Hazelnut hot chocolate with dates

Hazelnut hot chocolate made from roasted hazelnuts, dates, cocoa powder and oat milk, blended until creamy. Vegan and sweetened only with dates – a hot drink that sits somewhere between juices and tea.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 10 min
• Cooking time: 5 min
• Total time: 15 min
• Calories: 262 kcal per serving
• Protein: 6 g
• Fat: 14 g
• Carbs: 26 g

Ingredients

• 30g hazelnuts
• 4 dates
• 400ml oat milk
• 20g cocoa powder
• 1 pinch of cinnamon
• 1 pinch of salt

Method

You’ll need: frying pan · blender · grater · wooden spoon · whisk

1. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan for 4 minutes and rub off the skins in a tea towel.
2. Stone the dates.
3. Blend the hazelnuts, dates and a third of the oat milk until there are no pieces left.
4. Heat the purée with the rest of the oat milk, the cocoa, cinnamon and salt, stirring, until the chocolate is steaming.
5. Froth the hot chocolate with a whisk and pour it into two mugs.

Good to know

Tastes like chocolate hazelnut spread you can drink. Toasted hazelnuts and dates are blended into a nut milk, which you froth up hot with cocoa. Toasting brings most of the flavour.

Swaps

Hazelnuts → 2 tbsp hazelnut butter (no toasting needed). Dates → 1 tbsp maple syrup. Oat milk → almond milk (gluten-free; contains tree nuts). Cinnamon → vanilla powder.

Cooking tips

With a stick blender, some ground nut stays in the mug; in that case, pour the chocolate through a sieve. If the dates are dry, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes.

Storage

The blended nut and date milk keeps for 3 days in the fridge; shake it before heating.

Allergens

Vegan; contains hazelnuts (tree nuts) and oats (gluten, unless the oat milk is labelled gluten-free). Cocoa contains a little caffeine; in this amount, it's fine for children and in pregnancy.

Frequently asked questions

How long does hazelnut hot chocolate keep in the fridge?

The blended nut and date milk keeps for 3 days in the fridge; shake it before heating.

Dairy-free recipes