This Vegan Black Forest Gateau Hot Chocolate is the perfect combination of chocolate, cherry and cream. Get the recipe below.

Spiked hot chocolate

I am all about adding a splash of booze to a mug of hot chocolate. It just gives the drink and extra warmth which is much needed on cold winter nights.

There are lots of different types of alcohol you can add to a hot chocolate but in this recipe for my Vegan Black Forest Gateau Hot Chocolate I add a shot or two of cherry brandy to add a sweet note you don't normally get when making hot chocolate from scratch.

What is cherry brandy and is it vegan?

Believe it or not, cherry brandy may not be brandy at all! It is often made by macerating cherries in a neutral spirit, like vodka, rather than brandy. They are also sometimes flavoured with spices like cinnamon and cloves.

Regardless of whether or not it's actually a type of brandy, it's still vegan making it perfect for a recipe such as this.

The sweet cherry flavour and subtle spices make this drink ideal for the colder winter months.

What are maraschino cherries and are they vegan?

Maraschino cherries are cherries that have been preserved in a syrup. They are packed full of sweet, cherry flavour.

One thing to be cautious of with maraschino cherries is that some varieties are BRIGHT red. They get this colouration from food dye which, sadly, is often not vegan. The colour is called carmine and is an insect-derived red food colouring that comes from cochineal bugs. Gross right! Just check the jar before you buy.

You could use glace cherries or fresh cherries instead but I think maraschino cherries taste best.

Making hot chocolate from scratch

There's very little involved in making vegan hot chocolate from scratch.

All you need is a vegan dark chocolate and your favourite plant milk.

I always recommend you choose a good quality chocolate as it will taste so much better if you do. The percentage of the dark chocolate you buy is up to you. A good 70% dark chocolate is nice and bitter and works well with the cherry brandy.

Any plant milk will do but I like the sweet nuttiness of almond milk. The choice, however, is yours.

Once you have your chocolate and milk, you just chop the chocolate finely, heat the milk and then pour the milk over the chocolate. The hot milk melts the chocolate and you get this wonderful, velvety chocolate drink.

Add the cherry brandy and then serve with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry!

It really is that simple

The recipe