Quick Collagen Hot Chocolate Recipe (Hot or Iced)

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I’m always looking for simple ways to get a little more protein into my day.

I’m not someone who wants every snack to taste like birthday cake or drink protein shakes morning, noon and night. Sometimes I just want a proper cup of hot chocolate.

This quick collagen hot chocolate recipe has become one of my favourite little daily rituals. It’s rich, chocolatey, not overly sweet and adds around 10g of extra protein thanks to a scoop of collagen peptides.

In winter I make it hot. During summer, I turn it into an iced version, and honestly… I think I might love it even more.

One quick note before we get started: this isn’t one of those “healthy hot chocolate” recipes that asks you to blend dates, coconut cream and six different powders together. If that’s your thing, crack on. But if you just want a proper chocolatey drink with a little extra protein, you’re in the right place.

Collagen Hot Chocolate Recipe – Hot or Iced

Ingredients

Makes 1 serving.

25g 70% dark chocolate (I use the individually wrapped Aldi bars, although the mint version is brilliant too.)
200-250ml oat milk
1 scoop of collagen powder (I’ve been using Naked Collagen (bovine), although Dermatica Collagen (marine) works well too.)

Optional extras

A dash of ground Ceylon (“sweet”) cinnamon.
A pinch of cayenne pepper for a Mexican-inspired hot chocolate.
Swap some of the oat milk for unsweetened almond milk if you’d like a lighter drink.
Coconut milk also works well if you prefer an even creamier texture.

How To Make Your Collagen Hot Chocolate

Heat the oat milk in the microwave for around 2 minutes 20 seconds until hot.
While it’s heating, crush the chocolate using a rolling pin. Because the pieces are so small, they melt almost instantly.
Pour the crushed chocolate into the hot milk.
Add one scoop / serving of collagen protein powder.
Whisk everything together for around 10 seconds until smooth.
Finish with a dash of cinnamon if you’re using it.

That’s it. No saucepan. No blender. No complicated ingredients. Just a rich, silky hot chocolate that tastes like an actual treat.

How To Make An Iced Collagen Hot Chocolate

This is my current summer obsession – especially with the heatwaves we’ve been having recently.

Instead of heating all of the milk:

Heat around 100ml of the oat milk.
Stir in the crushed chocolate until it’s completely melted.
Whisk in your collagen powder.
Add the remaining cold milk.
Pour over a glass filled with ice.

It’s every bit as chocolatey, just a little more refreshing.

Why I Started Adding Collagen

I’ll be honest – I didn’t start drinking collagen because I thought it was going to transform my life overnight.

I simply wanted an easy way to increase my protein intake without having to eat another chicken breast or drink another protein shake.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and is made up of amino acids that help form connective tissues like skin, bones, cartilage and tendons. Whether you decide to take collagen supplements is completely up to you, but I like how easy collagen powder is to stir into hot drinks like this.

It’s one of those tiny habits that takes almost no effort, which means I’m actually consistent with it.

Why I Love This Recipe

For me, this isn’t about chasing the latest health trend. It’s simply an easy habit that’s stuck.

I get:

Around 10g of extra protein.
A genuinely satisfying chocolate fix.
A drink that isn’t sickly sweet.
Something that feels cosy in winter and refreshing in summer.

I also quite often have one in the evening if I’m craving something sweet.

I’ve noticed that if I simply eat chocolate before bed, I sometimes wake up feeling surprisingly hungry. Having this instead seems to satisfy that craving while feeling a little more balanced thanks to the added protein. Of course, that’s just my personal experience rather than a guarantee it’ll be the same for everyone.

Choosing Your Milk

One of the best things about this recipe is how easy it is to adapt.

I usually make mine with oat milk because I love the creamy texture, but almost any milk of choice will work.

Here are a few options:

Oat milk: My favourite. Creamy, slightly sweet and pairs perfectly with dark chocolate.
Almond milk: A lighter option if you want to reduce the calories a little.
Coconut milk: Great if you prefer an even richer, creamier hot chocolate.
Regular or whole milk: Absolutely fine if you don’t need a dairy-free version.

Use whatever you’ve already got in the fridge; there’s no need to buy anything special.

Flavour Variations

Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, there are loads of ways to change it up.

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate

A dash of ground Ceylon (sweet) cinnamon adds warmth and gives the drink the illusion of being sweeter without adding any extra sugar.

Mexican-Inspired Hot Chocolate

If you enjoy a little heat, reduce the amount of il to make your drink thicker then add a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. It pairs surprisingly well with dark chocolate.

Mint Chocolate

Aldi often sell individually wrapped mint dark chocolate bars (and a host of other flavours), which work brilliantly if you fancy something a little different.

Can I Use Protein Powder Instead?

Absolutely.

If you don’t have collagen protein powder, you can use your favourite whey or plant-based protein powder instead.

The flavour and texture will be a little different, so you may need to adjust the amount of milk to get the consistency you like.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use milk chocolate instead?

Of course! It’ll make the drink sweeter, but it’ll still work perfectly.

Is collagen vegan?

No. Most collagen peptides are made from animal sources, so although this recipe can easily be made dairy-free using non-dairy milk, it isn’t suitable for a vegan diet.

Does collagen dissolve easily?

Yes. Once the chocolate has melted, I whisk the collagen into the hot liquid and it’s completely smooth in around 10 seconds.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes. If you’re making the iced version, you can keep it in the fridge for a day and simply give it a quick stir before serving.

Can I make it sweeter?

Definitely. I actually like using 70% dark chocolate because it gives a proper chocolate flavour without being overly sweet, but you can always use milk chocolate or add your preferred sweetener if that’s more your thing.

Sometimes the healthiest habits aren’t the complicated ones.

They’re the ones that fit so easily into your day that you don’t even have to think about them.

This quick collagen hot chocolate recipe has become one of those habits for me. It’s simple, delicious, takes less than five minutes to make and gives me a little protein boost without feeling like I’m “trying to be healthy.”

Whether you’re curled up on the sofa with a steaming mug in the middle of winter or enjoying the iced version in the garden on a hot summer’s day, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

If you give it a go, let me know what you think. And if you discover any other flavour combinations, I’d love to try them too!

Elle