Nourishing honey sweetened hot chocolate?!
I have fond childhood memories of my grandma making hot chocolate for me {she called it hot cocoa}. When I would visit her, she would make me hot cocoa every morning as soon as I woke up. It was such a special treat and I always knew she made it for me with lots of love.
I want my girls to be able to enjoy hot chocolate the way I did as a little girl. But I’m not okay with the mainstream packaged versions or the kind made with syrups or powders.
All of the mainstream kinds of hot chocolate are full of refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup. No thanks!
My version uses nourishing ingredients and is heated at a low temperature so it retains most of the beneficial nutrients.
Both Little Love and Tiny Love are fond of nourishing honey sweetened hot chocolate just like me. It is a favorite in our home during the colder months and holiday months.
This nourishing honey sweetened hot chocolate is the perfect treat on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning too!
Nourishing Honey Sweetened Hot Chocolate
Nourishing Honey Sweetened Hot Chocolate
This real food Nourishing Honey Sweetened Hot Chocolate is chocolaty and comforting like the old fashioned kind we all grew up with. This version has lots of optional nourishing add-ins.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder (<-- this is the fair-trade cocoa I use)
- 2 tablespoons raw honey {I use local raw clover creamed}
- 2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
- 3 cups raw/organic/grass-fed whole milk {See About page for Resources, scroll down to bottom of page}
Instructions
- Add milk to a medium-size saucepan and heat over low heat for about 7 minutes or until desired temperature.
- In a small bowl, combine cacao powder, honey and vanilla. Stir until it makes a paste. This helps break up any cacao lumps.
- Add cacao mixture to the warm milk, stir until cacao mixture has completely dissolved.
- Serve immediately and top with optional homemade honey sweetened whipped cream or homemade marshmallows.
Notes
You Will Need: Medium-Size Saucepan, Small Bowl
Note: Recipe can easily be doubled.
Optional Nourishing Add-Ins:
- Pasture Butter ... yes butter! It's absolutely delicious + creamy + rich. I add about 1 tablespoon to mine. I like this + this brand.
- Grass-fed Collagen ... I use this because it's high in protein, dissolves in liquid + does not alter the flavor. It's known for having gut-healing properties + known for strengthening bones + teeth. A win win if you ask me! I add about 2 tablespoons {or more} which equals about 10 grams of protein. I love this grass-fed collagen. My family uses it daily.
- Cinnamon makes a lovely addition too. I love this organic cinnamon that supports the protection of the orangutan. I use about 1/4 teaspoon for the whole batch.
- Celtic Sea Salt ... a little pinch of salt tastes delicious + adds a little bit of savory to the sweet. It also adds a small amount of extra nutrients + minerals. Unrefined sea salt is actually very good for your health {table salt - not so much}. This is my absolute favorite brand. I usually add just a pinch of sea salt ... about 1/16 of a teaspoon {I don't measure it, I just sprinkle a dash in}.
- Grass-fed Gelatin ... instead of the collagen. I only use gelatin when I'm not using collagen and when I want a foamy "marshmallowy" top. To get the delicious thick foam on top, place heated hot chocolate in a high-powered blender, add desired amount of gelatin {I usually add 1-2 tablespoons} and blend for at least 25 seconds. Pour into cup and enjoy all of that yummy foam. My kids love it this way. I love this brand of grass-fed gelatin. It has the same benefits as the collagen listed above + has a good amount of protein.
Dairy-Free Option: Substitute full-fat coconut milk for the raw milk. I use this BPA free organic coconut milk that has no added guar gum.
Recommended Products
-
Pyrex Smart Essentials 8-Piece Mixing Bowl Set -
Silicone Spatula - 6 Spatulas Silicone Heat Resistant - Mini Rubber Spatula Set - Cooking Spatulas for Nonstick Cookware - Colorful Baking Kitchen Spatula Set - One Piece Design Spoon (Multicolor) -
Pyrex Prepware 8-Cup Measuring Cup, Clear with Red Lid and Measurements
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 229 Total Fat: 9g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 24mg Sodium: 106mg Carbohydrates: 28g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 24g Protein: 9g
Are you on Pinterest? I pin lots of yummy real food recipes + more there. I have a board just for Gluten Free Treats and Beverages too! Come follow along.
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This is DELICIOUS!!! Thanks for posting this!!
