This healthy homemade hot chocolate recipe is just the decadent, cozy indulgence you’ve been looking for. With ingredients like raw cacao, coconut oil and nut milk you’ll be sipping a healthy treat is easy to make and sure to warm the soul.
Are you ready for the creamiest, most decadent hot chocolate recipe? My guess is, YES! Not only is this recipe insanely yummy, it delivers a power packed punch of nutrition! Did you know that chocolate in it’s raw form is a super food? This recipe is a win-win and I’ve been excited to share it! My whole family has been enjoying it and I can feel good that I’m not loading them down with synthetic ingredients and too much sugar.
Benefits of Raw Cacao:
Raw cacao is the unprocessed version of the cacao bean. Because it is unprocessed, all it’s beneficial properties are kept in tact. It has 60-90% of it’s antioxidants still present that would be lost in the processing.
- Full of Antioxidants-In fact, cacao has 40x the antioxidants than blueberries! (it’s ORAC score is 98,000 per 100g) Antioxidants absorb free radicals which are invaders in our body causing cell and tissue damage as well as diseases like cancer. Free radicals are often known to cause premature aging.
- Contains more calcium that cow’s milk(cacao:160mg per 100g/milk 125mg per 100ml).
- Great for gut health (thanks to fiber and antioxidants)
- Increases blood flow which helps to lower blood pressure
- Large amounts of Magnesium
- Large amounts of Iron (in fact, it’s the highest plant based source of iron you can get!)
- Improves brain function
- Contains “happy chemicals” likeserotonin, tryptophan,tyrosineandphenylethylamine!
Raw cacao contains anandamide which is considered an endocannabinoid which isa substance produced within the body that binds to cannabinoid receptors.
Cacao is rich in theobromine, a long-lasting stimulant more mellow than caffeine and without the ‘caffeine crash’; effect, making it a healthier alternative to coffee.
Raw cacao is bitter in flavor but when added to milk, oils and/or cream all you taste is the rich chocolate flavor we’re all after when making a warm, satisfying cup of hot chocolate. I can not tell a difference between raw cacao and cocoa powder.
Related Post: Homemade Matcha Latte (Dairy Free)
Benefits of Unrefined Coconut Oil:
I discovered a while ago that adding coconut oil to coffee is actually a really yummy way to reap the benefits of this superfood. It’s so much yummier than it sounds and you’ll love how frothy it makes hot drinks after you blend it!
- High in healthy fats (medium chain fatty acids) which give you energy rather then store as fat
- Anti-bacterial
- Anti-viral
- Anti-parasite
- Anti-fungal
- Highly Alkaline which purifies the blood
- Helps regulate blood sugar
- Metabolic stimulator
- Raises good cholesterol while lowering bad cholesterol
- Naturally raises energy
I now add coconut oil to every hot drink!!
Related Post: Homemade Turmeric (Golden Milk) Latte
Ok, enough talking, let’s get right into it!
Healthy Hot Chocolate Recipe:
- 1 cup almond milk or cashew milk (I like almond)
- *1 tablespoonraw cacao (find it HERE)
- 1 tablespoonorganic maple syrup (find it HERE)
- 1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil (find it HERE)
- **1/8 teaspoon ceylon cinnamon (find it HERE)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ***1/8 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
Homemade Healthy Hot Chocolate Recipe
Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
This healthy hot chocolate recipe is not only easy to make, it's so creamy and yummy. You can finally feel good about this chocolate indulgence!
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond milk or cashew milk (I like almond)
- *1 tablespoonraw cacao
- 1 tablespoonorganic maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
- **1/8 teaspoon ceylon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ***1/8 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a medium pot and heat on the stove top.
- Once thoroughly heated, transfer to a blender-I prefer a magic bullet.
- Blend for 30 seconds-1 minute.
- Tranfer to a cup and enjoy!
Notes
- *Cocoa powder will work but it's not beneficial to your health like raw cacao.
- **Regular cinnamon will work fine. I'm learning that ceylon cinnamon is where the health benefits are at and I'm starting to use it instead of cinnamon in the future. I've heard it's sweeter then the regular cinnamon.
- ***Regular salt works fine too!
- Any sugar will do if you don't have maple syrup. You can use honey as well. Sometimes I prefer using brown sugar instead for added flavor.
- Coconut oil is not 100% necessary but it adds to the "healthy" aspect of the recipe and the coconut flavor works well with the cacao. It also froths the drink nicely after blended.
Did you make this recipe?
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Recipe Notes:
- *Cocoa powder will work but it’s not as beneficial to your health like raw cacao.
- **Regular cinnamon will work fine. I’ve learned that ceylon cinnamon is where the health benefits are at and I’m starting to use it instead of cinnamon in the future. I’ve heard it’s sweeter then the regular cinnamon.
- ***Regular salt works fine too!
- Any sugar will do if you don’t have maple syrup. You can use honey as well. Sometimes I prefer using brown sugar instead for added flavor. I also have added coconut sugar from Trader Joe’s which turned out great as well!
- Coconut oil is not 100% necessary but it adds to the “healthy” aspect of the recipe and the coconut flavor works well with the cacao. It also froths the drink nicely after blended.
- Sometimes when I feel like being extra indulgent and not extra healthy, I add a splash of heavy whipping cream.
Related Post: Healthy Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte
I LOVE this recipe! It’s not too sweet but so satisfying when I’m in need of a cozy drink.
I have aspirations of making my own marshmallows but haven’t ventured there yet. Marshamallows contain gelatin and can actually be semi healthy-the sugar screws them up but by making your own you can omit a lot of dodgy ingredients. Check out THIS recipe if you’re interested.
xx, Jenni
