Healthy Hot Chocolate Mix

Last Updated on October 3, 2024 by Michelle

When I got this urge for a homemade, nutritious hot chocolate powder, well, it became an obsession until I figured out how to make it genuinely nutritious and until I nailed something tasty. And now, because it’s so good and so good for me, it’s still an obsession. But a very good one.

I mean hot chocolate loaded with fiber, healthy fats, and adaptogens that may help me manage stress, ease depression, and just plain think clearer during an afternoon slump? Yes, please!

Today I’m sharing my recipe, but of course you should tweak it in whatever way makes this your favorite nutritious hot chocolate mix.

Is drinking hot chocolate healthy?

If you googled this hoping to find an article condoning the junky Swiss Miss hot cocoa powder you can buy at the nearest grocery store, sorry, this isn’t the article for you.

Because I’m going to tell you, point blank, I wouldn’t drink that stuff. I haven’t in well over a decade.

I won’t even mention the additives in it… (Listen to Episode 131. Why we can’t trust ingredients that are “Generally Recognized as Safe” for some insight into how most Big Food companies legally add ingredients that aren’t even officially approved by the FDA. And follow the Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy podcast here.)

But let’s just talk about the sugar in the “no sugar added” Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate — guys, it’s 52% sugar by weight. And it’s the worst, most processed sugar you could find. I use the cleanest sugar in my homemade healthy hot chocolate mix, and it makes a world of difference.

Find out the best sugar to use & dive into my Ultimate Guide to Sugars.

BUT if you make it yourself, drinking hot chocolate can be very healthy.

Keep reading for more reasons I wouldn’t recommend you rip open a bag of the processed stuff they label “hot chocolate” at your local grocery store.

Is processed hot chocolate mix really that bad?

The sugar alone is enough to make me say “no thank you” when it comes to packaged hot chocolate. Most hot chocolate powders out there, as well as anything you might buy at a coffee house, list sugar as the first ingredient, but then they also include additional sugars tucked away in disguise in the ingredient list. This winds up offering you MORE than the daily-recommended amount of sugar in one mug. Seriously.

Then there’s the chocolate, which isn’t really true chocolate. To make it sweeter, aka less bitter, they process the cacao and turn it into dutch-processed cocoa powder, aka a powder with zero flavonoids and antioxidants and zero health benefits.

But the worse part is all the other add-ins. Like corn syrup, emulsifiers, anti-caking agents, stabilizers, and artificial flavors.

What is more healthy hot chocolate or coffee?

If you’re making them yourself, both this healthy hot chocolate mix, below, and my 3-ingredient coffee alternative that was highlighted by a national news network this week are amazing choices.

More here about my decaf coffee alternative that everyone is talking about: Homemade healthy tea that tastes like coffee

Healthy Hot Chocolate Mix

Yield: 1 Quart Jar of Hot Chocolate Powder, or 64 servings.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut milk powder

1/2 cup cacao powder

2 tsp cinnamon 

5 tsp ashwagandha  root powder

5 tsp maca powder

5 tsp lions mane

4 tsp sea kelp (totally optional. read more below)

3/4 – 1 cup monk fruit (maple sugar is also delicious)* OR 1/4 c stevia powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 c collagen

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix well. (I love my blender, especially for thick smoothies & homemade peanut butter.)

Store in quart-size jar. This amount will fill your jar, which means you’ll have about 64 TB, or 64 servings (with milk, read below for explanation) or 32 servings if you’ll be using hot water instead of milk.

Use 1 TB for every 12-16 oz of warm milk (which would make 128 servings from this recipe), or 2 TB of the powder for every 12-16 oz of hot water (which makes 64 servings from this recipe).

The easiest, creamiest, foamiest, most delicious way to enjoy this hot chocolate? Invest in one of these amazing milk frothers. You can put the powder and milk right in, hit the button, and in a few minutes you are drinking a little bit of heaven. This is a purchase you won’t regret.

