Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

When it’s cold outside, you want to be able to wrap yourself up in something warm and enjoy a decadent, comforting treat. Hot chocolate is always a winner, but the idea of a creamy mug of the stuff might immediately send your vegan sirens off. However, you can give this heart-warming deliciousness a creative vegan spin by making it dairy-free with a delicious swirl of peppermint and whipped coconut cream so that you don’t miss out on any of the comfort.

Heavenly! It’s really easy to make, too, so you can enjoy it regularly throughout the snowy festive season.

You’ll need the following ingredients:

1. Four cups of coconut milk

2. Six tablespoons of cocoa powder

3. Six peppermint teabags

4. A slab of peppermint chocolate that has been broken into smaller pieces (some great vegan chocolate brands include Plamil - they’re also organic and they have a lovely mint slab you can try)

5. Whipped coconut cream (what’s hot chocolate without some whipped cream, right? You can make your own by following this recipe that’s really easy)

6. Small pot

How to Make it

1. Add the coconut milk, cocoa powder and peppermint teabags to the small pot. Mix them well over medium heat. Gently squeeze the teabags while you stir the pot so that they emit their peppermint flavour. You can add more teabags if you’d like to have a stronger peppermint taste.

2. Once the ingredients start to simmer, take them off the stove and remove the teabags from the pot and throw them away.

4. Place the mixture into mugs and add the whipped coconut cream on top. Crumble some of the peppermint chocolate blocks over it.

There you go! Enjoy it as an afternoon or evening treat, or serve it at your Christmas festivities. It’s a comforting and creamy indulgence your guests will love.

(Serves four)

*Image courtesy Flickr Creative Commons