Healthy Hot Cocoa Recipes to Make Your Own

Hot chocolate or Hot cocoa is a drink that warms the body and also the spirit. While the warmth of this chocolaty drink thaws out the hands, the taste of chocolate melts the spirit.

It is not surprising to chocolate lovers that hot cocoa is a favorite comfort beverage in many countries.

We are also discovering that our favorite beverage can be a healthful drink as well, particularly hot cocoa. Making healthy or healthier versions of this cocoa beverage means choosing the healthy and healthiest choices for the ingredients.

The basic recipes here can easily be adapted to meet your own tastes and health desires.

Image: Cocoa beverage by Timbec.

In common usage, Hot Chocolate and Hot Cocoa are used interchangeably, but according to the experts and the connoisseurs they are very different.

Hot Cocoa

Hot cocoa is made from cacao beans turned into cocoa powder which contains no cocoa butter and naturally low in fat with many health benefits. Cocoa, especially more than 70% cocoa has many health benefits. Hot cocoa can be made healthier by minimizing the milk fat and using healthier sugars.

Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate is a very rich chocolate drinking chocolate made from chocolate bars or ground chocolate with cocoa butter with a lower cocoa content and a much higher fat content. In addition this chocolate beverage is often full of sugar, fat and low in actual health cocoa.

So for the Health Benefits, we should be drinking Hot Cocoa, which has all of the beneficial health properties of cocoa, and not Hot Chocolate, which is mainly other ingredients.

Image: Combination of Cocoa on Spoon by starfish75 and Pieces of Chocolate by Niloco, both Royalty Free Use.

Many of the recipes for this page have been adapted from my article previously published for Suite 101. Dyer KA. 2008. Healthy Hot Chocolate: Make Healthier Hot Cocoa Using Healthy Ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 cups milk - low-fat, skim, soy, almond, hemp or rice milk

2 heaping tablespoons 70 % + dark chocolate cocoa powder

2 teaspoons sweetener - Organic cane sugar, granulated sugar or a sugar substitute

Pick one of each of your favorite ingredients for the milk and sweetener on list to make your own custom healthy chocolaty recipe.

Directions:

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not let the milk boil.

2. Add cocoa powder and sweetener. Whisk to combine ingredients, then add to milk.

3. Keep whisking the cocoa powder, milk and sweetener until the chocolate mixture is completely blended.

4. Pour into your favorite mugs or cups.

5. Enjoy.

2 servings. Double for 4 servings.

Alternatively you can put all of the ingredients in a Hot Chocolate Maker and let it do the work for you.

A sprinkle of cinnamon or stirring with a cinnamon stick gives a whole different flavor to the chocolaty beverage.

Ingredients:

2 cups milk - low-fat, skim, soy, or rice milk

2 heaping tablespoons 70 % dark chocolate cocoa powder

2 teaspoons sweetener - Organic cane sugar, granulated sugar or sugar substitute

½ teaspoon Cinnamon

If desired, extra cinnamon or cinnamon stick for garnish.

Pick one of each of your favorite ingredients for the milk and sweetener on list.

Directions:

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not let the milk boil.

2. Add cocoa powder, cinnamon and sweetener. Whisk to combine ingredients, then add to milk.

3. Keep whisking the cocoa powder, milk, cinnamon and sweetener until the chocolate mixture is completely blended.

4. Pour into your favorite mugs or cups.

5. Sprinkle cinnamon on top or add a cinnamon stick if desired.

6. Enjoy.

2 servings. Double for 4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 cups milk - low-fat, skim, soy, or rice milk

2 heaping tablespoons 70 % dark chocolate cocoa powder

2 teaspoons sweetener - Organic cane sugar, granulated sugar or sugar substitute

1/4 teaspoon Peppermint Extract

If desired, mint sprig or peppermint stick for garnish.

Pick one of each of your favorite ingredients for the milk and sweetener on list.

Directions:

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not let the milk boil.

2. Add cocoa powder, peppermint extract and sweetener. Whisk to combine ingredients, then add to milk.

3. Keep whisking the cocoa powder, milk, peppermint extract and sweetener until the chocolate mixture is completely blended.

4. Pour into your favorite mugs or cups.

5. Garnish with a sprig of mint or peppermint stick if desired.

6. Enjoy.

2 servings. Double for 4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 cups milk - low-fat, skim, soy, or rice milk

2 heaping tablespoons 70 % dark chocolate cocoa powder

2 teaspoons sweetener - Organic cane sugar, granulated sugar or sugar substitute

1/4 teaspoon Orange Extract, finely ground Orange Zest or Orange Peel

If desired, orange zest or orange curl for garnish.

Pick one of each of your favorite ingredients for the milk and sweetener on list.

Directions:

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not let the milk boil.

2. Add cocoa powder, orange extract or orange peel and sweetener. Whisk to combine ingredients, then add to milk.

3. Keep whisking the cocoa powder, milk, orange extract or orange peel and sweetener until the chocolate mixture is completely blended.

4. Pour into your favorite mugs or cups.

5. Garnish with a sprinkle of orange zest or an orange curl if desired.

6. Enjoy.

2 servings. Double for 4 servings

Images Chocolate Heart by micomoth used under RGBStock.com license and Yummy Coffee by lusi. Royalty Free Use.

Vote for the way that you like to fix your hot beverage - with healthy sprinkles for the heart benefits or topped with lots of whipped cream and other toppings.

