Maple Vanilla Hot Cocoa
With only 4 simple ingredients, this hot cocoa is something you can feel good about warming up with. Replace regular cocoa powder or cocoa mix with this powdered cacao recipe for a healthier twist on an all time favorite drink.
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk
- 4 tbsp *organic cacao powder (cacao, not cocoa) - see notes below
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine milk, maple syrup, cacao and vanilla in a small sauce pan.
- Whisk ingredients until smooth.
- Warm to desired temperature and top with your choice of marshmallows or whipped cream.
- There is a secret ingredient... quality time. A good cup of cocoa is only as good as the company you share it with. This cocoa pairs nicely with a great book, our family recommends The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue. (Be sure to start with book 1 of the series, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street).
Notes
A simple packet of cocoa mix (I won't mention any names here, though this one is "Swiss" in origin) has so many unnecessary ingredients, from sugar, corn syrup, modified whey, cocoa (processed with alkali), hydrogenated coconut oil, nonfat milk, salt, dipotassium phosphate, mono and diglycerides and natural flavor. Why? Shelf stability and convenience for starters.
We have been taught that hot cocoa comes out of packet and is mixed with hot water. Would you like to join me in unlearning that behavior? My Sister-in-Law coined my motto for me in jest one afternoon. She said if "I you to write a book it would be called I don't care if it's more convenient". That is true about me. I rarely elevate the status of convenience in my life. Say it with me... "I don't care if it's more convenient". Doesn't that feel good?! Now... let's mix up a batch of cocoa and quality time together.
Hot Cocoa can be as nourishing as it is delicious. Keep it simple friends with 4 simple ingredients... milk, cacao, maple syrup and vanilla.
Real ingredients make a real difference.
The ingredients listed below show up again and again in my recipes. Milk: Organic milk as close to its natural source is my preference. For a long while our family purchased raw milk from a local farm - but the prices became unreasonable. We now purchase pastured grassfed milk when possible. *Cacao Powder: Made from Fairtrade certified, organic cacao beans, rich in antioxidants and minerals naturally found in the cacao bean. For more information on the difference between cocoa and cacao powder, check out the Navitas website. Maple syrup: Maple syrup is such an easy substitution to make in your pantry. It is simple, wholesome and delicious. Traditional syrup has a number of ingredients I try to avoid including: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Cellulose Gum, Salt, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Caramel Color, Sorbic Acid And Sodium Benzoate (Preservatives), Sodium Hexametaphosphate. Maple syrup is significantly more cost effective if you can buy it at Costco. Vanilla Extract: We love our homemade Handcrafted Vanilla Extract.
The ingredients listed below show up again and again in my recipes. Milk: Organic milk as close to its natural source is my preference. For a long while our family purchased raw milk from a local farm - but the prices became unreasonable. We now purchase pastured grassfed milk when possible. *Cacao Powder: Made from Fairtrade certified, organic cacao beans, rich in antioxidants and minerals naturally found in the cacao bean. For more information on the difference between cocoa and cacao powder, check out the Navitas website. Maple syrup: Maple syrup is such an easy substitution to make in your pantry. It is simple, wholesome and delicious. Traditional syrup has a number of ingredients I try to avoid including: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Cellulose Gum, Salt, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Caramel Color, Sorbic Acid And Sodium Benzoate (Preservatives), Sodium Hexametaphosphate. Maple syrup is significantly more cost effective if you can buy it at Costco. Vanilla Extract: We love our homemade Handcrafted Vanilla Extract.