tuesday tip: HOW TO MAKE COCONUT HOT CHOCOLATE {dairy free + refined sugar free}

By knowing the right proportions of coconut milk + water + honey + vanilla + cocoa powder you can have your HOT CHOCOLATE and feel great about enjoying it this Holiday Season!

If you have been reading any prior posts, you probably are well informed that, we the Clifford’s, suffer from “gassy dairy intolerance”! To put it lightly, if we all [or any of us] were to down a large glass of hot chocolate we would be up all night from either smelly toots from other or stomach cramping for ourselves—or both!

So i’m so happy to announce to my family that I have a solution! Its called COCONUT MILK HOT CHOCOLATE!

While we were in Maui, we had our hands on many coconut in a variety of differing types….either fresh coconut water, or fresh coconut meat from a coconut that we macheted, or frozen coconut that we put on top of yogurt and in smoothies and in savory dishes. Our coconut food variety was so plentiful [and all for free from random coconut trees] that we felt like we needed to eat it with EVERYTHING before it went bad!

And we did. We had it on everything.

Since being back, we have missed out coconut flavor! Well, I guess I should maybe just say I have missed it. No one else has voiced their concerns over missing coconut. Just me. Oh well.

Anyway, I was able to find this variety of coconut milk that made me really happy. Happy because it only had 2 ingredients in it!

Coconut and water-

In brainstorming of all the wonderful things one can make with this carton, and partly replacing the cold frozen treats like smoothies and homemade popsicles, [our toes are frozen and our hands are frozen…so we don’t need anything frozen right now.] Something top of my list-and mind- was Hot Chocolate.

I fiddled around with the recipe a little…I made chocolate milk in hawaii a few times using light coconut milk from a can. It was good but it was heavy and ladened with fat. So I’m happy to have found this brand and container! I have loved using it.

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR HOT CHOCOLATE?

creamy?

or

lighter?

*If you fall under the CREAMIER category = MAKE THE RECIPE JUST AS IT READS!

*If you fall under the LIGHTER category = ADD MORE WATER

INGREDIENTS

LITE COCONUT MILK

-Can use coconut milk from a carton or from a can. It is creamier and more hearty if from a can. Also, the higher fat content you use, the richer it will be. If you only have a can of coconut milk but would like it lighter… I suggest carefully scooping the thick cream off the top and using the watery/milky liquid at the bottom.

WATER

-The more water = the more watery. Go figure!

HONEY

-Could play around with this! Add more or less according to your liking. If it tastes too cocoa powdery add more!

-Can also sub out the sweetener….maple syrup, sugar, agave etc.

The sweetener is also up for debate. The first few times I made it, I shared it with brady and his response was, "yes its good. But it tastes too healthy." His way of saying, "it needs more honey".

SO I upped the honey to what I think is a perfect amount

UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER

-Although 1 Tablespoon sounds like a lot, you can always add more milk or water once its done. It’s easier to add more water/milk than more cocoa after you have heated it. The cocoa powder dissolves much easier in hot liquid.

VANILLA

-No comments. It’s a necessary ingredient

STEPS:

-Dump all ingredients, stir with a whisk, heat 1 cup for 2 min in the microwave or until almost boiling on the stove. Stir again until all lumps are dissolved.

Serve with Whipped Cream and or Marshmallows [optional]

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We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Happy New Year!

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