Salted Vanilla Caramel Hot Chocolate

In honor of #NationalCaramelDay, I wanted to whip up something super decadent and yummy.

The mornings in AZ have still been cool for Spring and that is definitely something that needs to be celebrated. 

A lovely little company, Cocomels, created a caramel that is dairy-free and made of coconut milk and though I've been noshing on them every once in a while as a treat, I wanted to use them in a recipe. And today lent the perfect excuse to make a warm, sweet beverage with breakfast. 

I also have to note, this post is not sponsored, I just like to celebrate small companies who offer clean, dairy-free, vegan options from time to time. And I got really excited about them. 

I know some parts of the U.S. are still blanketed by snow (I don't know how you all do it. Beach please! So this is wonderful for warming those tummies as you wait for Spring thaw. 

The balance of salty + sweet also makes it a perfect stand-alone treat or you can serve it with a savory breakfast. I enjoyed mine with eggs over a bed of greens for a well-rounded culinary experience. Nom nom. 

I made mine in the slow cooker early this morning while I did my prayers and devotions and some blog work before venturing in to make breakfast, but you could definitely make this quickly if you're looking to whip up a quick hot cocoa. You can do so by melting down the ingredients individually and mixing it in with your dairy-free milk of choice. Though in my personal opinion, if you have the time, I think slow-cooking it really helps marry the deep cocoa, salt, vanilla and caramel flavors together for a taste that is just out of this world. 

Ingredients:
4 cups dairy-free milk of choice. (I opted for almond milk for a nutty flavor, but coconut or rice work too!) 
2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life dark for this cocoa) 
½ cup dairy-free caramels, unwrapped and chopped in half. (I use Cocomels) 
1 teaspoon organic vanilla
sprinkle of cinnamon (optional, but anti-inflammatory so I throw it in everything) 
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
dairy-free whipped cream (I used SoDelicious whip to pipe on, but you can make your own from a coconut milk can) 
​Extra caramels for topping 

Directions: 
Add milk of choice, vanilla, chocolate chips and caramels to the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. If not completely liquefied, continue to cook on low and watch it until desired consistency is reached. 

Stir and pour into mugs. Melt down additional caramel. (Use CAUTION when doing so. I may have gotten a burn this morning.) Top with coconut whip and drizzle hot caramel on. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips and enjoy! 

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What's your favorite hot beverage to enjoy? 

If you enjoyed my Salted Vanilla Caramel Hot Chocolate Pin It Below! 

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