last fall, I bought a box of Starbucks' original hot cocoa mix, and I am so serious when I say it tasted exactly like the hot chocolate you could order right there in store. It was an investment in my kitchen, but not to my waistline. I gained about 20 pounds last fall, and drinking so many of these, on top of other bad habits, definitely didn't help. Just one serving of "regular" hot chocolate has about 50 grams of carbs and 43 grams of sugar; these are my carb and sugar allowances for TWO whole days!

So basically I could enjoy one of Starbucks' hot chocolates... if that's all I consume for 48 hours (LOL). We all know that's not happening!

So I did some digging (and Pinteresting) and found several keto-friendly and low-carb hot cocoa recipes. I mixed one up and tailored it to my tastes, as well as to what I already had in my kitchen, and I wound up with an amazing hot chocolate recipe that satisfies my sweet tooth and fits inside my macronutrient goals! I probably wouldn't drink this yummy concoction every night, but once or twice a week is totally doable for my personal goals!

The recipe contains just 5 ingredients, one of which is optional! Keep reading!!

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup unsweetened almond milk (regular milk will work too)
1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons Truvia (or your preferred sweetener) This is the ingredient that's optional! I made a second batch without the sweetener and it was just as delicious! I honestly couldn't tell a difference!
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a small pan, heat the milk, HWC, and sweetener (optional) to a boil then turn on low heat. Stir in your unsweetened cocoa and vanilla extract and whisk until there are no chocolatey clumps!

Remove from heat and serve in mugs after it's had a couple minutes to cool... I actually say screw this part--I like my hot chocolate HOT!!!

This makes 2 servings, about 8 ounces each!!

Nutrition:

For ONE serving, this hot chocolate has:
9 g carbs
25 g fat
2 g protein
222 calories

This is with the Truvia; without it, you save about 4 grams of carbs, so that's something to remember!

If you try it and love it, please comment and let me know!