Most people would agree that processed hot cocoa from the store is not a healthy choice. However, don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater!
A cup of healthy hot cocoa made with fresh raw milk is a soothing and very healthy treat on a cold evening in front of the fire or watching a movie.
In this video and recipe below, I show you a healthy hot chocolate recipe to make and enjoy that avoids the GMO sugar, artificial flavors and other additives in commercial hot cocoa mixes.
This can be an occasional addition to the kids’ lunchbox on cold days too. Just put in a thermos and it stays nice and warm until lunchtime!
Homemade Hot Cocoa How-to Video
The key to making the best homemade hot chocolate is retaining all the probiotics and enzymes in the raw grassfed milk. Using a digital food thermometer to ensure the milk is hot but not hot enough to destroy these nutrients is key!
Each 8 oz serving in this recipe has 12 g of unrefined sugar compared with 18 g or more of refined sugar (usually GMO) in one envelope of hot cocoa mix from the store!
I recommend using cocoa powder and not cacao powder for this recipe. The reason is that raw cacao is very high in anti-nutrients like phytic acid and lectins. Cocoa powder is roasted as traditionally practiced. Hence, it is much lower in these substances which can trigger gastric distress in some people and block the nutrient absorption.
If you would prefer a hot cocoa recipe that is caffeine-free, this recipe for white hot chocolate is delicious!
Homemade Hot Cocoa Recipe
Healthy and homemade hot chocolate recipe that retains all of the enzymes and probiotics in grassfed milk and uses the best whole sweeteners and the low anti-nutrient cocoa.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk preferably raw and grassfed
- 2 Tbl evaporated cane sugar preferably organic
- 1 Tbl cocoa powder heaping, preferably organic
- 1 tsp chocolate extract
- sprinkle cinnamon freshly ground is best
Instructions
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Warm milk on the stovetop to 117 F. Use a food thermometer or a clean finger to judge the temperature (when it feels hot but doesn't burn, it's about 117F so enzymes and probiotics remain intact).
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Turn off the heat but leave the pan on the burner.
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Quickly whisk in sucanat, cocoa or carob powder and chocolate extract. Add optional cinnamon if desired.
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Pour into mugs and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Substitute carob powder if a caffeine free hot cocoa is desired.
Use store bought or homemade coconut milk for a dairy free version!
Substitute the cane sugar with organic coconut sugar or dark maple syrup if desired.
If you love marshmallows in your hot chocolate, this recipe for homemade marshmallows is a good one to try.
And I learned to not have it after 6 or 7pm or it keeps me up soooo late. Delish nonetheless! I love either coconut or hemp milk with organic cacao powder, organic cacao butter and stevia. Perfecto and no sugar!
My son and I LOVE to make that recipe together, Sarah! It MSUT be followed by constructing a “table” out of cardboard bricks, and saying “cheers” about 18 times while clinking our mugs together. 🙂
I make a better version of Hershey’s chocolate sauce, keep it in the frig, and all I have to do is heat up the raw goat milk and add the chocolate sauce. Think I’ll get some more now!
Ever tried Choffey?
I make mine with hot water and either butter or coconut oil which turns frothy and creamy with an immersion blender. I add a little less sucanat (or coconut sugar) and add a few drops of vanilla stevia, plus a couple pinches of real salt. The vanilla cream stevia (which I use only in my hot cocoa) gives the flavor of marshmallows. So yummy. I do not recommend trying to replace all sweetener with stevia. It’s just yucky and I’m not real on board with any stevia but the actual herb. I use so little of the liquid drops though and I would be very surprised if there are any ill effects.
I wanted something complete so you could just add boiling water when you wanted a cup. I put together ingredients using the dry coconut milk powder so that I could have it and my grandkids would be happy to ditch the “junk” in the bags along the store aisle. It seems to be a real winner here. 🙂
Make mine organic carob, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, almond milk, steamed & foamy.
We use organic sugar. Do you have a link to the explanation of the sucanet vs rapadura vs organic ? Just curious if I need to step it up!
Thank you!
I tried sucanat at your suggestion, but it tastes awful to me. Any other healthy sweeteners besides honey and agave?
It seems that artificial sweetener is cheaper now than real cane sugar… it’s everywhere!!!