Hot Chocolate With Cocoa Powder Recipe

Cold weather got you down? Sounds like it’s time for homemade hot chocolate with cocoa powder. We’ll share a simple recipe, and give you a few tips for preparing this winter favorite.

Hot Chocolate With Cocoa Powder Recipe

A mug of homemade hot cocoa is the perfect thing to warm you up on cold days. For this quick and easy hot chocolate recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 1 cup water, milk, or plant-based milk
• 10g dark chocolate (check out how to make your own sugar-free vegan chocolate or the incredible chocolate brands for vegans)
• 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 2-3 tsp. sugar or sugar substitute (to taste)
• optional: spices like cinnamon, black pepper, or chili 

Instructions:

1. Heat about 1/3 cup of your chosen liquid in a pot.
2. Turn the burner to the lowest setting. 
3. Add pieces of chocolate to the pot and stir constantly until they are completely melted. 
4. Add the cocoa powder and stir until a thick, creamy consistency is reached.
5. Add the remaining liquid and the sugar. 
6. Slowly increase the heat, stirring constantly. 
7. If you’re feeling daring, add a dash of spices at the end for an extra kick. 

Craving whipped cream? Amp up the indulgence of hot chocolate with cocoa powder with our delicious vegan cool whip recipe.

Hot Chocolate Recipes: What to Keep in Mind

When you consume a chocolate product like hot chocolate, it is important to drink lots of water. Theobromine, an active ingredient in chocolate, acts as a diuretic; that is, it has a dehydrating effect on the body. If you consume too much chocolate and not enough water, diuretics can give you a headache or a stomachache. 

It’s also not the best idea to drink your hot chocolate with cocoa powder right before bedtime. In addition to theobromine, chocolate contains caffeine and phenethylamine, all of which are stimulants. 

Cocoa: Things to Watch Out For

For more than 14 million people, cocoa beans are the main source of income. Unfortunately, many cocoa farmers live in poverty and work for big corporations for little pay. The growers have been estimated to get paid only around six percent of the selling price of each bar of conventional chocolate. Child labor and the use of dangerous pesticides are not uncommon in the chocolate industry. 

For this reason, when you are making homemade hot chocolate with cocoa powder, it is important to buy exclusively organic and Fairtrade chocolate. These products may be slightly more expensive, but you can be sure that the chocolate you are buying was produced under humane and fair working conditions and that the farmers receive their fair share of the profit. 

Enjoy your homemade hot chocolate!

This article was translated from German to English by Christie Sacco. You can view the original here: Heiße Schokolade: Rezept und wichtige Tipps

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Tags: Beverages Holidays Recipes Vegan Winter