The best healthy hot chocolate recipe
Hot chocolate doesn’t have to be reserved for winter. This cacao and essential oil drink recipe is sure to be a year-round favourite.
Yes, you read that correctly. Essential oils can be added to your favourite hot drink. And what better drink to enhance with essential oils than a healthy hot chocolate, or in this case, hot, dairy-free raw cacao.
Both cacao and essential oils have been used for thousands of years as powerful health elixirs so it makes sense to pair these two nourishing ingredients together.
Where does cacao come from?
Cocoa beans are found in large pods on trees in Mexico, Central and South America. The difference between cacao and cocoa is that cocoa is roasted at high temperatures that kills all the goodness.
Cacao is cold pressed from roasted beans which preserves the natural enzymes and incredible health benefits. This process actually removes the fat content which is the “butter” part. The buttery part contributes to the smooth creaminess of chocolate and has no sweetness.
It’s not clear when the first cacao beans were consumed but we do know that it was the Mayan and Aztec people who first made it into a drink. Cacao as a beverage was used in many rituals and ceremonies, especially weddings. It’s thought that this is where the connection between chocolate and love blossomed.
Our love and – let’s be honest – our incessant obsession for chocolate, has inspired the health-conscious among us to turn to raw cacao as a way to feed our chocolate habit while boosting our wellbeing.
Health benefits of raw cacao
Here just a few of the substances and antioxidants found in cacao that keep our mind, body and emotions in tiptop shape. And they’re irresistible reasons to add cacao and essential oils to your pantry staples…
- Anandamine, to make us feel all happy and blissful
- Resveratro, the same stuff in red wine that keeps our nervous system safe
- Magnesium, to relax muscles and support brain function
- Theobromine, which is nature’s cough medicine
- Phenethylamine, which gives the same feels as falling in love
- Flavanols, anti-inflammatories to keep cardiovascular systems pumping
Health benefits of essential oils
Just as cacao does, essential oils provide many health benefits…
- Aroma is direct pathway to our brain…the limbic area in fact, where our memory is housed and mood is regulated. The aroma of your chosen essential oils will be anchored to the blissful feeling when sipping on your hot choccie. You can whip your essential oil out at a later date and smell straight out of the bottle to ignite those feel good hormones.
- Essential oils are an effective immune system support and do a wonderful job of fighting of the bugs.
- And don’t forget the mood support and relief they can provide to moments of stress or overwhelm.
Healthy hot chocolate recipe
My hot chocolate recipe is ever popular so it’s a pleasure to share it with you too.
Ingredients
200ml almond milk
50ml purified water
½ tablespoon ghee or coconut oil
½ tablespoon raw cacao powder
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla powder (if you have it)
½ teaspoon Xylitol or Dash Maple Syrup
Essential Oils – My Favourite Options:
1 drop of Cinnamon
1 drop each of Cinnamon + Cardamom
1 drop of Peppermint
1 drop of Ginger or Ginger + Cinnamon
TOOTHPICK METHOD: Take a toothpick and place it in the opening of the essential oil bottle to collect essential oil. Swirl the toothpick into your hot chocolate once it’s been properly blended/stirred.
Thermomix method
- Heat all your ingredients except essential oils for 3 minutes at 85 degrees on SP3.
- Add your choice of essential oils.
- Blend for 10 seconds on SP 7.
Stove top
- Heat milk, sweetener, cacao powder, water, vanilla and ghee. Stir constantly until milk is warm.
- Take the pot off the heat just before boiling, when milk is steaming.
- Add your choice of essential oil
- Whisk or blend together.
Tips:
- Pour boiling water into your mug to warm it up before pouring in your hot choccie.
- Always use non-dairy milk for maximum absorption of cocao’s antioxidants.
You may also like:
How to make your own healthy chocolate.
You can buy your essential oils here.
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