Hot Coco-Cocoa

 

You might have guessed that a warming and calming beverage article wouldn’t be complete without cocoa. Cocoa is the solid portion of chocolate (cocoa butter is the fat portion), and it’s where all of those healing compounds live. They give us a happy and energized yet calm and satisfied feeling when we consume it. Enjoy this homemade version of an all-time favorite.

Hot Coco-Cocoa

Ingredients

 13 oz light coconut milk

 1 ¼ cups plant-based milk (+¼ as desired, unsweetened)

 ¼ cup cocoa powder (fair trade)

 1 pinch salt (optional)

 2 tbsp date syrup (or another sweetener of choice, more as desired, to taste)

Directions

1

In a pot on medium heat, combine all ingredients (starting with 1 ¼ cups of milk), and whisk until cocoa is well incorporated.

2

Continue to whisk occasionally until very hot but not boiling (4–8 minutes).

3

Taste test, and add remaining milk to thin if desired, and any sweetener to taste.

4

Reheat if needed, and serve in individual mugs (see ideas for serving and leftovers)!

Chef's Notes

Coconut Milk
Light coconut milk provides a rich coconut flavor without the extra fat of regular coconut milk.

Cocoa
You can use regular cocoa powder, but Dutch-processed cocoa powder has a richer, less bitter flavor, since it has been processed to reduce its acidity. Read about the importance of fairly traded cocoa powder in this article from our blog.

Idea!
Try this hot cocoa topped with fresh, thinly sliced organic strawberries. Also, as a light dessert item, serve topped with a non-dairy whipped cream and sprinkled with toasted coconut and grated dark chocolate.

Extras?
If you have too much, let cool and then pour into popsicle molds and freeze for later.

https://foodrevolution.org/recipes/hot-coco-cocoa/