Creamy Cocoa-Free Hot ‘Chocolate’ (DF, SF, AIP)

A lusciously creamy dairy-free hot ‘chocolate’ alternative that will warm you to your core. Free of caffeine, sugar (or any added sweetener), full of healthy fats and gut-nourishing ingredients, you’ll savour every sip.

I’m a firm believer in doing what works best for YOUR body, so having been dairy and sugar free for many years, naturally I’ve created my fair-share of alternative ‘milks’ and beverages. So what makes this recipe so unique?

Well, I’ve used roasted carob powder as a chocolate-free alternative and gelatin for a creamy gut-nourishing boost. Roasted carob is naturally sweet, so combined with coconut milk (which is also naturally sweet), this recipe is completely free of added sweeteners! Additionally, I’ve added an optional dash of cacao butter (the fat extracted from the dark cocoa solids) to give off more of that chocolatey-flavor, without the actual chocolate.

These things combined yield a rich smooth texture without added sugar, caffeine and other downsides that can come with chocolate. Don’t knock it till you try it folks, it’s ridiculously similar in flavor!

Now you might be thinking, wait a second Emily, you just said it’s chocolate-free but you’ve put cacao butter in it?

Firstly, if you follow the AIP diet or want to make this completely cacao-free, swap this for coconut oil, and it will still taste divine.

Yes, technically speaking with the addition of cacao butter, we’re using a component of the cocoa plant. However, the dark solids that are fermented for their caffeine-stimulant properties have been substituted for something more calming and nurturing (carob), whilst still retaining all the deliciousness of cacao butter for an extra flavor boost. Cacao butter is merely the fat extracted from the bean, just like ghee is the fat extracted from milk. Hence why cacao butter is white-yellowish in color, not dark brown.

So whether you just love a good gut-nourishing recipe, or you’re cutting back on your chocolate intake, this creamy number will have you sorted!

Emily’s Dietary Scorecard

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I have so many fond memories of drinking hot chocolate: the yearly trip to cut down a Christmas tree with my family, a warming energy replenishment after playing a freezing cold soccer game, a trip to Starbucks with mom or dad, just to name a few.

I hope you revel in this warm hug-in-a-mug and don’t forget to let us know how you enjoyed it in the comments below!

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