NOTES:

• Milk makes the powder much richer tasting, so as I noted above, I use 1/2 the amount of powder if I’m mixing it in hot milk instead of hot water.
• Feel free to use any dry milk powder or dairy substitute powder in place of the coconut milk powder.
• Another alternative is to omit the coconut milk powder in the mix if you’ll always be making your hot chocolate with milk, not water.
• For creamy hot chocolate, I mix my drink with a frother. If you’re making your hot chocolate with just hot water, a frother is like a mini blender, mixing the powder in thoroughly. With milk, it makes your hot chocolate beautifully frothy and indulgent.
• For the best indulgent hot chocolate though I upgraded to this milk heater and frother in one, and I’m not looking back. I love that I don’t have to stand over the stove for a few minutes heating the milk, I just pour in cold milk and a TB or two of the hot chocolate mix, and I have amazing hot chocolate in just minutes.
• If you’d like to make this recipe with maple sugar instead of monk sugar, learn about making your own maple sugar right here.
• This recipe for nutritious hot chocolate mix has only 26 calories per tablespoon, and these calories are loaded with nutrients. Keep reading for the details on each ingredient.

What’s in this Healthy Hot Chocolate Mix?

There are add-in ingredients in my nutritious hot chocolate powder, but for a whole different reason than the add-in junk you’ll find in processed, packaged hot chocolate–I intentionally added impressive super foods (meaning these ingredients are high in nutrients) and adaptogens.

Because everyday stress impacts the health of our microbiomes, I have been learning to add in adaptogens to my diet for the beneficial effect these wonderful ingredients have on my gut health. I first started tending to gut health via kombucha and quickly realized I was on the right path.

Find Out About Kombucha, and enjoy lots of free resources on the bubbly, fermented tea that’s loaded with beneficial bacteria our guts need for maximum health.

So every ingredient in my hot chocolate mix is there for a good reason.

Read on for some details on each ingredient. And keep in mind that you should research any herbs or adaptogens used in any recipe, according to your individual condition and needs…

Cacao

Cacao offers greater antioxidant capabilities and health benefits than mom’s regular old cocoa powder ever could. (But you can substitute cocoa powder if you don’t have cacao.)

Coconut milk powder

Coconut milk adds richness to this hot chocolate mix. (Regular dry milk powder works well too.)

Bonus: it’s a nutrient-dense source of fat that nourishes the brain and even the entire nervous system. It’s also a good source of magnesium, which helps build protein and gives you energy, and potassium, which helps reduce the risk of high blood pressure (source) and osteoporosis. (source)  And it offers anti-bacterial properties, a source of energy, while being easy for our bodies to absorb and helping us maintain weight control. All good stuff, no?

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is relatively new to me. It’s an herb that’s known as “Indian ginseng,” and it’s been used in ancient traditional medicine for thousands of years to relieve pain and inflammation and help folks sleep better. But what I love is that it’s been shown to help our bodies manage stress better. We can all use some of that, yes? (source)

For maximum benefit, an ideal daily dosage of ashwagandha is 1/4-1/2 tsp. (1 tsp is 1000 mg. and daily intake should be 250-500 mg.)

Lions mane

This powdered form of mushrooms is reported to help with overall cognitive health and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Recommended daily dosage is 250 to 1000 mg, so I try to get in about 1/4 tsp daily.

Monk fruit

Monk fruit is a natural, healthy, zero-caloric sweetener that’s been around for decades. It’s all-natural and even offers antioxidant properties.

Because fresh monk fruit (a small, green gourd that grows in Southeast Asia) doesn’t store well and isn’t appealing, monk fruit is usually dried. Monk fruit sweeteners are made from the fruit’s extract.

Maca powder

Maca is a vegetable that contains fiber, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. (1/2 – 1 tsp = a good daily amount)

Bonus, it also happens to be a good source of iodine, a much-needed trace mineral that I’m always looking for perfect ways to add to my daily diet, since my favorite salt, which is naturally infused with 61 trace minerals, doesn’t include iodine.

And since it has a nutty, butterscotch-like taste, it pairs so well with hot chocolate.

