Your favorite winter beverage and winter breakfast collide in this yummy, chocolatey mug. Welcome to your new favorite cold weather breakfast!

Oh the weather outside is frightful, my dears. It’s only mid-December, and in my neck of the woods we’ve got a “feels like” reading of -4 degrees Fahrenheit this morning. Ouch. Literally. This is painfully cold weather. Why do I live in Michigan again? I’ve been asking myself that question my entire life. There’s something to be said for being tough enough to withstand year after year of brutal snow and cold.

Ok, to be honest I’m huddled under a blanket with three layers of clothing for most of the winter. Huddled under a blanket clutching a hot mug, usually. My warm beverage of choice? Hot chocolate, of course! And what better way to transform my favorite winter drink into a stick to your ribs breakfast than by adding my go-to winter breakfast staple, oatmeal!

Hot chocolate, hot cocoa, drinking chocolate… whatever you want to call it, this has been THE week for delicious, creamy, chocolatey drinks in the blogging world. Recently I tried Stacey’s lovely Classic Hot Chocolate on Goodness is Gorgeous, and I’ve got my eye on this dreamy date sweetened one from Feasting on Fruit, and this silky one from The Vegan 8. SO much hot chocolate love out there the past few days on the internets, and it’s just in time for thawing all of us frozen folks in the midwest and northeast.

After recently seeing a video on Facebook of someone pouring a latte into a big mug of oatmeal, I knew I needed to try it with hot cocoa. I mean, what could be better?! Not only can I sip on some steamy hot cocoa, I can enjoy a hearty oatmeal breakfast at the same time. The hot chocolate soaks into the oatmeal and makes it taste about 2,000 times more delicious.

I should mention this isn’t just any hot cocoa. I used super-powered ingredients like raw cashews, maca powder, Ceylon cinnamon, and lucuma powder for a rich and creamy drink that is as nourishing as it is crave-able.

Now, per my usual style, I am sharing a variation of a recipe before I even share the original recipe. Let’s just call it a two-fer Thursday, which doesn’t have a ring to it at all. How about three-fer Thursday… you get a superfood hot chocolate recipe, breakfast recipe, and a handy winter hand-warmer all in one post! Feel free to skip the oatmeal addition if you’re simply looking for a delectable hot chocolate recipe, it’s amazing on its own as well.

You can top your comforting mug with vegan marshmallows (we like Dandies) or a big dollop of coconut whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed candy canes. Or get really festive and pop in a peppermint stick.

Tis the season for frostbite warnings, snow shovels, and frosty scenery…and hot chocolate oatmeal mugs. Hope you give this one a try my friends, and if you do let me know what you think! Stay warm my dears!

Superfood Hot Chocolate Oatmeal Mug – Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free

Makes 2 – 10 oz servings

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup soaked cashews*
• 3 large medjool dates or 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup or other sweetener **
• 2 tbsp cacao or cocoa powder (or more or less, to taste)
• 1 1/4 cups of boiling water
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla powder)
• 1 tsp maca powder, optional
• 1 tsp lucuma powder, optional
• 1/4 tsp Ceylon cinnamon (or “regular” cassia cinnamon)
• 1 cup cooked oatmeal (see below for how I make mine)

Toppings: vegan marshmallows, coconut whipped cream***, candy canes

Instructions:

Carefully add all ingredients except oatmeal to your high speed blender and blend until smooth. I hold a folded kitchen towel over the top of the blender just to be safe. Now fill two 10 oz mugs halfway with the hot, cooked oatmeal. Fill the rest of the way with the superfood hot chocolate. Top with marshmallows or coconut whipped cream. Enjoy immediately!

Making the oatmeal: You can cook your oatmeal however you’d like. I use 1 cup of old fashioned rolled oats and add them to my rice cooker along with 1 1/2 cups of water. Turn it on (and go get back under your blanket). Depending on your cooker, it will be done in about 15 minutes or less and the button will pop up and the cooker will keep it warm. This is currently my favorite way to make oatmeal, so easy!

*If you don’t want to use cashews, you can just sub in your favorite non-dairy milk for the cashews and water, I’d use about 1 1/2 cups, and warm it on the stove before adding to your blender. It won’t be as creamy and rich as the cashew version, but it will still be delicious. Or try using full-fat or lite coconut milk for a similar creaminess.

**Dates add some thickness and creaminess to the mug, so if you go with maple syrup your hot chocolate may be thinner. Same goes for the maca and lucuma superfood powders; they also add thickness to the hot chocolate, so be aware of this if you decide to leave them out.

*** To make coconut whipped cream, I set a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. The next day, I scoop off the thickened cream at the top and place it in a small bowl, then whip it with a fork (or if you have enough cream you can use an electric hand mixer). Add a little sweetener to taste.