Hot cocoa or hot chocolate has been one of my favorite things ever since I was little. Unfortunately what I had when I was younger was the very processed, very sugary, completely fake Swiss Miss from a package, mixed with hot water. It tasted good at the time, but it was definitely not good for me!
Hot cocoa does not have to be hard to make to be tasty, and it doesn't have to be loaded with fat and sugar either! My version is light, satisfying, and won't cause any blood sugar spikes, as it has virtually ZERO sugar. Cocoa is also rich in flavanoids and good fats. You could have this every day!
"Good For You" Hot Cocoa.
makes one serving (mine is a large 16 oz mug)
2 tsp - 1.5 Tbsp* unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch or two of real salt, to taste!
1 cup unsweetened organic almond milk (I like to add a touch of stevia, vanilla and real salt right to the carton to make it taste better); you can also use whatever other milk suits your fancy; I also recommend coconut milk, raw goat milk, and raw cows milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 dropper Stevia clear liquid (adjust to desired level of sweetness)
8-16 oz boiling water (depending on the size of the mug and how rich / thick you want it)
To make your hot cocoa:
1) Boil water.
2) In a small saucepan, heat up almond milk gently on the stove. Stir frequently!
3) In a dry mug, add cocoa powder and sea salt.
4) When water is boiled, let it settle, then pour about 1/4 cup into mug with cocoa powder.
5) Use a small whisk, or spoon, and stir vigorously, to incorporate all cocoa powder, and to be sure there are no lumps.
6) Slowly pour in hot almond milk. Stir, stir, stir!
7) Add vanilla and stevia. Stir. Taste. Top it off with some more hot water. Adjust if needed. You can't add more chocolate at this point, however, otherwise it will clump!
8) Enjoy your piping hot delicious chocolate beverage :) This does make enough for two people to have a cup, so if you're so inclined to share.. then share away! :)
*The reason there is a range on the cocoa powder is because sometimes I want it slightly less chocolatey (yes, that is possible) or sometimes even more chocolatey! There is room to vary it for taste. I usually stick around 1 Tbsp cocoa powder, though. You can use whatever type of cocoa powder you have on hand, just as long as it's unsweetened. I've made this with raw cacao powder, Ghirardelli cocoa powder, and Trader joes cocoa powder; all yield a good result, just with different flavors of chocolate!
This hot cocoa will really warm you up. What a perfect recipe for winter! For even greater warming effect, add a dash of warming spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger!
8 comments:
We made this and the kids and I are disappointed because it's really salty! Yuck. Why does it call for 1/4 tsp of salt?
Anon - I like salt, and it helps to bring out the flavor and the sweeteness. If you're not keen on it, just leave it out next time or only use a pinch!
How much water do you use?
Hi Anon - I updated the recipe. I usually use a large 16 oz mug and fill it up half or 3/4 full. But it really depends on what you desire for richness how much water you add.
A little bit of this, taste, maybe add some more. My kind of cook! I added 1/4 - 1/2 tsp coconut oil. Yummy!
Add a pinch of salt and go up from there if desired! WAY too salty for my own preference. I ended up adding three to four times more stevia/honey to get away from it, but it still wasn't enough. A pinch would have been sufficient...I'm sure other than the salt it would have been delicious.
Hi anon - sorry about your experience. Everyone's level of salt preference is different. I've edited the recipe so other people don't run into your issue. Thanks.
Hello! I know this post is a year old but I was looking for some nice hot chocolate recipes and found yours. Unlike several other commenters, I'd just like to say THANK YOU for sharing! Salt, no salt, whatever - man some people are rude. I haven't tried it yet, but I plan to. Thanks again!
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