Adaptogenic Hot Chocolate—aka Stress-busting Hot Cocoa

Whether you're trying to cut back on caffeine or want to nourish your mind and body with a superfood-powered drink, this adaptogenic hot chocolate is just what you need.

It's a great focus-boosting morning drink, but it's also perfect to snuggle up with at the end of your day.

Either way, you're going to love this stress-reducing adaptogenic hot cocoa, and I've made it into a mix to make it oh-so-convenient any time you've got a craving. Which, if you're anything like me, is going to be often.

What is an Adaptogen?

Adaptogens are natural substances (usually herbs, but they can also be roots, plants, and mushrooms) that help balance your body and manage stress. 

I've only included a few adaptogens in this hot chocolate recipe. There are a lot more of them and you could of course add as many as you like to this recipe. Just keep in mind that some of them can taste strong.

Adding in a nice amount of cocoa, sweetener, coconut milk and salt totally takes care of that the same way it does for this adaptogenic fudge recipe.

Ingredients and Benefits

• Cocoa Powder
• Coconut Sugar
• Coconut Milk Powder
• Tocos/Rice Bran Solubles – An optional ingredient to use instead of coconut milk powder or as an add-on. Tocos gives lots of creaminess to dairy-free drinks.
• Ashwagandha – Known as a strong adaptogen, ashwagandha helps your body adapt to stress. There is some discussion of ashwagandha being helpful even for ADHD.
• Maca – Known to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties.
• Reishi Mushroom – Known as the Queen of Mushrooms, reishi is known for supporting the immune system and blood sugar levels, amongst other things.
• He Shou Wu – He shou wu is said to “build the blood” and be super nourishing. Legend has it that a 58-year-old man apparently took this herb and lived to be 130 and that his son (named He Shou Wu) also took this, lived to be 160, and had dark hair when he died.
• Lion's Mane – Lion's mane is known for many benefits including the potential to regenerate nerves and for being neuroprotective.

Pin

Serving Suggestions

Try topping this healthy hot chocolate with:

• whipped cream or coconut whipped cream
• mini marshmallows
• dairy-free chocolate chips or chunks
• chocolate shavings
• chocolate syrup
• or all of the above!

Pin

Recipe Notes and Substitutions

• Coconut Milk Powder/Coconut Milk: You can omit the coconut milk powder if you'd like, but the recipe won't be as creamy. Using a full fat canned coconut milk instead of regular would adjust for that. If omitting it, use a little less of the mix. You might want to add some more cocoa and sweetener.
• Blender Options: Neither an immersion blender, a blender, or a high-powered blender is needed, but it will make a smoother drink. I prefer to just stir the mixture to keep cleanup simple.
• Sweetener options: While the original recipe called for coconut sugar, I now use 1/8 teaspoon stevia extract to keep carbs low. Making this substitution reduces bulk so you will use about 5 teaspoons of the mix per cup of cocoa. If using honey or maple syrup, use about 5 teaspoons of the mix and add the sweetener after pouring the hot water and milk into the mix.
• Adaptogen Options: This recipe is very forgiving and versatile. Use whatever adaptogens you like for this: no need to be exact. Because adaptogens taste strong, you'll want to add them little by little. If it turns out that you've add too much, just add more of the other ingredients. He shou wu and ashwagandha are adaptogens that have particularly intense taste.
• Arsenic in Tocos: There are concerns about tocos having a lot of arsenic because it's made from brown rice. The brand linked to does testing and states results on their Amazon product page stating that their levels were below .002 ppm in recent testing. Please use your best judgment about using this product, but I will say that rice bran solubles are yummy.
• AIP Option: For and AIP recipe, use coconut sugar, carob, and swap the ashwagandha for another adaptogen of choice because it is a nightshade.

Pin

More Healthy Drinks

Vegan Eggnog – a lovely special-diet-friendly and sugar-free yummy treat.
Protein Hot Chocolate – your favorite cozy cold-weather drink made healthier.
Dairy-free Sugar-free Hot Chocolate – a great healthier alternative to Swiss Miss.
Homemade Cranberry Juice (4 Ways) – skip all the sugar and HFCS of the “cocktails” in the stores.
Nourishing Coffee Substitute – a great way to cut back on caffeine while nourishing your liver.
Adrenal Cocktail – help your body deal with stress and feel better fast.
Turmeric Tea – great for inflammation and for normalizing hormones and menstruation too.

I'd love to hear in the comments section what you think about this drink, and if you've used adaptogens and how they've worked for you.