It’s the time of year when hot chocolate reigns supreme—it’s chilly outside and you’re really feeling the holiday spirit, the sleigh bells are all around and you’re evening plans consist of time inside laughing with friends and family… and a warm ‘cuppa.

The problem is that most pre-packaged hot chocolate mixes are full of refined sugar and additives—which isn’t “Pure” at all.

That’s why I’m sharing my favorite, easy cinnamon hot cocoa recipe. No matter how warm or cold it is there’s nothing to bring the holiday season together like a cup of steamy cocoa with a cinnamon, coconutty kicker.

Aub's Cinnamon Coconut Hot Cocoa

This is very rich and nice for two people to share a large cup together or two small separately.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp organic cacao powder
1 tsp organic cinnamon
4 Tbsp coconut sugar (or honey powder)
3 Tbsp cold pressed coconut oil
2 Cups filtered water
1-½ Cup almond milk (to taste)
½ tsp of vanilla extract

Directions

Melt the coconut oil in a pan on the stove on low heat.

Mix the cacao, cinnamon, and coconut sugar in a small bowl.

Poor the dry ingredients into the coconut oil and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the water, almond milk, and vanilla extract.

Stir frequently until its warm and tasty!

Some Optional Additions

I have been making this recipe for a few years, and I’m always playing around with it. Here are some of my favorite additions:

Additional Dry Ingredients

1—add 2 tsp organic powdered ginger—Ginger with cinnamon is one of my favorite flavors.

2—Use less of the sweetener—by slowly adding powdered licorice root. This is admittedly a little tricky. I would cut the sweetener in half and start with ½ a teaspoon of licorice root. Then add slowly stir in sweetener to taste at the very end.

3—add ½ tsp cayenne—if you like it a little spicy, add this to your dry ingredients. It packs a punch at this level and it turns this from a sweet treat to a little savory post-dinner snack.

Additional Wet Ingredients

1—½ cup cold infused marshmallow root—my absolute favorite addition to this is cold infused marshmallow root at the very end. It adds a special thickness, a little more sweetness, and a lot of wonderful healing properties—turning this into a digestive-system tonic.
You’ll want to make the actual recipe a little bit stronger or remove ½ cup of almond milk so that it doesn’t water down the hot chocolate.

Did you make this hot chocolate? Share your updates with us in the comments below!