No hot cocoa lover gets left behind in my house. And spiced chocolate is my very favorite way to serve it in the winter months. The cayenne and cinnamon in this recipe are a most delicious way to warm up from the inside out! If chili chocolate isn’t your thing, you can simply omit the cayenne from the recipe and still enjoy an indulgent mug of cinnamon-spiced hot cocoa. And if you have fresh nutmeg pods, I can confidently say, that makes this recipe go the extra mile. Once you’ve had freshly grated nutmeg, there’s no looking back.
If you tolerate cow milk well, sub the non-dairy milk in this recipe for grass-fed, organic, whole milk, preferably low pasteurized cream top if you can get your hands on it. To my sugar cleansers, use dates to sweeten.
Otherwise, what makes this recipe so rich and creamy is the addition of coconut cream and using a high speed blender to obtain frothy chocolate you might dream about later. You could also give it a vigorous whisk in the pot if you don’t have a blender.
Here the recipe with a how-to video below:
2 1/2 cups unsweetened, plant or nut milk (oat milk used here)
2 tablespoons coconut cream (used cream from canned coconut) – or skip this step and add a dollop of coconut whipped cream at the end
2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar (or maple syrup, or 3 pitted medjool dates)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne, or to taste
Pinch of sea salt
1/8 teaspoon-ish of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons raw cacao (organic, fairtrade if possible)
Combine all ingredients in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir well. Heat for about 5 minutes to allow ingredients to infuse, but be careful not to burn the milk. Carefully transfer hot chocolate to a blender and blend for ~10 seconds or so, until nice and frothy. Open the lid to the blender slowely and carefully since it’ll be steamy and very hot. Pour into your favorite mugs and enjoy!
Makes 2-10 oz servings
For more cooking video tips like these, follow @purerootsnutrition on Instagram and check out the hasgtag #purerootskitchen
