To make high-protein hot chocolate, stir a chocolate bone broth protein mix into warm milk, or boost regular cocoa with protein-rich foods like Greek yogurt, soy milk or soft tofu. A cup of homemade hot cocoa has about 9g of protein, according to USDA data. The five methods below come in between about 18g and 25g, and most don't need a blender.
In this article
- How much protein is in regular hot chocolate?
- 1. The five-minute scoop: bone broth hot chocolate (about 22g)
- 2. Peanut butter hot chocolate (about 25g)
- 3. Caffeine-free mocha latte (about 22g)
- 4. Greek yogurt hot chocolate, no mix (about 22g)
- 5. Dairy-free blender cocoa with soy milk and tofu (about 18g)
- Tips for a smooth, clump-free cup
- Is high-protein hot chocolate OK for kids or before bed?
- Quick answers
- Sources
With three boys at home, I want our hot chocolate to count for something. First, how much protein is in a regular cup. Then five ways to raise it, from a single scoop to two from-scratch versions with no mix at all.
How much protein is in regular hot chocolate?
Less than most people think, and most of it comes from the milk. Here's one serving of each, using USDA FoodData Central.
| One serving | Protein | Sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Homemade hot cocoa, 1 cup with milk | About 9g | About 24g |
| Cocoa mix made with water, 6 oz | About 2g | About 19g |
| Whole milk alone, 1 cup | About 8g | About 12g (natural lactose) |
A packet mixed with water is mostly sugar with a couple grams of protein. Even a real milk-based cocoa stays under 10g. Each method below roughly doubles or triples that.
1. The five-minute scoop: bone broth hot chocolate (about 22g)
This is the one I make most. One 21g scoop of our Classic Chocolate Bone Broth Protein Mix has 14g of protein, 10g+ of naturally occurring collagen, 0g sugar and 3g of carbs, and it tastes like real hot chocolate, not broth.
- Heat 1 cup (8 oz) of milk until it steams. Don't let it boil.
- Put the scoop in your mug with 2 tablespoons of the hot milk and stir into a smooth paste.
- Pour in the rest while stirring, or froth for 10 seconds.
With dairy milk it comes to about 22g of protein. With almond milk it's about 15g, and with water, 14g. Our recipe card uses 10 oz of milk, which brings the dairy version to about 24g. Every nutrition number for each flavor is on our Rae Basics facts page, and the full method, with salt and vanilla, is our Protein Hot Chocolate recipe. If you're wondering whether this kind of cocoa is actually good for you, I answered that in is bone broth hot chocolate good for you.
2. Peanut butter hot chocolate (about 25g)
Make the cup above, then whisk in 1 tablespoon of smooth peanut butter while the milk is still hot. USDA lists about 3.5g of protein per tablespoon, and it tastes like a warm peanut butter cup. It's rich, so I'd save it for a cold afternoon rather than right before a big dinner. Want it cold instead? Our Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie is the blended version.
3. Caffeine-free mocha latte (about 22g)
For coffee lovers who want the flavor at 9 p.m. without caffeine: use Mocha instead of Classic Chocolate. It has the coffee taste built in and 0mg of caffeine. Same method, with a pinch of cinnamon on top. That's our Evening Mocha Latte.
4. Greek yogurt hot chocolate, no mix (about 22g)
This is the best from-scratch version I've tried, and it's surprisingly silky.
- Whisk 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and a sweetener you like into 1 cup of milk in a small pot.
- Warm it over medium-low heat until it steams. Don't let it boil.
- Take it off the heat. Put 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt in a bowl and whisk in a few spoonfuls of the hot cocoa to loosen it.
- Whisk the yogurt back into the pot and pour.
By USDA numbers, the milk adds about 8g of protein, the cocoa about 2g and the Greek yogurt about 12g. Keep it below a boil once the yogurt is in, or it can turn grainy. The tang mellows into something close to chocolate cheesecake. How much sugar ends up in the cup depends on what you sweeten it with.
5. Dairy-free blender cocoa with soy milk and tofu (about 18g)
If you need dairy-free and don't have a mix, try this.
- Blend 1 cup of unsweetened soy milk, 1/2 cup of soft tofu, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, a pinch of salt and a sweetener until completely smooth.
- Pour into a small pot and warm gently, stirring, until it steams.
USDA lists about 7g of protein in a cup of soy milk and about 9g in half a cup of soft tofu, plus about 2g from the cocoa. You won't taste the tofu. It just makes the cup thick and creamy. Soy is a major allergen, so skip this one if that's an issue.
For an easier dairy-free cup, method 1 made with oat milk works too, since our Mix gets its creaminess from organic coconut and oat milk instead of dairy. More in our guide to dairy-free bone broth protein.
Tips for a smooth, clump-free cup
- Paste first. Any powder, cocoa or protein, dissolves better if you stir it into a little liquid before adding the rest.
- Steam, don't boil. Boiling scorches milk and makes chocolate taste cooked.
- Salt and vanilla. A tiny pinch of salt and a drop of vanilla make hot chocolate taste richer without more sweetener.
- Froth it. Ten seconds with a handheld frother gives any of these a café-style foam.
Is high-protein hot chocolate OK for kids or before bed?
Classic Chocolate, Mocha and Chai all have 0mg of caffeine. Caffeinated Chocolate has 60mg of natural caffeine per scoop and is meant for adults, so keep it away from kids and out of your evening mug.
For kids, the protein adds up fast: one scoop is 14g, and a preschooler's whole daily target is around 13g to 19g. Most kids already get enough from meals, so I'd treat it as an occasional treat and ask your pediatrician about amounts, especially if your child has a medical condition or a restricted diet. There's more on that in bone broth hot chocolate for kids.
For your own evenings, a warm caffeine-free cup is a nice way to wind down. If you're weighing the coffee side of things, see protein coffee vs regular coffee.
“I usually make my hot chocolate in the evening with warm milk when I want something cozy, especially on nights when I'm craving something sweet.”
Skotie Rae, RN, founder
Quick answers
How can I add protein to hot chocolate without a mix?
Whisk Greek yogurt into warm (not boiling) cocoa, or blend soy milk with soft tofu and cocoa, then heat gently. Both come in around 18g to 22g of protein a cup.
How much protein is in a cup of hot chocolate?
A homemade cup made with milk has about 9g, mostly from the milk. A packet mixed with water has about 2g.
What is the easiest high-protein hot chocolate?
One scoop of Classic Chocolate Bone Broth Protein Mix stirred into 1 cup (8 oz) of steamed milk. That's about 22g of protein with dairy milk, 0g sugar from the Mix, and five minutes.
Can I make protein hot chocolate dairy free?
Yes. Use the Mix with oat or almond milk, or blend soy milk with soft tofu and cocoa.
Why does my protein hot chocolate clump?
The powder hit a lot of hot liquid at once. Stir it into 2 tablespoons of liquid to make a paste first, then add the rest slowly.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central. Milk, chocolate beverage, hot cocoa, homemade (FDC ID 171277). Per cup (250g): about 24g total sugars, 9g protein.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central. Beverages, cocoa mix, powder, prepared with water (FDC ID 174123). Per 6 fl oz: about 19g total sugars, 2g protein.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central. Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat (FDC ID 171265). Per cup (244g): about 8g protein, 12g total sugars.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central. Yogurt, Greek, plain, lowfat (FDC ID 170903). About 10g protein per 100g.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central. Tofu, soft (FDC ID 172449) and Soymilk, unsweetened (FDC ID 175215).
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central. Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened (FDC ID 169593) and Peanut butter, smooth style (FDC ID 172470).
