Hot chocolate dream
For all chocoholics like me, I am sharing a healthy cocoa variant that is really extremely delicious.
Especially in the cold season, I always find a hot cup of cocoa a blessing - no matter what time of day. Since the usual cocoa drinks are usually full of sugar and at the same time rather low in nutrients, I tested the following variant.
If, like me, you want or have to do without large amounts of cow’s milk, you can cook the cocoa just as well with a plant-based milk alternative. I prefer to use almond or oat drink. Thanks to a special type of sugar, the latter is said to help regulate digestion and can also lower cholesterol levels thanks to its fiber content.
Almond milk, on the other hand, scores with many vitamins, a low fat content and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron.
Incidentally, you can also make both variants yourself – it’s definitely still on my to-do list. Because compared to normal cow's milk, both alternatives are relatively expensive, especially almond drink.
I use dates to sweeten the cocoa – the fruits from the Persian Gulf are definitely one of my favorite treats. Not only do they taste good, but they're also packed with lots of good nutrients—lots of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants (which can help prevent diseases like diabetes and heart disease). Due to their natural sugar content, they are considered a very good source of energy. Another argument in favor of increased date consumption is the regulating effect of the blood sugar level due to the high fiber content. Whenever I have a craving for sweets, I like to reach for dates because afterwards - compared to sweets containing industrial sugar - I am satisfied very quickly and feel good for a long time.
In addition to the nut butter (of course you can also use other things - e.g. almond or cashew butter) I have integrated my favorite spices cinnamon, ginger and a little bit of cardamom. The mixture is a real blessing and is also often used in Ayurveda. Ginger in particular has a stimulating effect, making cocoa a real coffee alternative in the morning.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 cup
Ingredients:
300 ml milk or plant drink I usually use almond drink
2 pieces Medjool dates
1 tsp cocoa powder (raw cocoa)
1 tsp peanut butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch cardamom
Preparation:
Put all the ingredients in the blender or food processor until you have a reasonably homogeneous liquid.
Heat the liquid in the saucepan and enjoy.
