Delectable Drinking Chocolate

This recipe has a number of options to suit your needs! You can make it with dairy free dark chocolate if you already have an all time favourite you can't go past, you could make bulk in a powder form and store it in the cupboard so you always have access to your homemade drinking chocolate in times of need or just make it up with cacao as needed.

It is certainly a you do you recipe and boy it is so delicious that you will want to have access to it all day every day. The sugar content seems like a lot when you read the recipe especially since I am all for no sugar consumption and low sugar consumption of natural sugars but cacao is incredibly bitter and certainly always needs something to kind of balance it out. This recipe calls for unrefined sugar and allows you to determine how sweet you would like it allowing you to control the sugar amount.

Cacao vs. Cocoa: initially they look the same however, raw cacao powder is made by cold pressing unroasted cocoa beans keeping the enzymes in the cacoa and removing the fat (the cacao butter).

Cocoa however is produced by roasting at high temperatures ultimately changing the molecular structure of the cocoa bean reducing not only its enzyme content but lowering the overall nutritional value of cocoa.

Yield: 6 mugsAuthor: Sofie Van Kempen

Delectable Drinking Chocolate

prep time: 5 minscook time: total time: 5 mins

ingredients:

2 1/2 cups non dairy milk
30g raw cacao powder
60g coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch sea salt

Optional

Alternatively you could melt down 1 cup pure dairy free dark chocolate such as loving earth instead of using the cacao & coconut sugar and mix through a tsp of honey into your mug once made.
In replacement of coconut sugar you could use Rapadura or raw honey just mix the raw honey through your mug once made approx a tsp or to taste.

instructions:

Blend cacao, coconut sugar, cinnamon & vanilla bean powder (if using) into a fine powder in a food processor. (Once blended you can store in the cupboard in an airtight jar and use any time using approx 1/2 - 1 tbsp a drink)
Add dairy free milk to a small sauce pan or milk jug attached to a coffee machine if you have one.
Simmer milk over medium heat add ingredients in or dark chocolate and whisk vigorously to combine.
Once combined, remove from heat and pour into mugs to serve. (if adding vanilla extract not powder add now). Taste and adjust as needed, increasing or decreasing sweetness add more milk if to strong and remember to adjust for next time.
Store leftover drinking chocolate in the fridge covered for up to a few days. Or store powder in the cupboard for 2-3 months.