Heart Healthy Hot Chocolate (with bone broth)

I created this hot chocolate a few years ago when I was doing Whole30 and I was craving chocolate.  I promise you, this hot chocolate is way better than the powdered stuff with the little marshmallows.  That is the one thing this recipe is missing, marshmallows.  I’ve been reading a lot about making my own marshmallows with grass-fed gelatin but I haven’t attempted to do it yet.  I digress…

What makes this hot chocolate heart healthy, you ask?  Well, a few things.  First, the full fat coconut milk.  Did you know that the heart’s preferred fuel is fatty acids from the fats we eat?  Not carbs, not protein, but fat.  Gasp!!!  I know, that may come as a shock to you but it’s true.  Second, is the cacao.  Cacao is the raw form of chocolate.  This doesn’t mean that processed chocolate bars full of sugar are heart healthy.  But there are many studies out there showing the heart healthy benefits of eating cacao.  “…the consumption of chocolate has been involved in the protective modulation of blood pressure, the lipid profile, the activation of platelets, and the sensitivity to insulin.” ¹  Finally, cinnamon has been known to lower cholesterol.

So tell me, why wouldn’t you want to make this delicious, thick, creamy heart healthy hot chocolate?

HOW TO SOURCE THE INGREDIENTS:

I buy my cacao and cinnamon from Thrive Market.  In fact, I buy almost all my pantry staples from Thrive Market.  If you’ve never tried Thrive Market, you can get 40% off your first purchase right now.  Just click HERE.

I use THIS coconut milk every day in my matcha latte so I always have it on hand.  If you can’t find this in your grocery store, you can always use canned full fat coconut milk.

You can find dates in the produce section of your grocery store.

Heart Healthy Hot Chocolate

HOW TO MAKE BONE BROTH HOT CHOCOLATE:

Not only is this version heart healthy but it’s good for your gut too!  Simply replace 1/2 cup of the water with 1/2 cup of a good quality chicken or beef bone broth.  If this sounds weird to you, trust me it’s not.  It’s the most rich, luscious hot chocolate you’ve ever tasted!

Sources:

¹ Fernández-Murga L, Tarín JJ, García-Perez MA, Cano A. The impact of chocolate on cardiovascular health. Maturitas. 2011 Aug;69(4):312-21. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.05.011. Epub 2011 Jun 12. PMID: 21665390.

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