This rich and creamy protein hot chocolate earns its name by adding an egg to the mix! The egg not only adds extra protein, but it also creates a thick and creamy texture. See the video below for exact directions.
This gem came about after I saw a recipe for 'chocolate eggnog'. Turns out that recipe was literally the fusion of prepared eggnog and chocolate sauce, but the idea got me thinking.
Adding an egg to a regular hot chocolate recipe not only gives the delicious drink a protein boost, it ALSO adds a rich and creamy texture without the need for extra sugar.
How have I never thought of this before?!
The bonus for me when eating protein with simple carbs is that the protein helps keep my blood sugar in check. It's a great way to buffer the effects of eating a treat!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Milk of your choice - I like whole milk (which adds more protein!) my Homemade Walnut Milk, or Homemade Coconut Milk.
- Cocoa powder
- Sweetener - I like using a mild honey in this recipe, but any sweetener will work, including granulated varieties like coconut sugar.
- Vanilla extract
- Sea salt
- Whole egg
- Stevia - Optional; use for extra sweetness, if desired.
Recipe Steps
Begin with two pots: One for warming the milk and the other for whisking together the cocoa powder, sweetener, salt, and egg.
Once the milk reaches 130 degrees F, or is warm to the touch, begin slowly drizzling it into the cocoa/egg mixture.
You want to go slowly, as you don't want the egg to scramble!
After the milk has been added, place the pot on a burner, and turn the heat on to medium high.
Stir the mixture continuously for 5-6 minutes or until the hot chocolate has thickened.
Remove the pot from the heat, once thick, and stir in the vanilla and stevia, if using.
Tips and tricks
In lieu of milk, you can blend 1 1/2 cups of water with two tablespoons of your favorite nut or seed butter.
Though it may seem odd, a dash or two of sea salt really brings out the sweetness, as well as the overall flavor.
My favorite way to sweeten this is with a combination of one tablespoon of honey and 5-8 drops of stevia. If you don't want to use stevia, you'll need to up the sweetener to your taste.
FAQs
While I haven't looked at every single kind of milk, I did analyze skim, whole, almond, coconut, and hemp milks. Skim wins with eight grams of protein per cup, while whole milk takes second place with 7.9 grams. For dairy-free milks, coconut actually had the top spot with four grams of protein per cup, with hemp milk in second place at two grams per cup.
I like to use a combination of honey (one tablespoon) with about 5-8 drops of stevia. I've also used coconut sugar and maple syrup with great results! If you're wanting to avoid stevia, two tablespoons of sweetener would probably suffice.
Recipe notes
Try this recipe with my Homemade Lower Sugar Marshmallows!
Protein Hot Chocolate
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1-2 Tablespoons sweetener I like honey, but any sweetener will work!
- 1 large egg
- good dash sea salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- stevia, to taste optional
Instructions
- Begin by warming the milk in a saucepan; warm it to 130℉ or until warm to the touch.
- In a separate saucepan, whisk the egg with the sweetener of choice, cocoa powder, and salt until a smooth slurry forms.
- Slowly drizzle in the warmed milk to the egg/cocoa slurry; go slow to avoid scrambling the egg.
- Place pot over medium high heat and stir continuously for about 5-6 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.
- Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the vanilla as well as extra sweetener or stevia to taste.
- Top with whipped cream, marshmallows, cinnamon, etc, and enjoy while warm.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
Jeannette Jennings
I made this with carob! Lovely
Alene
My mother used to add a raw egg to milkshakes she made for us as a treat. At first, I didn't know, but after awhile I caught on and made a fuss. I was a very picky eater and would not eat eggs. Thanks for the memory! I haven't thought of that in years!
Lauren
Hah! They do add a nice thickness! 🙂
Parizad in Az
Hi 🙂 Would it not work if I added nut butter as well as like unsweetened oat milk or almond milk? Should I just stick with water if I want to use the nut butters... Thank you -I can’t wait to make this!
Lauren
Yes, it should work using milk in place of the water!