Do you need the perfect afternoon pick me up?

Are you often finding yourself frazzled, dehydrated and a bit blurgh by the afternoon? If you’re anything like me you would’ve already downed multiple cups of tea or coffee or both especially as the weather begins to get colder.

But there is a solution to this over caffeinated state we find ourselves in, and this is where our friend cacao can step in.

It’s a pretty good alternative or replacement for a cuppa or two, therefore less caffeine, less dehydration and a little more spring in your step.

This recipe is from one of my favourite food bloggers My New Roots.

I’ve re-imagined it a little and I can safely say it’s pretty darn delicious.

It’s creamy, frothy and really satisfying and nothing like the over sweetened commercial mixes you often find.

In case you need a refresher on why raw cacao is good for us here are a few points;

Cacao (pronounced Ca-cow) is from the plant Theobroma Cacao

Cacao powder (which is used in hot drinks and cooking etc) is the raw form of cocoa powder, it’s less processed and therefore maintains a better nutrient profile.

~it’s full to the brim with minerals. Namely Magnesium and iron and a little calcium

~it has numerous Antioxidants which we all know are super important

~it contains theobromine which has been shown to elevate mood among other things (tea and coffee contain it too)

~it has a good amount of protein and dietary fibre

This all sounds pretty good in my mind, and there are also numerous other ways to incorporate cacao into your diet. I’ll continue to add in some more recipes down the track.

So remember to switch out the processed Cocoa powder for its cousin and powerhouse of nutrition, Cacao.

Caution//it does still contain caffeine for those who are extra sensitive

This hot cacao is

Creamy

Frothy 

Satiating 

Sugar free

Vegan

Low waste

Delicious!

Low waste tips for this recipe include;

When purchasing your cacao powder try and aim for fair trade and certified organic. It is often imported as it doesn’t grow in Australia. But buying in bulk will cut out a lot of plastic waste which is great. If you don’t have a bulk food or package free store near you there a numerous ones online these days, like The Source bulk foods.

You can most likely get the Raw cacao, Cinnamon, almond or nut butter from bulk.

And it’s possible to even make your own plant milk (recipe coming soon)to reduce even more waste.

I’ve kept this version pretty simple but feel free to spice it up a bit by adding ginger or turmeric or even some chilli powder to give it an extra zing!

Now to the recipe//

Oops one last thing, I’d love to hear from you and whether you have tried the recipe

You can email me or instagram me

OK here it is,

I hope you like it!

Cheers

Alli