WFMW: Homemade Hot Cocoa

February 27, 2008

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I don’t know that I’ve ever bought a box of cocoa mix. Why would I, when homemade is almost as easy, much cheaper, and healthier too?

Case in point: A box of Swiss Miss cocoa mix contains the following:

sugar, modified whey, cocoa (processed with alkali), hydrogenated cocnut oil, nonfat milk, calcium carbonate, less than 2% of: salt, dipotassium phosphate, mono- and diglyderides, artificial flavor, carrageenan

Hmm… some of those things I just don’t want my wee ones to eat. Plus, all that packaging… with the cardboard box it comes in plus the individually wrapped servings, it just seems so wasteful.

So, I thought I would share my Homemade Hot Cocoa recipe for this week’s Works for Me Wednesday. It’s a slight adaptation of the recipe that appears on the side of the Hershey’s Cocoa containers.

homemade hot cocoaFirstly, grab a medium sized saucepan with a heavy bottom. Put about a half cup of water in it and place it on medium/high heat. While the water starts to boil, add:

  • 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 1/2 cup Rapadura or Sucanat
  • a dash of sea salt

Let the mixture boil for a couple of minutes and stir it constantly. Then, turn it to low and add:

  • 4 cups organic (I use raw) milk
  • 1 tsp. all natural vanilla flavoring

Let that heat until it’s as warm as you like. I usually dip out two cups for the girls right away while it’s just warm, then let it heat up a minute longer for the boys and me. The whole process from start to finish takes LESS than 5 minutes.

You can also add a dash of cayenne to the adult’s cups if you like. And, did you know that a cup of hot cocoa has more antioxidants than most people eat in two days? One more thing: If you like to drink Mochas, you can use a tablespoon of the cocoa/sugar mixture to a cup of strong, freshly brewed coffee, then add hot milk and skip the trip to the fancy coffee shop.  

Just when you thought I was done talking about chocolate. LOL!

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Comments

8 Responses to “WFMW: Homemade Hot Cocoa”

  1. LaTara Ham-Ying on February 27th, 2008 7:42 pm

    Sounds yummy! I hear ya on the homemade. The other stuff is so bad for you.

  2. Mamacita on February 28th, 2008 12:47 am

    I love all natural stuff. Thanks for sharing! I have never tried sucanat – I am wondering, does it have any after taste?

  3. carrie on February 28th, 2008 11:32 am

    Hi Mamacita,

    Sucanat doesn’t have an aftertaste but it does have a slight molasses flavor because it’s dehydrated cane juice without the molasses stripped out. :)

  4. Rebecca on February 28th, 2008 2:44 pm

    I like to make hot chocolate from scratch, too. It’s easy to make a single serving by mixing a heaping teaspoon of cocoa, a teaspoon of sugar (or whatever sweetener you desire), and a couple teaspoons of milk in a cup. Stir that until it’s blended, then add the rest of the milk. Microwave until it’s hot. I make mine with MUCH less sugar than you’d get from a packet, and it tastes better.

    Thanks for the recipe! We just published a list of “Best Green Baby Blogs” over at http://www.greenbabyguide.com, and you are on it!

  5. Tamara Wilson on March 1st, 2008 1:18 am

    I haven’t ever tried to make it from scratch. but this sounds easy and yummy I am going to give it a try in the next few days thanks for sharing.

  6. Melody Thacker on March 2nd, 2008 9:57 pm

    Homemade cocoa tastes way better than the instant kind, but that’s what my Mom always made. Did you know Watkins makes an organic pure Vanilla extract now?

  7. carrie on March 3rd, 2008 10:59 am

    I saw that Melody. Good to know :)

  8. Malkie on March 16th, 2008 4:48 pm

    Hey, Rebecca, thats what I was going to say!!! (Except that I do it without a microwave).
    I will just add that you can also make flavored hot chocolate by simply adding a few drops of peppermint extract (or whatever else you like!)

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