"Activated" Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 2 cups water or milk, your choice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons raw cacao
- 1 teaspoon ashwagandha powder
- 1 teaspoon maca powder
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- Cinnamon as needed
What it is: Hot chocolate made with raw cacao, coconut oil, honey and. It’s free of dairy and refined sugars.
Mann offers two kinds of hot chocolate at Baba Cool: classic ($3.50) and “activated” ($5), with the latter designed to be an energizing sipper. Raw cacao mixed with the herb ashwagandha, prized for its energy-boosting and stress-reducing properties, serves as the base of the activated drink, along with maca: the powder form of a root known for its mood-lifting elements. The base is blended with either water or a choice of milk for smoothness and raw honey for sweetness.
Inspiration: Mann created the drink to satisfy her own daily chocolate cravings, while also hoping to create something that flat-out tasted good.
Sweetness Index: Herbs add nutty and bitter notes, but in a way that works against the honey and raw cacao. “I was trying to find that balance where hot chocolate wasn’t super sweet,” she says.
Loyalty Factor: Mann’s “activated” hot chocolate appeals to an audience that wouldn’t otherwise order the drink, so they are willing to pay a little more. “If there is a healthier option, people feel better about actually ordering it,” she says.
Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to boil. Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Makes 1 to 2 servings.
Recipe by Owner Gabriella Mann
Baba Cool Cafe, Brooklyn, New York