Some studies suggest that maca may benefit people in these ways:

• Improve energy levels and enhance mood.
• Alleviate some symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes (source) and interrupted sleep (source)
• Preserve cognitive function, even slowing down age-related cognitive decline (source).

Salt

Collagen

Collagen is not only a great source of protein,  but it offers so much more.

While collagen is known best for helping improve skin health and appearance, did you know it improves bone mineral density? Some studies even show that collagen reduces symptoms related to osteoarthritis (source) and improves body composition, when combined with exercise (source). And you don’t need to add a lot to your hot chocolate mix. This study showed that only 5 grams (or about 1 TB) a day makes a huge impact. So this bag of collagen powder is 90 daily servings.

Sea Kelp

If you were going to just take out one ingredient in this recipe, this would be the one to start with. I will admit, most folks will taste a tiny bit of “fishyness” with the sea kelp. Feel free to also reduce the amount in the recipe. I do find that sweetening with stevia powder, instead of monk fruit, masks the subtle sea kelp flavor. So why do I add sea kelp? Sea kelp is rich in healthy fats and fiber. But you an also add sea kelp to smoothies or shakes, or mixed into tuna salad, soups, stews, or a tuna sandwich if you want to add the goodness to your diet but not get a hint of the fishy taste.

Feel free to make this Healthy Hot Chocolate Mix your own way

Play around with the amounts and ingredients, and try your own additions.

I already know I’m going to experiment with adding turmeric on the next batch I make.

Why turmeric?

Turmeric is a wonder spice, which has been shown to do crazy awesome things like improving memory, reducing inflammation and arthritis pain, fighting free radicals, preventing cancer, and fighting depression. (Studies linked here.) I will definitely be adding some to this chocolate mix when I order this turmeric in my next Azure order. As far as how much of it per day? Only .5 to 1 gram a day (or about 1/4 of a tsp) is all that is needed. So this bag of turmeric is more than I need for 113 cups of cocoa. Wow.

Can you buy a healthy hot chocolate mix?

Yes! If you don’t want to pull the ingredients together and make your own healthy hot chocolate, I have GREAT news for you! You can purchase this amazingness. Use code SOULYRESTED to save $$$ too.

Can you use protein powder to make a nutritious hot-chocolate-like drink?

Absolutely! Chocolate protein powder or Chocolate Mint both make a fantastic alternative to hot chocolate.

You might find, depending on the brand of protein powder, it doesn’t easily mix in with your hot milk. If the protein powder has chai seeds in it they will get gummy if you heat them for too long and make your drink chunky.

To make a perfect hot drink, either heat your milk first, before adding the powder, and use a frother like this to mix it in well. OR if you have a frother like this (my favorite), you can heat the powder with the milk, just mix it in to the cold milk before turning on your frother.

You’ll love this option of protein-rich decadent drink that is actually good for you. And be sure to use code SOULYRESTED when you pick out your favorite flavors.

Can you make a white chocolate hot chocolate?

I love making a white hot “chocolate” with this Lucky Mint protein powder that makes an amazing, nutritious alternative to a Shamrock Shake too.

How to use protein powder to make hot chocolate?

It’s easy to make an alternative to hot chocolate using protein powder. Have fun trying different flavors! I’ve found investing in a high-quality frother has made all the difference and is so much easier than standing over the stove, continually stirring milk until it’s hot.

Protein Hot Chocolate

1. Heat up 16 oz of milk
2. Add 2 TB of protein powder
3. Froth well & enjoy!

If you’re using a frother like this one, mix the protein powder in with your cold milk, using a hand frother, before heating.

Is drinking hot chocolate healthy?

I just want to dispel any final doubts you might have about homemade hot chocolate… trust me, it can indeed by very healthy (and delicious!).

More Information & Recipes You’ll Love:

Maple Chocolate Iced Coffee (seriously so good!)

Make Homemade, Healthy Tea that Tastes Like Coffee

Fermented Tea: What is it & the 5 Best Flavors

Tools I Wouldn’t Want to be Without in my Farmhouse Kitchen

 

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“Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared… for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

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