Protein Rich Tahini Hot Chocolate

We can’t wait for you to try this hot chocolate! It’s Rich, Creamy, Chocolaty, Perfectly sweet, Frothy, Dreamy, Fiber- & Protein-rich, Nourishing and SO delicious! This is the perfect cozy drink for the holiday season, for refueling after a cold winter day, or any time you want something decadent yet nourishing. It would pair beautifully with holiday cookies, especially anything chocolaty!

Ingredients

• Cocoa powder – a generous amount of cocoa powder ensures this drink is super chocolaty, almost like a drinking chocolate!

• Tahini – not only is tahini one of our all-time favorite ingredients for its nutritional benefits (hello vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats), but it adds a gorgeous thickness, richness, and nutty flavor to this hot chocolate.

• Sweetener – we love a combination of maple syrup (or honey) + a medjool date, but you could sub nearly any sweetener here. The date adds a caramel-like flavor and makes the texture even creamier!

• Sea salt – a tiny pinch is all you need to elevate all the flavors here. Plus, salt + tahini + maple = MAGIC!

• Cinnamon – adds a little extra sweetness and blood sugar-balancing benefits.

• Collagen – if you’re into protein hot chocolate, definitely add the collagen! Along with the tahini, it gives one mug of hot chocolate a hefty 15 grams of protein. It also adds extra creaminess. If you’re vegan, your hot chocolate will still be amazing without it!

• Coconut milk powder + water // milk of choice – when it comes to picking your milk, options abound. We love a combination of coconut milk powder and hot water to make a super creamy, rich dairy-free “milk,” but you can simply sub coconut milk in place of both, or use another milk you enjoy (almond, oat, and cashew would all be amazing).

How to Make Tahini Hot Chocolate

When it’s hot chocolate time, blend everything (including the hot water) in a heat-safe blender (one that has a lid with a vent to allow steam to escape, such as a Vitamix). Blending makes it extra frothy and also breaks down the date. The reason you don’t want to blend using a sealed container is that hot liquids can cause the pressure to build up and the container could explode. Yikes.

What to do if you don’t have a heat-safe blender? Or a blender at all? You could try making this drink in a saucepan on the stovetop and adding coconut sugar (or a liquid/granulated sweetener) instead of a date. Optionally, you could then use a handheld frother to make it creamy/frothy!