All this talk about “storm of the century” and “battin’ down the hatches” here in the Pacific Northwest has me cranking up the heat, pulling my down booties out from under the bed and wanting nothing more than cuddle under the flannel sheets with a good book.
So instead of running out for provisions like water and candles, I stopped at my local co-op for cacoa powder.
Now that the weather is turning cold, it’s time to fill up those mugs and thermos’ with something warm. Although I am not a heated beverage drinker by nature, I do enjoy something warm to hold on the way to a hike or while sitting at a frosty mountain or lake view.
Here’s another recipe redux, this time for my paleo cocoa mix that I first posted in Go Cocoa In The Wild. I talk there about where to find the ingredients you need for the recipe below, as well as the difference between cocoa and cacao.
#coconutmilkpowder #cacao #cinnamon #vanilla #sugar
I made some up for the first time this season on our trail work party up at Hart’s Pass at the end of September.
This recipe is a great way to avoid those cocoa mixes with the artificial ingredients, as well as diary. Feel free to customize the basics with extra mini chocolate chips or a touch of cayenne and make this your own.
This also makes a great low sugar way to enjoy chocolate in your non-hiking life. I keep some in my desk at work for the perfect mid morning mood lifter. When not on trail, I skip the sugar and just use the cacao, coconut milk powder and cinnamon.
P.S. In full disclaimer, my first option for making this beverage is to simply heat up a mug of equal mix full fat coconut milk and filtered water and toss in 2 tablespoons of cacao powder and a pinch of cinnamon. The powdered version is simply more portable. 🙂
Paleo Hot Cocoa
Prep Time
5 minutes
Total Time
5 minutes
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, No Dehydrator Needed, Nut free, Paleo, Soy free, Vegan
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup cocoa/cacao
- 2 cups coconut milk powder
- 1/3 cup sugar or more if you like it sweet
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean (optional)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne (optional)
Instructions
- Mix this all in a bowl (using a spoon to mush the clumps if necessary) and store in a airtight jar.
- To make a single serving, mix 1/3 cup of the mix with 8oz (1 cup) of hot water.
- You can package each serving in snack size Ziploc bags for the trail.
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