Justine Doiron

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Baking + Sweet, Dairy Free, Drinks, Gluten Free, Recipes, Special Diets, Vegan, Vegetarian ·

Healthier Salted Date Hot Chocolate

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I recently made a video where I said hot chocolate stops hitting after December, I was then told by MANY PEOPLE that hot chocolate hits in January…so I had to investigate. Of course, we’re all trying to do a few healthier habits in the New Year, so I wanted to see if I could make a January hot chocolate that was equally healthy, easy and delicious. And that’s how this Salted Date Hot Chocolate came around! And YES. I AM IN A DATE PHASE. I just love them so much.

Now this salted date hot chocolate is designed to mimic THICK hot chocolate. Think: the sipping chocolate you see commonly in The Netherlands and France. It’s rich! But you’ll be surprised at how rich it is based off of what ingredients are in it.

This healthier hot chocolate only includes: dates, cocoa powder, date chocolate and milk. Oh, and flaky salt. It’s really that simple. And I think it might be my best hot chocolate yet?? Which is truly, shocking.

Now, we’ve been making “healthier” versions of things using dates for forever. Dates and peanut butter and chocolate tastes like a candy bar dream. So dates + chocolate I knew were a match made in heaven. But trust me: the dates in this don’t taste like dates. In fact, they really just are a sweetener and thickener rolled into one!

As the dates boil with the milk, they will melt into the milk alongside the chocolate, giving you both a thicker hot chocolate and a sweeter hot chocolate. This makes two servings, but sometimes I split it into three because it really is that rich!

Ingredients you will need for Salted Date Hot Chocolate

The beauty of this recipe is if you are a health nut, you might already have these ingredients on-hand. And if you are newer to eating healthier, these ingredients will be a welcome addition to your pantry! Here is everything you need:

  • 3 medium medjool dates (pits in, and the stickier the better), 40 grams (with pits removed)
  • 10 grams date-sweetened chocolate, I like Spring & Mulberry
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (any kind)
  • 1 cup milk of choice
  • 1/4 teaspoon flaky salt

What if I can’t find date-sweetened chocolate?

I love Spring & Mulberry for this recipe (I keep a stash stored in my house for this very reason!). But if you can’t find it in stores on online, any semi-sweet or dark chocolate will work wonderfully here! I like to go for 70% or higher, but really it is up to you.

Looking for other ways to use your dates?

Here are some recipes that include some of my favorite applications:

Carrot Salad with Aleppo Chickpeas & Date Vinaigrette
This stunning carrot salad might be my best combination of flavors yet. The nutty, spicy chickpea topping goes right on top of a crisp, refreshing pile of vegetables. The carrot salad is tossed in a simple date vinaigrette, which takes minutes to make. The sweetness of the salad plays off of the salty topping so well that it keeps you coming back for more… and more. And more. Serve it as a big side salad for a dinner party, or it makes two dinner servings for a quick weeknight meal!
Check out this recipe
Date Ginger Butter
This supremely simple spread is my favorite way to turn dates into a spreadable, salty-sweet breakfast spread. Warm dates are smashed with fresh ginger and butter, making a spread that is equal parts sweet, rich and salty. It's comfort food at its finest.
Check out this recipe
Molten Date and Olive Oil Oats
Ok yes, these oats are my obsession. These oats are my life. Sticky dates melt into perfectly chewy oatmeal that is seasoned with a touch of miso (fermented foods are good for you!) and everything is finished with a drizzle of olive oil. They are rich, they are sweet and they are so unbelievably good. It's the perfect way to start the day.
Check out this recipe
Baked Cauliflower Salad with Feta and Dates
This cauliflower salad is a combination of warm and roasty, as well as crisp and fresh. It's the perfect marriage of salty, sweet, herbaceous and just plain good. It uses a whole cauliflower head to start, then adds on fresh peas, radishes, dates, basil and mint, as well as some salty feta. The combination is truly out-of-this world and absolutely worth the effort. It just might be your new favorite salad.
Check out this recipe

And that’s everything for this Salted Date Hot Chocolate!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Salted Date Hot Chocolate

5 from 13 votes
This healthier version of hot chocolate uses only dates, date chocolate, cocoa powder and milk to make it something supremely thick and richly chocolatey. And don't worry, it doesn't taste like dates. They only add thickness and sweetness! Also, try not to skip the flaky salt on top, do it for me, okay?
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:5 minutes
Course: Dessert, Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate, dates, easy chocolate dessert, healthy, healthy desserts, healthy hot chocolate, hot chocolate
Servings: 2 servings

