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Vegan Candy Cane Hot Cocoa Mix (Gluten-free)
There a some flavor combinations that for me are the classic quintessential tastes of the holiday season. The combination of chocolate and peppermint this is definitely one of those. For my final giftable recipe this month in my series with Free People, I thought a handmade gift that was not only pretty, but tasted amazing would be the best way to end things. Hot cocoa is not just for kids, but also for the kids at heart.
Layer the delicious ingredients for this homemade candy cane hot chocolate in a jar and add some fun decorative touches like a fresh clipping of evergreen, wrap fabric over the lid, tie twine or ribbon and add a pretty tag. It not only looks beautiful, but it is so tasty, too! The bonus is this hot cocoa mix is vegan and gluten-free and depending on the ingredients you use, low in refined sugars, as well.
On it’s own or with a nice mug to compliment it, this simple DIY gift is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face! It’s a great hostess gift, it’d perfect for the secret santa giveaway, or just a thoughtful handmade gift for the chocolate loving vegan in your life. This simple ratio of ingredients can also be used to make a small batch for yourself, anytime you’d like!
[print_this]Vegan Candy Cane Hot Cocoa Mix
Fills a 1 quart jar, makes 12 servings- 1 cup powdered non-dairy milk, such as soy or rice (or powdered dairy milk, if you aren’t vegan)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (be sure it is vegan)
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar (or raw cane sugar)*
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup miniature semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup crushed vegan peppermint candy (these particular candy canes are great – no GMOs, no HFCS, no artificial dyes, etc )
Optional:
- 1/2 cup vegan mini marshmallows
- A few additional mini or full-sized candy canes
Layer the powdered non-dairy milk, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, salt, chocolate chips, and peppermint candy. If you’d like, you can add mini marshmallows to the top of the jar, if there is room or attach a plastic bag full to the jar. On the back of the gift tag, write:
“Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. For each serving, place 1/4 to 1/3 cup cocoa mix in a mug and stir in 1 cup boiling water or non-dairy milk. Mix keeps in airtight container at room temperature for up to six months.”
OR
If you wish to leave the powdered milk out, shake all of the remaining ingredients together (you may want to increase the ingredients by 25-50% to fill up the jar without the powdered non-dairy milk). Once fully mixed, add it to the jar and layer marshmallows on top, if there is room. Change the directions on the gift tag to read:
“For each serving, heat 8 ounces of your favorite non-dairy milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot (alternatively, microwave 2-1/2 minutes at full power). Whisk in 1/4 to 1/3 cup hot chocolate mix. Mix keeps in airtight container at room temperature for up to six months.”
*Consider making a homemade vanilla sugar first, using my recipe for vanilla sea salt, replacing the salt with sugar. Use an equal amount of the vanilla sugar instead of plain sugar in in this recipe and it takes it to a whole new level!!
**Note: if your container is a different size, just keep the ratio of ingredients constant.**[/print_this]
This recipe originally appeared on the Free People blog BLDG 25.
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Flavored Finishing Sea Salts
Next in my ongoing series with for Free People of Giftable Recipes, is a simple adaptable recipe/DIY for homade finishing sea salts. These would make the perfect gift for any food-lover (dare I say, foodie, I kinda hate that word). You can really have fun with the flavoring on these, creating your own to suit the tastes of the recipient. Or change it up and make flavored sugars, too.
Plus, you can really have fun with the packaging on these. Package in cute jars, wrap paper or fabric around the lid, finish with ribbons or twine and make fun handmade tags or labels, to really personalize the gift. I kept it simple and just painted the lids with chalkboard paint so I could write what was inside. I plan to actually give these as gifts this year, so I will make some fun personalized gift labels for whoever these end up going to.
Flavored Finishing Sea Salts
Vanilla Sea Salt
This smooth and aromatic salt would be great to rim drinks, for the top of truffles, caramels, cookies and other sweet treats, and don’t let it fool you, it would be great with savory items as well.
1/2 cup sea salt
2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise and scraped, seeds reserved
Remove beans from vanilla pod and mix thoroughly with sea salt. Package in an airtight container of your choice.
Sezchuan Peppercorn Sea Salt
This spicy salt has a kick plus a nice earthy rustic flavor and it would be great on grilled veggies, meat and seafood, popcorn, homemade chips, veggie burgers, stir-fries, etc.
1/4 cup Sezchuan peppercorns (aka Sichuan peppercorns) or any other peppercorn of your choice
1/4 cup sea salt
Dry roast the peppercorns over a medium/high heat in a dry skillet on the stove top for 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool then add to processor (a spice grinder or mortar and pestle would also work) and grind to the size of the sea salt, add the salt to incorporate, pulse a few more times. Package in an airtight container of your choice.
Citrus Sea Salt
This bright and fresh flavored salt would be great on vegetables, grilled or roasted chicken or seafood, shellfish, steamed rice, chocolates, cookies etc.
1/2 cup sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh citrus zest from well scrubbed fruit such as lime, orange, lemon, grapefruit or any combination of those (I used Organic Navel Oranges)
Mix together the zest and the salt, making sure there are no large clumps of the zest. Spread out evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Allow the citrus zest dry out in the oven at 200ºF for about 60 minutes. Once cooled, package in airtight container of your choice.
Lavender Sea Salt
This fragrant and flavorful salt would be great on sweet treats like truffles, chocolates, ice cream, shortbread cookies, scones, etc. Also try it in savory dishes like roasted squash, herbed flatbreads or with grilled chicken , lamb or salmon, etc.
1/4 cup dried lavender (make sure it is culinary grade lavender)
1/2 cup sea salt
Add the dried lavender to your food processor (a spice grinder or mortar and pestle would also work) to quickly chop the lavender, then add the sea salt, whir it together a bit, then package in an airtight container of your choice.
These recipes were originally shared on the Free People Blog BLDG 25. Share your thoughts below on how you would use these particular sea salts or what flavors you would try making yourself?
