Seasonal coffee drinks and hot chocolate are a quandary…who doesn’t love a warm and cozy beverage on a cold, winter day…but who needs the 50g of sugar in a tall (as in, the smallest size) hot cocoa sold at Starbucks? Nobody besides Santa! People sometimes forget that the sweeteners in a beverage STILL count towards your “daily value” of sugar. In fact, a Pumpkin Spice Latte has 50g of sugar, yet a single serving of a brownie has 38g. So what do you do if you are craving a cup of hot chocolate or mocha?

Here is a simple DIY hot cocoa recipe. Equally delicious to store bought versions (I personally think it tastes better!) with a fraction of the sugar. For a mocha, just substitute 2/3 cup brewed coffee and 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk. And think of all the money you will save for holiday shopping. Cheers! 

Ingredients:

– 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

– 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Tiny pinch of salt

– 1 tbsp chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips

– 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

– Dark chocolate chips for serving

Instructions:

– In small saucepan, heat the milk until just simmering

Whisk in the cocoa powder, maple syrup, and salt. Add the

chocolate chips and vanilla. Whisk and heat until the

chocolate is melted and smoothly combined.

– Taste and add more maple syrup if you’d like it sweeter.

Pour into a mug, and top with extra chocolate as desired