Sounds like an oxymoron. Health hot chocolate! However, YES, and let me show you exactly why it's healthy. No guilt allowed. Just chocolate!
Hot Chocolate Recipe
Most hot chocolate recipes are just opening a packet, pre-mixed and usually loaded with sugar, adding water or milk, heating and then calling it hot chocolate.
Yes, that will do but if you read the small print, here's what you'll find. While I'm not picking on this brand, it's simply a popular example, Swiss Miss:
A review of the ingredients from EWG food scores gives it a 9/10 (with 10 be really a bad egg food). Here are the ingredients and, I ask you, do you understand what most of them are? Not the first one, sugar.
SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, MODIFIED WHEY, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), HYDROGENATED COCONUT OIL, NONFAT MILK, LESS THAN 2% OF: SALT, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, NATURAL FLAVOR.
I urge you to research your hot chocolate mix if that's what you're using. Be a smart consumer. Find out what's in it and then determine if that's what you want to use.
Actually, this is important for most all of what you are purchasing, especially if you're looking at processed, pre-mixed and packaged food products.
Hey, it's up to YOU and you alone to be the best steward of your health.
How to Make Hot Chocolate
Oh, sure that will work to use a mix. However, is it the best for you and/or your children?
Hummmm, not gonna lay any money on the table on that question because I think I'd lose.
There is, however, an alternative. And, it's a healthy one. You'll never have that guilt again!
If you can find one that's more healthy, like those from FlavCity, then save yourself some steps. However, you just might find that my bone broth recipe is right up your alley!
Simple Hot Chocolate Recipe
Yes, this is a simple hot chocolate recipe.
The most difficult thing you have to do is gather your ingredients.
Sorry, there are a few steps but I assure you it's worth the effort and you'll know that what you're sipping on is not loaded with weird ingredients or lots of unhealthy sugars.
Flavcity Hot Chocolate
There's nothing better than Flavcity's Hot Chocolate. Yes, you could use it in place of the cacao powder in this recipe.
Then, of course, you'd also not need the maple syrup, or you might want to reduce the amount you use. Remember, taste it! That's the best way to determine if it's the flavor profile you love.
Best Hot Chocolate
I'm dubbing this the best hot chocolate because of the ingredients.
I mean who can go wrong with bone broth! Before you turn up your nose and say, "Ally! What the heck!" Yes, I'm talking bone broth in this recipe.
And, guess what, you'll never know it's there. But you'll be getting the liquid you need with some incredible nutrients.
If this recipe is what you use for your children from the start, believe me, they'll never want any other hot chocolate 'mix'!
Healthy Hot Chocolate
Besides bone broth in this recipe, there are other healthy ingredients that boost the flavor profile.
You've got rich creamy coconut cream. You can use a nut milk or coconut milk, but I love the creaminess of the coconut cream for this recipe.
Of course, if you want to use cow's milk, you certainly can, but I'd use a whole milk or half and half, half milk and half cream.
Healthy Hot Chocolate No Sugar
There's no refined or cane sugar in this mix. Check the ingredients of your packaged mixes for sugars and number of grams. I'm not a sugar 'hater', but what I try to do is just be more mindful of how much sugar is hidden or blatantly there in things that I might be eating. Read your labels. Be informed!
Wanna read a simple article from NIH (National Institute of Healthy) on sugar, well, here you go. Take a few minutes to educate yourself and be more proactive with your and your loved ones' health.
Homemade Healthy Hot Chocolate Mix
As a kid, Mom didn't feed us a lot of sugary 'treats'. In fact, our 'treats were occasional, usually holidays, like Christmas and Easter. Even with Halloween and all the candy, Mom would not let us indulge and go into sugar overload. She just knew in her basic 'old-world' way of being raised that refined sugars weren't in our best interest. I'm so glad that I grew up with a Mom like that, although I can tell you I probably stashed and hid some of that Halloween candy and nibbled on it late at night!
Bone Broth Hot Cacao
Bone broth hot cacao is one way to circumvent the 'guilt' associated with hot chocolate.
Believe me, if you begin making this recipe for your little ones, they'll never know that bone broth is in it. And, when they beg you for hot chocolate, you'll relent knowing that there are some redeeming qualities to it.
And, if you're thinking of making it more 'adult' happy, then why not a splash of Bailey's, Patron Coffee liqueur or your favorite libation!
