The holiday season is a time for gently indulging in foods that maybe don’t make up your usual menu. And I firmly believe that this is very important. Being healthy is way more than sticking strictly to a restricted diet. Food is also love and connection and happy memories with family at holidays. And that traditionally does include sweet treats!
One of my favourite Christmas treats is definitely creamy, decedent hot chocolate, and my favourite one by far is the one I make myself at home.
It’s pretty simple to do and I love knowing that it has just a couple of ingredients, not a ton of sugar at all, and it’s rich, creamy and delicious.
Ingredients (per person):
- 3/4 mug of almond, hazelnut or coconut milk
- 1-2 teaspoons of raw cacao
- 1 tsp of organic honey
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 drops of peppermint oil or extract
Instructions:
I measure 3/4 of a mug of almond, hazelnut or coconut milk, not using standard cup measures, but instead the mug I’ll be using to drink out of, and then add raw cacao powder and honey. For just one or two people, I then throw this all in the nutribullet (one of my kitchen essentials) and blend together for a second or two.
For a larger group, I put everything in a saucepan and use the immersion blender to mix all the ingredients.
Then I add to the stove top and heat. Nut milks in particular become very foamy and creamy when blended and heated.
Serve alone or with a marshmallow or two on top, in cosy pyjamas and your favourite Christmas movie on TV.
Sueson Vess
Sueson Vess is a professional chef, author/food writer and educator helping people eat healthier, especially those with food intolerances and others with chronic illnesses. She is passionate about nutrition and helping others achieve and maintain a “good for your health” lifestyle. There are always delicious, helpful and healthy solutions! Her focus is on “Foods with Benefits” – learning to increase delicious beneficial foods in your daily life. Sueson makes bone broth at Nature’s Own in North Carolina, and teaches cooking classes at FirstHeath and Duke Cancer Center. She is a regular contributing writer for Sandhills Naturally and Gluten-Free & More publications.
