The cold weather is here, and that means hot chocolate season is back. But let's be honest about what most people are drinking. A packet of powder, a few grams of real cocoa if you're lucky, and a long list of fillers and sugar.
You can do so much better in about five minutes. Real hot chocolate starts with real cacao. When you use raw organic cacao powder you get the deep, almost wine-like chocolate flavor the cheap stuff can only imitate. You also get the magnesium, the antioxidants, and the natural mood lift that come with the real thing.
Here is how I make it on a cold night.
Real Hot Chocolate From Scratch
Makes 1 big mug
- 2 tablespoons raw organic cacao powder
- 1 cup milk of your choice (whole milk, oat, or almond all work)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey, to taste
- A pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Warm the milk in a small pot over medium heat until it is steaming, not boiling.
- Whisk in the cacao powder a little at a time so it dissolves smooth with no clumps.
- Add the sweetener, the pinch of salt, and the vanilla. Whisk again.
- Taste and adjust. Pour into your favorite mug and drink it slow.
That pinch of salt is the secret. It wakes up the chocolate and makes everything taste richer without adding more sugar.
This is the base recipe. Once you have it down you can build on it all winter long, which is exactly what we are going to do over the next few posts.
Want to make yours with cacao you can actually feel good about? Buy it here.