To make an Organic version use your favorite organic ingredients for the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups organic milk

2 heaping tablespoons organic cocoa powder

2 teaspoons organic sweetener

Directions:

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not let the milk boil.

2. Add cocoa powder and sweetener. Whisk to combine ingredients, then add to milk.

3. Keep whisking the cocoa powder, milk and sweetener until the mixture is completely blended.

4. Pour into your favorite mugs or cups.

5. Enjoy.

2 servings. Double for 4 servings.

To make Vegan Cocoa use your favorite vegan ingredients for the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups non-dairy milk (soy, almond, hemp or rice)

2 heaping tablespoons vegan cocoa

2 teaspoons organic vegan sugar

Optional ingredients:

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not let the milk boil.

2. Add cocoa powder and sweetener. Whisk to combine ingredients, then add to milk.

3. Whisk the cocoa powder, milk, sweetener and any extra ingredients until the mixture is completely blended.

4. Pour into your favorite mugs or cups.

5. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.

6. Enjoy.

2 servings. Double for 4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 cups milk or almond milk

2 heaping tablespoons 70 % + dark chocolate cocoa powder

2 teaspoons sweetener - Organic cane sugar, agave nectar or a sugar substitute

1 medium (3 - 4 inch) cinnamon stick [Use large (6 inch) if doubling the recipe]

1 teaspoons Mexican vanilla extract or 1/2 split vanilla bean with the seeds scraped

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Heat milk, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean (if using) in a saucepan over medium until steaming. Do not allow to boil. Turn down to simmer.

2. Add cocoa powder and sweetener. Whisk to combine ingredients, then add to milk.

3. Keep whisking the cocoa powder, milk and sweetener until the chocolate mixture is completely blended.

4. Whisk cocoa mixture into milk until well blended. Remove from heat.

6. Stir in vanilla extract to taste if vanilla bean was not used.

7. Add the cayenne to taste.

8. Remove cinnamon stick and strain prior to serving if vanilla bean was used.

9. Pour into your favorite mugs or cups.

10. Enjoy.

Serves 2. Double for 4.

Use a Molinillo to whisk the milk in a Chocolatera for a truly authentic experience.

Adapted from from Emeril's Healthy Mexican Chocolate Beverage Recipe.

Delicious authentic Mexican Chocolaty Beverage can be easily prepared using special chocolate discs according to the directions.

In this video clip from the Food Network's "The Secret Life of...Chocolate" we learn how to make a Mexican version of this chocolaty beverage including how to use a Molinillo.

Note the beginning is a bit silly.

Depending on the ingredients, some of these specialty recipes for Mexican, Mayan and Aztec versions can be loaded with additional fat and calories, so check the ingredient list carefully.

Remember with spicy hot cocoa drink, you can reduce the amount of chili peppers if the drink is too spicy hot.

Ingredients:

2 cups milk - low-fat, skim, soy, almond, hemp or rice milk

2 heaping tablespoons 70 % + dark chocolate cocoa powder or 1 1/2 oz 70% chocolate

2 teaspoons sweetener - Organic cane sugar, granulated sugar or a sugar substitute

1/2 split vanilla bean with the seeds scraped

1 red chili pepper split with seeds removed

Note on using Chili Peppers: Be sure to use gloves because the oils can irritate the skin and eyes.

1 medium (3 - 4 inch) cinnamon stick

l tablespoon extra finely ground almonds or hazelnuts

Directions:

1. Heat the milk with vanilla bean, chili pepper and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not let the milk boil.

2. Add cocoa powder or chocolate and sweetener. Whisk to combine ingredients, then add to milk.

3. Keep whisk the cocoa powder, milk, vanilla bean, chili pepper, cinnamon and sweetener until well-blended.

4. Remove from heat. Let ingredients stand for another 10 minutes.

5. Strain to remove the vanilla bean, chili pepper and cinnamon stick.

6. Pour into your favorite mugs or cups.

7. Top with a sprinkling of ground almonds or hazelnuts.

8. Enjoy.

2 servings. Double for 4.

Vanilla Beans and Chili Powder to add to your Spicy Chocolate beverage.

Many times it is the extras that make the chocolate beverage extra special.

There are extras that add extra calories and there are extras that do not, so be sure to check what you are adding as your extras, if calories, sugar or cholesterol are of concern.

Low to No Calorie Extras:

• Cocoa Powder, Coffee, Cayenne, Cinnamon or Nutmeg Sprinkles
• Low Fat Whipped Cream
• Cinnamon Stick Stirrer

The healthiest extras toppings include the low fat whipped cream (not substitutes), cocoa powder, coffee, cayenne, cinnamon or nutmeg sprinkles. The healthiest stirrer is the cinnamon stick.

Other Fun Extras:

• Whipped Cream
• Chocolate Shavings
• Marshmallows
• Peppermint Stick or Candy Cane Stirrer

Realistically, the whipped cream, chocolate shavings, marshmallows and candy cane are not be the healthiest option or the lowest calorie option, but they may be the most festive.

Depending on the type the whipped cream could provide additional fat and cholesterol. Using over 70 % Chocolate (like the 85 % chocolate from Lindt) to create the chocolate shavings increases the heart benefits of using chocolate.

One benefit to using marshmallows or peppermint sticks is that neither provides any additional fat or cholesterol. If these are used to sweeten the hot drink at the end, the amount of sweetener used in the recipe could be decreased.

Share your thoughts in the comment section below.