Healthy Hot and Spicy Cocoa

If you’re a fan of dark, antioxidant-rich chocolate, then you’ll love this sumptuously spiced, healthy hot cocoa recipe. As a bonus, the variety of warm and inviting spices offers an array of health benefits that you don’t get in the more traditional versions. So forget the guilt and take a moment to relax and enjoy this deliciously decadent drink this holiday season. 

SERVES 1

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk, hemp milk, or rice milk

1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened (non-alkalized) cocoa powder

Splash of vanilla extract

Sprinkle of cinnamon

Sprinkle of chili powder

Sprinkle of ground nutmeg

Sprinkle of ground cloves

Method:

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the plant-based milk until lukewarm. Stir the cocoa powder into the warmed liquid until dissolved. Add the vanilla extract, cinnamon, chili powder, nutmeg, and cloves. Heat for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Inhale the great aroma, sip, and enjoy.

Recipe by Elise Museles of Kale and Chocolate. First appeared in The Microbiome Solution (Penguin 2015).