Ultimate Medicinal Hot Chocolate
This hot chocolate is a staple in my pantry throughout the year. I’ve been making this quite regularly since about 2018, and I actually think I might be part cacao by this point. There’s just something about the heart opening power of raw cacao that tastes so good with sweet local maple syrup, vanilla bean, and a pinch of sea salt that opens up the flavours. The creaminess is provided by coconut butter or any kind of sprouted nut butter, and once heated up, can be a solid part of daily rituals throughout the colder months. This is what food should taste like!
This medicinal hot cacao works perfectly with the basic ingredients but if you currently vibe adaptogens or nootropics and want to add them, I say definitely go for it short term. A small amount of something like reishi, maca, cordyceps, lion’s mane, or even rose tincture can work depending on your needs, and can synergistically work with the powers of cacao, enabling better absorption and effects of the magical nutrients. You could even make this a mocha by reducing the amount of water by about 1/2 cup, and adding 1/2 cup organic brewed coffee.
PS: you could totally make this tonic and pour it on (filtered water) ice in the warmer months!
Ingredients
2 cups of spring water (or 1 1/2 cups water mixed with 1/2 cup organic brewed coffee)
1 tsp organic coconut butter or organic cacao butter (chunks are fine, it all melts in the end anyway)—or any nut butter you like, or omit and use 1/2 cup high quality goat’s or cow’s milk instead of coffee above
1 tbsp organic raw or ceremonial cacao powder (I currently like Giddy Yoyo, one of the cleanest brands of cacao)
1 tbsp pure maple syrup (not honey, as it is toxic when heated according to Ayurveda, otherwise it’s a great ingredient to use at room temp)
1 tsp grass-fed collagen or gelatin powder
1/2 tsp pure organic vanilla bean extract (I like alcohol-free)
1 small pinch of sea salt
Very optional: 1/4-1/2 tsp organic or wildcrafted adaptogen(s) or other spices that work for you: mucuna pruriens, rose, rhodiola, reishi, chaga, lion’s mane, he shou wu, astragalus, bacopa, blue lotus, shilajit, cordyceps, ceylon cinnamon, maca, or heck, I’ve even seen a cafe use obnoxiously luxurious frankincense in their tonics as well.
Also optional: a touch of virgin cold-pressed coconut oil or grass-fed ghee can up the creaminess ante here
Method
In a blender, blend all the ingredients at once. My blender has small plastic parts at the bottom so I prefer to heat up the contents after they have blended. Blending also leaves a nice froth that stays when heated! Alternately, you could just use a frother if you have one.
Pour into small saucepan and heat up on high until you see steam rising and the small chunks of coconut butter/cacao butter (if using) start to melt into the mixture. You can give it a few stirs to speed up the heating process. Boiling can kill the nutrients so it’s best to avoid getting to the boiling point here. Keep an eye on your stove!
Serve the medicinal hot chocolate immediately in a mug. Garnish with an extra sprinkle of cacao powder and dried edible rose petals if you like. Sip, relax into ease, and enjoy.