Cacao Hot Chocolate

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The tastiest hot chocolate recipe with cacao, maple syrup and other real ingredients! Use a steam wand if you have one to texture the milk!

Cacao hot chocolate is one of our favorite homemade treats around the holidays or any time of the year. It’s so easy to make!

We typically make this quick cacao hot chocolate by the mug. We steam the milk using our Breville Espresso Machine steam wand to texture the milk, but you can heat and whisk it on the stove as well.

Since we’ve cleaned up our diets, I’m always happy to find real-food swaps for store-bought packaged foods.

More healthy drink recipes from Aberle Home:

• How to Make Milk Kefir for Smoothies
• Cold Remedy Tea Recipe

Differences Between Cocoa and Cacao Powder

While both cocoa powder and cacao powder come from cacao beans, it’s the processing that differs.

Cocoa powder is highly processed. The beans are roasted at a high temperature and so they retain little nutrients.

Additionally, the beans are often alkalized for a smoother flavor (for Dutch-processed cocoa), which means they are washed in a solution such as potassium carbonate to lower their acidity.

Cacao powder, on the other hand, is made from beans that are either raw or cold-processed at low temperatures. The flavor and nutrients (like iron, magnesium, and antioxidants) are better retained.

This means that the flavor can be more sharp or intense than cocoa powder, but nutrient-wise, you’re getting a superior product.

Can You Make Hot Chocolate With Cacao Powder?

You sure can, and you can reap the health benefits! It’s also a great recipe to make at home to avoid some of the ingredients and added preservatives that are often found in store-bought hot chocolate mixes.

You can even bake with cacao powder and add it to your smoothies and oatmeal.

How to Make Cacao Hot Chocolate – Step-by-Step Instructions

I find the cacao powder does not dissolve well in the cold milk and makes a mess on my steam wand. Because of this, I prefer to texture and steam the milk first until it’s hot and then whisk in the remaining ingredients.

If you are heating in a saucepan on the stove, you can heat the milk first or whisk all the ingredients together from the get-go. It’s best to avoid over-heating the hot chocolate to preserve the health benefits and prevent scorching.

Here are some temperature standards for hot beverages from my former barista days:

• Kids temp: 120°F
• Standard: 140°F
• Extra Hot: 160°F

Don’t forget to purge your steam wand when you’re finished steaming! Top the cacao hot chocolate with whipped cream or marshmallows, if desired, and use a sieve to dust with additional cacao powder for decoration. Enjoy!

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