As the weather becomes cold and we turn our attention to cozying up indoors, hot chocolate makes a lovely winter treat. In most European countries, hot drinking chocolate is a thick, creamy delicacy that is meant to be sipped and savored. Most of the time it is carefully crafted from real-food ingredients. Unfortunately the conventional warm drink that our culture identifies as hot chocolate comes in packets of powder and has harmful ingredients including sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated fats, preservatives and artificial flavors. Our recipe is free of these harmful elements as well as dairy, a common food trigger among our patient population.

This drinking chocolate is deeply flavorful and is meant to be served in smaller quantities such as in teacups or small coffee cups.  If the flavor is too rich for you, simply thin out with a little bit of water and it will taste like a typical hot cocoa.  The optional addition of Pure Paleo Protein makes this recipe a well-rounded snack when coming in from the crisp outdoors or snuggling by the fire.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups full-fat coconut milk

1/3-1/2 cup cacao

1 1/2 scoops vanilla Pure Paleo Protein (optional)

3 tablespoons water

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a medium-sized saucepan and heat over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust sweetener and thin with water, if needed. Pour into mugs and top with coconut whipped cream, if desired.

If you are feeling extra decadent and fancy, here are some flavoring options to make drinking chocolate a little more special:

• couple drops of certified pure therapeutic grade peppermint essential oil

• couple drops of certified pure therapeutic grade orange essential oil

• 2 teaspoons of maca powder for its stress-relieving, hormone-balancing properties and nutty taste

• a dash of almond extract

• a few flecks of course sea salt

Recipe notes

If you do not have Pure Paleo Protein, add a splash of vanilla, wholesome sweetener such as monk fruit sweetener or coconut sugar to taste, and a scoop of collagen in its place.

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