By RMHP

Hot Chocolate Isn’t the Only Way to Stay Warm This Winter

Hot chocolate is a delicious way to warm up throughout the winter, but perhaps it’s time to give some hot cocoa alternatives a try. You can sip on some healthier versions of this quintessential winter beverage and enjoy the indulgence without the guilt.

It’s the perfect end to a day spent being active outside! Plus, these homemade recipes nix unnecessary preservatives and added sugar that you’ll find in many pre-made store hot chocolate mixes. It’s a win-win for your taste buds.

Raw Hot Chocolate

Raw cocoa has tons of health benefits, and it’s the perfect base for your winter hot cocoa fix. You can go as simple or as complex as you want with raw hot chocolate recipes. This raw, vegan superfood hot chocolate recipe contains cocoa powder and a host of other healthy ingredients like chia seeds, maca powder, and almond milk.

For a simpler recipe without all of the pricy superfoods, give this easy mixture from Balanced Brunette a try. Her delicious recipe contains cocoa powder, almond milk, honey or agave, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Do you like your foods on the spicy side? If so, spice up your hot chocolate. This “haute” chocolate adds in spices like cayenne and ginger for an extra kick.

Hot Vanilla

Chocolate isn’t the only flavor that warms up a chilly winter night. This hot vanilla recipe from Snappy Living couldn’t be easier to make, and you’ll only need three ingredients: milk or milk substitute, honey, and vanilla extract. Play around with the ingredient amounts until you find a sweetness that you love.

Hazelnut Hot Chocolate

Almond milk isn’t the only nut milk that you should sneak into your hot chocolate recipes. For a truly decadent winter drink, you have to try this hazelnut hot chocolate recipe from Turntable Kitchen. The recipe’s base is similar to other hot chocolate recipes but this one also includes easy instructions for making your own minty whipped cream. It might not be the healthiest, but if you’re looking for a creamy indulgence, this one is a winner.

Other Healthy Hot Chocolate Hacks

Now that you have a few basic recipes, you can experiment with different ingredients to make your own customized beverage.

Different milks for hot chocolate

Nut and dairy milks make excellent, creamy hot chocolate drinks, but you can also use coconut milk, soy milk, or any other variety of milk that you love.

Use dark chocolate squares in place of powder

If you have a bar of your favorite dark chocolate lying around you can use that in place of cocoa powder. Just put a few squares into the bottom of a mug, add a bit of very hot water, and then top it off with warmed milk. You can also add vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices. Skip the sweetener if you’re using chocolate squares – the chocolate likely already has some added sugar.