Frozen hot chocolate

Vegan frozen hot chocolate with mint is perfect for those hot summer days. Cooled hot chocolate poured over shaved ice cubes

Me: Can I get a Hot Chocolate, please?

Coffee Clerk: It’s 90° outside?!

Me: So?

If you don’t care that you get funny looks when you order hot chocolate on hot summer days, then, you are my kind of people!!

Tips for making this drink

• Use shaved ice in this frozen hot chocolate recipe. The best way to get shaved ice is by grinding ice cubes in a smoothie blender until you get a snow consistency
• Be sure to cool the hot chocolate completely before adding to the shaved ice

• Do not shave the ice cubes until the hot chocolate has completely cooled down. Adding warm hot chocolate to shaved ice will end up in a very watery hot chocolate drink
• Use any milk of your choice. I experimented with both regular milk and almond milk. I loved them both, so, choose milk based on your diet preference
• Use fresh mint only. Do not use dried mint for this recipe
• Be sure to keep the lid on while you steep the mint in the milk. If the milk gets cold quickly, the mint will not be able to give all its flavor to the milk
• I prefer using (affiliate link) cane sugar which is vegan friendly. If you can’t find cane sugar, use (affiliate link) vegan powdered sugar because it won’t clump up or give a chalky taste to this frozen hot chocolate

Recipe inspiration

The first time I tasted the serendipity frozen hot chocolate, I was hooked! I am from NYC where Serendipity 3 is located. They know their way around a frozen hot chocolate like no one else!

What I miss most about NYC (other than the snow, food, vibrant, easy transportation, hiking, Mexican food, Indian food, Noodle restaurants, Little Italy, tall TALL buildings, Museums, musicals, food trucks, huge pretzels, Christmas, bagels……) is drinking a tall glass of frozen hot chocolate on a hot day!

So, I thought I would try making my own frozen hot chocolate recipe to enjoy on a blisteringly hot Florida Summer afternoon!

If you want something more substantial, go for this salted caramel protein shake. It will cool you down while nourishing your body.

Variations

Want to make this frozen hot chocolate even more interesting? Along with the shaved ice, add Saiki K coffee jelly and use agar agar. It gives this frozen hot chocolate a delicious coffee flavor.

Or, make your regular hot chocolate and then drop in these festive peppermint hot cocoa bombs. The peppermint taste makes the hot chocolate taste like Christmas!

I have several other summer drink recipes that will quench your thirst on the hottest day of the year.

And, if hot chocolate drink is not your thing, you will love this easy no bake hot chocolate mix cookies! They taste just like hot chocolate and amazingly easy to make.

More hot chocolate recipes

• Vegan Hot Chocolate
• Mexican Hot Chocolate Popsicles
• Boozy Hot Chocolate

Common questions when making this recipe

What kind of chocolate should I use?

I used the same chocolate powder I used in my chocolate smoothie bowl. It’s the Juice Plus Dutch Chocolate.

You can also use Dark Chocolates. There are several vegan dark chocolates. I get mine from Amazon. Be sure to use plain dark chocolates

Can it be topped with whipping cream?

Absolutely! There are several vegan whipping creams found on Amazon. See my Amazon picks below. Reddi-Wip® also makes a vegan version of their whipped cream. Top with chocolate shavings for a fun presentation

Can I add alcohol to Frozen Hot Chocolate?

You sure can! The best alcohol for this recipe is probably a shot of bourbon, vodka, or even Kahlua.

Can I use packaged hot chocolate powder?

Yes, use regular Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate packets. Heat milk, steep the mint, discard the mint, and then add the hot chocolate packet. Mix well and let it cool. Then, add to shaved ice cubes and serve

Can I freeze it?

Yes, you can freeze this hot chocolate. It sounds like an oxymoron type of question, am I right? Make sure all the ice has melted first. Then, transfer it to an ice cube tray and freeze it. Put it into coffee, smoothies, or chocolate slushies

Is chocolate vegan?

Yes, you can find vegan chocolate on the market. Several companies don’t use any dairy in their chocolate recipes.

For a complete guide on what is vegan-friendly, check out my handy-dandy guide, “What Vegans Don’t Eat“

What else can I add to it?

• Chocolate Syrup
• Chocolate shavings
• Vegan Ice Cream
• Chocolate chips
• Vegan Marshmallows
• Chocolate Sprinkles
• Oreos (Use if you are using vegan whipped cream)

How to make frozen hot chocolate

The time needed to make this drink: 40 Min

Bring 3 cups of almond milk to a boil and add 4tsp of demerara sugar (or cane sugar)

Add 15 mint leaves the hot milk

Let the mint leaves stay in the milk for 10 minutes. Keep the pan covered.

Strain the mint leaves

Place the almond milk back on low heat and add 3 Tbsp chocolate powder. I used Juice+ Plus’s Dutch Chocolate Powder

Add the nuts. I went with crushed hazelnuts and pistachios. Cook for 5 minutes on low heat

Turn off the heat and let it cool. Make sure you cool it completely. You can even place the hot chocolate in the refrigerator to cool it faster.

I took 12 ice cubes and crushed them in a smoothie maker first. Transfer the shaved ice to 2 glasses

Add the cooled-down hot chocolate to the 2 glasses.

Serve immediately

If you have mint remaining, check out my post on everything you can make with mint. There is also information on how to store it and some best practices when working with fresh mint.

What is your favorite thing about NYC?