It’s winter. Full and proper. And winter is synonymous with rain, indoor fires, wellies by day, slippers by night, thick chunky soup with toasted ciabatta, down duvets and hot chocolate and marshmallows.
I love a spoil (such as hot choc) but can’t get over the sugar laden, fake milk powdery, chemical-and-preservative-filled-nonsense-hot-choc. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that it isn’t delicious (it certainly is) but it’s not at all healthy. And since you can’t NOT have hot choc in winter – I made it my mission to find a healthier alternative.
I’m happy to report, I found 3 very good options (ranging in simplicity and preference):
1. The Red Basket Food Company’s Warm/Cold Chocolate:
This is simple: its a pre-made hot (or cold) choc powder ready to mix with warm or cold milk/water and voia la. It’s pretty decent tasting as far as a substitute goes and my 3yr old taste tester really enjoys it.
(Ingredients are: Isomalt, Cocoa (26%), Coconut Oil, MCT Oil, Sunflower Lecithin, Stevia, Xanthin Gum)
2. Superfoods Organic Cacao Powder (Raw Chocolate): MY FAVE
Superfoods have a great range of healthy healthy healthy powders, butters, seeds, berries and smoothie mixes. You can read up on the benefits of cacao powder here. The organic raw cacao powder can be mixed raw sugar (or honey) and milk to make a delicious and rich hot choc. I love the Superfoods range. Again, a real winner. I’d encourage you to sprinkle some organic cacao nibs on top on particularly cold nights.
3. Dairy-Free Mind Body Green Healthy Hot Choc (this one is a bit more higher grade – for those who are keen to give a slightly more complicated recipe a go…)
This version of hot chocolate is the perfect dairy-free alternative to the popular beverage. The recipe is full of minerals and healthy fats, including magnesium, silica, and omega-3 fatty acids. Raw cocoa, hemp hearts, Medjool dates, raw honey, vanilla powder, and cinnamon are the ingredients necessary for this recipe. You can experiment by adding other super foods such as goji berries and pre-soaked chia seeds. It is advised to start slowly until you become accustomed to these nutrient-dense foods.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ Tbsp. of raw cocoa (you can use a melted chocolate bar if you prefer, but choose a high quality, fair-trade one with 70 to 80% cocoa and minimal added sugar)
- 2 Tbsp hemp hearts
- 2 Medjool dates
- 1 Tbsp raw honey (more if you like)
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Preparation
Add all ingredients to your high-speed blender.
Bring 2 ½ cups of water to boil. (You can simply warm the water to the desired temperature if you prefer keeping the cocoa raw and all the enzymes intact.)
Blend and pour into your favorite cup.
Enjoy whether you’re in the midst of snow and ice or someplace warmer.
So – the moral of the story is clear. Don’t hold back. There’s no need to deny yourself this winter essential, in fact, we encourage you to dive in and go wild.
Pssssst… while on the hunt for healthy hot choc, I found this recipe for healthy CHOCOLATE and had everything in my pantry to make them – so I thought I’d add it to this post…
Directions for real, raw healthy chocolates (from Superfoods themselves) to eat alongside your real rich healthy hot choc (I mean – why not).
Ingredients
- 100g cacao butter
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- Honey
- 100g cacao powder
- 1 tsp vanilla powder (I’d use extract)
Preparation
Melt the cacao butter and coconut oil in a double boiler.
Add the melted liquid to your blender and add honey.
Slowly add the cacao powder and vanilla and blend on low speed until mixed. All ingredients can be mixed by hand if you don’t have a blender.
Pour into ice cube trays (or cupcake wrappers) and set in the fridge.
… and don’t forget to add your homemade marshmallows. The options really are endless.
What’s your fave warm winter bevvie?