Equipment

  • 1 blender
  • 1 small sauce pot or butter warmer

Ingredients

  • 3 medium medjool dates (pits in, and the stickier the better) 40 grams (with pits removed)
  • 10 grams date-sweetened chocolate I like Spring & Mulberry
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (any kind)
  • 1 cup milk of choice
  • 1/4 teaspoon flaky salt

Instructions

  • Pit the dates and add them to a blender. Add the square of chocolate, cocoa powder and milk of choice.
  • Blend for 1-2 minutes (it will feel like an excessively long amount of time), until everything is as smooth as possible.
  • Pour the mixture into a small sauce pot. Put this over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Let it simmer for 1 minute or until foam forms at the top.
  • If the mixture gets too thick, thin it out with water as your prefer.
  • Pour into two cups, top with flaky salt and serve!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Aziza says

    5 stars
    So good! I made it with unsweetened chocolate, cashew milk and a bit of cinnamon and it was perfectly rich and creamy.

  4. Catherine says

    Delicious! My junk food loving husband loved it and had no idea it was sweetened with dates! So rich and chocolaty.

    • Justine says

      I RAN to this comment because this is music to my ears! I have yet to try it on my fiance but this gives me the confidence to…

      • Ali says

        5 stars
        Made this today using date paste, oat milk, and dutched cocoa powder and it was amazing! Sweetness was on point and it was rich without being heavy.

  6. Chloe says

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness this was delicious! I don’t know if it was from blending it or what, but it was silky smooth and reminded me of steamed milk from a cafe. Also, I just tossed it in the microwave to warm up (cause I’m lazy) and it came out great!!

  7. Kt says

    5 stars
    So delicious and yummy!

    I made this in a vitamix blender on the soup setting so I didn’t have to use a stove. I’ll make it again – very frequently! Thank you, Justine!

  8. Kylie says

    5 stars
    Justine!!! Thank you for this wonderful creation. 🙂
    I didn’t have any chocolate in bar form, so I was only able to use milk, dates, cocoa powder, and salt…and my oh my it was still absolute yum! I will always make this. I’m such a salty sweet fan and I’ve been in a date kick too for the past year or so.
    Have a cozy January! And I’m so looking forward to your upcoming recipes (the ones you recently mentioned in the WIEIAD recipe testing video).

  9. Elise says

    5 stars
    Justine. how?!?! I wanna scream from the rooftops and tell all my friends and have a hot chocolate and date themed party (you’re invited btw). This is so damn good. Thank you for making this snow day extra special with this recipe!! Ps: how does this make two servings, bc I annihilated it.

    • Justine says

      IS IT NOT SO GOOD??? I’m so glad you like it, and servings sizes are a lie, follow your heart

  10. Pippa Kay says

    I love the way everyone has their take on it. I added a couple of small chunks of crystallised ginger. I am sure it would have been heavenly without it but it was super, super heavenly with it.

  11. Lauren says

    5 stars
    I used 4 deglet noor dates and dark chocolate since those were what I had on hand—it turned out delicious! Thanks for the recipe.

  12. Mari says

    5 stars
    Okay I LITERALLY finished my cup of this like five minutes ago and I needed to share because oh. my. GOD. THIS!!!! Is the hot chocolate of my dreams!!! THIS has solved my issue with most hot chocolates because this is the PERFECT drink! I didn’t measure exactly (measured with my heart obvs) so the final drink was a lot thicker than it probably should’ve been but it was the PERFECT cup for this bitter cold day and my aching back, it solved everything tonight! Kinda wish i could marry this drink…
    I love the use of dates in this, I always have dates in the house and this is the second best use I’ve found for them and I can guarantee you I will be making this over and over again and making everyone in my life drink this, too! Thank you for such a great alternative to most hot chocolate recipes because it just made me happier than I’ve been in a while!

  15. Charlene says

    My new favourite thing! Made with oat milk and 85% dark chocolate. Not too sweet. Salt makes it perfect! Might try a tiny pinch of espresso powder or chilli powder next time.

  16. Lola says

    LOVED this recipe!! Blender wasn’t as powerful as I would have liked, so I strained it to get the clumps out and then it was absolutely perfect!

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