Homemade Hot Cocoa Recipe

February 21, 2022 by Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN

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Cold weather is prime time for hot cocoa, but let’s admit it: There’s never a bad time for a delicious, not-too-sweet cup of “hot chocolate.” Adults and kids alike love it, and it’s great to warm up when you’ve come from the cold or to wind down after a long day.

Most people just make the hot chocolate mix packets sold at the supermarket. And if that’s your only experience with hot chocolate, you’re in for a big surprise. This homemade hot cocoa recipe is super easy to make and contains no nasty extras like the store-bought version!

Regular Hot Chocolate vs. Homemade Hot Chocolate

You might wonder if making your own hot cocoa recipe is worth it. I’m here to tell you that it absolutely is and can be one of the top healthy drinks when made right.

For starters, a hot chocolate mix is about as far from a homemade hot cocoa recipe as you can get. The first item listed is sugar, meaning there’s more sugar than any other ingredient in this highly processed food. That means a cup of hot chocolate will give you a sugar high followed shortly by a sugar crash.

Hot chocolate mixes are also full of ingredients you should avoid, like unnamed “artificial flavors” and hydrogenated coconut oil.

How to Make Hot Cocoa

I vote for skipping the hot chocolate mix altogether and making this hot cocoa recipe instead. It’s made with creamy, heart-healthy coconut milk, so it’s dairy-free. Coconut milk deliver healthy fats and makes this drink extra satisfying, as it’ll stay with you rather than simply giving you a sugar rush.

While it’s an optional step, I also recommend a scoop of chocolate protein powder from bone broth, which can help provide some gut, joint and skin benefits. The sweet comes from nutrition-rich maple syrup. And the rest of the chocolate flavor comes from a combination of raw cacao powder and a dark chocolate bar, with at least 71 percent cacao.

In a medium pot, add in coconut milk and the dark chocolate bar. Add in the protein powder made from bone broth to the coconut milk mixture.

Next, add in cacao powder. Pour in desired amount of maple syrup.

Take the vanilla bean and slice length-wise in half. Using your fingernail or spoon, scrape out the seeds and put directly in hot cocoa mixture.

Turn heat up to medium-low and let mixture melt, giving it a stir with a wooden spoon or even better, whisk it.

Pour in two mugs and top with whipped coconut cream, if you desire. Add a dash of cinnamon to the top.