Thank you 🙂
I love how easy this looks and that there is only a few ingredients. I can’t wait to make it!
I hope you enjoy it! It is so simple, and the nice things is it’s not a science, so really you can add any amounts of the cacao or honey, you can alter it completely to your liking 🙂 Take care.
This looks so delicious and a great treat! Thank you so much for sharing your great recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you will have a fabulous week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Honey hot chocolate sounds delicious, thanks for sharing with the Hearth and Soul.
Thanks Miz Helen! Hope you have a fabulous week too!
Thanks Melynda and thanks for hosting 🙂
That looks so delicious and I bet it would be just as good with a milk substitute. Thanks for sharing it at Gluten-Free Wednesdays!
Thanks Linda, thanks for hosting too.
Hi Emily, thanks for sharing the hot chocolate recipe with us. Sounds delicious. Will have to try it this winter and it just might become a favourite!! I recently found your blog and am now a follower. Please pop on over and visit my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. I would love that. Hugs, Chris
This is the only recipe I’ve used since you posted this! I now add a pinch of sea salt and a tsp or 2 coconut oil – yum!
Thank you Lorie!!! That sounds lovely with the added sea salt and coconut oil too. Take care.
This is amazing! I agree with the other readers its so yummy!!! Our family can’t stop making it now that its cold out. Its a great substitute for Swiss miss which is chock full of sugar. Thank you so much for posting and sharing your recipe!
Thank you, you’re so kind. We love it too, it’s a favorite when the weather gets colder. Best wishes to you and your family 🙂
We get our Raw milk from Claravale as well. I thought I recognized that bottle! lol We get ours through real food bay area.com for anyone that’s interested and can’t find it in a store. Sadly I can’t have the milk *sobs* I wonder if this would be good with coconut milk. mmmmm
Coconut milk would be delicious! I’ve heard that’s a great resource in the Bay Area for real food 🙂
Thanks for stopping by! Be well.
Perfect! Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.
Hope you enjoy it!
I love your idea to mix the cacao and honey before you put it in! What a great idea! I am doing that next time! It is definitely hot cocoa season! Pretty picture too!
Thanks Renee! I bet the girls would love to mix up the cacao and honey, Little Love enjoys it.
This is the right inspiration at the right time – my daughters flask needs something warm for a forrest day in her Kindergarten. Great idea to mix honey and cocoa – we always used hot water, but the honey method doesn’t dilute the milk! Do you heat the milk to just 40 C to keep it raw and keep honey benefits?
I hope she has a great day on forrest day. I don’t really worry about the actual temperature, I don’t own a thermometer either. I have always read that even if you’re heating your raw milk, you’re still getting a better quality milk. To be honest I don’t always use raw milk because it’s not always in our budget. But when I do use it, I just warm it for longer over a low temperature – so it never boils, just gets it to a very warm drinking temperature. The WAPF site says, “Gentle heating is probably okay, such as putting cheese in an omelet, warming milk (but not more than you can touch it without burning).”
Delicious!!! I want a mug full right now. 🙂 great recipe:)
Thank you!
Hot chocolate is my one and only vice:)…well one of three maybe…
LOL you crack me up Linda. I sure love it too.
This looks so good! I can’t wait to try it. 🙂
Thanks! I hope you get to.
Hi Emily,
This brings such sweet memories of my childhood and the hot chocolate that my Mother used to make. This recipes sounds so delicious and I love that you use grass fed organic Milk. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays Pinned & tweeted!
I love that you have special memories like that about hot chocolate too 🙂 Thank you so much for the pin and tweet!
Hi Emily,
Just a note to let you know that I have chosen your post as one of my features for this weeks Real Food Fridays blog hop that goes live every Thursday @ 7pm EST. Thank you sharing and being part of our mission to make it a healthier world.
Thank you so much Maria! I really appreciate it. 🙂
Why have I never thought of this????? Great idea.
It’s awesome stuff! I hop you get to try some Megan! 🙂
I swear you created this recipe for me. This clearly beats coffee!
LOL yes it’s beat coffee any day for sure! xo
It’s amazing how many healthy goodies you can get in a cup of hot cocoa!! Some excellent ideas on the add ins and beauty in the simplicity!
Thank you Tessa! It’s one of my favorite things, so I try to pack as much as I can in it. 🙂