Our New Favorite Cold Weather Drink -- Hot Cacao

Our New Favorite Cold Weather Drink — Hot Cacao

When the temperatures drop, we all crave a warm drink to sit with by the tv. My go-to in the colder season is hot chocolate — I could honestly drink it every single night. While it’s supported to #treatyourself to ANY chocolate treat you want, if you’re like me and *indulge* multiple times a week, this recipe can be a healthier take so you can enjoy this warm drink *guilt-free*.

The featured ingredient here is cacao butter [not cocao] — the pure, cold-pressed oil of the cacao bean. You can buy it in solid chunks of *butter* or in powder form — I bought my cacao butter at Whole Foods. It is *expensive* but you only need to use a little bit ++ it has a very long shelf life of over 2 years, so it can be worth the splurge. If you don’t have or cannot get cacao butter, you can follow a similar recipe by adding more cocoa powder + sugar — 2 extra tbsp cocoa powder with 1-2 tbsp sugar.

I’ve loved using cacao butter as a sweetener for my coffee + matcha [ switch out sugar or part of creamer + add in a chunk of cacao butter] because it adds a creamy, almost white chocolate taste to the mix, without adding any sugar ++ adds in healthy fats + antioxidants!

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups Milk of Choice — I used Lactose-Free
2-3 Chunks Cacao Butter
2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Scoop Collagen* optional
Pinch of Sea Salt
Sweetener [I used a little bit of honey + a tbsp of sugar]

DIRECTIONS

#1] Combine milk + cocoa powder in a saucepan + simmer on low-medium heat for about 3-4 minutes to warm everything up. Be careful not to burn the mixture — if bubbles start to form, lower the heat!
#2] Add in cacao butter + stir the mixture until chunks are dissolved.
#3] Take off heat.
#4] Add in collagen powder + stir.
#5] Add in vanilla, salt ++ sweetener.
#6] Top with anything you want — try cinnamon, pumpkin spice, or espresso dust!

If you’re missing the sweetness of regular hot chocolate, try adding in some more honey as a natural sweetener.

This drink is filled with collagen + healthy fats, making your *treat* into more of a healthy snack you can enjoy anytime you want ; ).