What’s the Best Non-Dairy Milk for Hot Chocolate?

People love to ask me, “Chef Farrell, what’s the best milk for hot chocolate?”
And every time, I grin like someone who knows a delicious secret. Because the answer is beautifully simple. Your cup of cocoa can be glorious without dairy, truly glorious.

But instead of giving you my usual cocoa sermon, I went full scientist-chef and ran a personal tasting with four popular non-dairy milks: oat, coconut, soy, and almond. Each one met the same test. I heated 2 ounces of milk with 1 tablespoon of Joy Craft Cocoa and judged them head to spoon.

Here is what happened in my kitchen where the whisk is mighty and the flavor notes are loud.

Oat Milk: The Backup Singer Who Lets Cocoa Be the Star

Oat milk minds its business, which I appreciate in a milk. It didn’t add any surprise flavors, no weird textures, no dramatic exits. It simply held the cocoa like a good friend and let the chocolate do the talking.

If you want your hot chocolate to taste like hot chocolate and nothing else, this one gives you the purest cocoa experience.

Coconut Milk: Rich, Lush, Slightly Extra

Coconut milk rolled in with confidence, all smooth and luscious. Then it left a tiny oily coating on my tongue, like it got a little too excited and forgot this was a tasting, not a spa appointment.

Flavor? Lovely. Texture? A tiny bit enthusiastic. Ingredients? Only one containing guar gum, while the others were free of thickeners. Still delicious, just a little extra.

Soy Milk: Creamy with a Small Plot Twist

Soy milk was creamy and comforting, a warm hug in a mug. And then a faint aftertaste appeared, like someone poked their head into the kitchen and whispered, “Hey.” Not bad, just noticeable.

If you already love soy, your cocoa will land in a good place. If you are picky about aftertastes, you may wander elsewhere.

Almond Milk: The Unexpected Champion

Listen. I forgot how much I love almond milk. Specifically Almond Breeze Chocolate Milk. That used to be my pantry crush. Tasting almond milk again with Joy Craft Cocoa felt like bumping into an old favorite who aged magnificently.

It gave me a deep, rich chocolate flavor with just a hint of nuttiness that made the cocoa feel fancy without trying too hard. No curdling. No coating. No complaints. Just joy.

The Winner for Best Milk for Hot Chocolate

Almond milk wins.
It delivered the best flavor, the best balance, and the best overall experience. Oat milk comes in a confident second for purity of chocolate flavor. Soy and coconut each brought something fun to the party but had small quirks you cannot unnotice.

Here is the real lesson.
In true Joy Craft Cocoa fashion, the real secret is not just the milk. It is taking the time to craft your cup, sip slowly, and savor the experience.

If you want to try the cocoa I used for these taste tests, you can grab your next favorite flavor at joycraftcocoa.com. Your perfect cup is waiting.

Sweet regards,
Chef Farrell