I don’t eat a lot of sweets, and I don’t even crave it much. I’m still sensitive to candida overgrowth and tend to stay away from dessert as a RESTART sugar detox instructor. I just don’t do well on them, unfortunately. Most of the desserts I make on the blog usually get thrown in the freezer and I’ll take out a piece to enjoy every few weeks or so.

However, I do looooove me some creamy and slightly bitter hot chocolate, especially during the holiday season. What’s different about hot chocolate is that they don’t need much sweetness but still feel indulgent for me, so I don’t feel the after-effects of a sugar binge. It’s a win/win!

My favorite type of hot chocolate is Mexican hot chocolate. Have you ever had it? It’s amazing and you are missing out if you haven’t (yes, it’s worth being this dramatic about it…)! It uses a combination of spices to brighten up the flavors and also has a nice spicy kick to it that complements with the chocolate SO well. It’s just wonderful and tastes so fancy, but it’s actually really easy to make.

Like I said, I don’t add any sweeteners to this Mexican hot chocolate, because the melted chocolate bar is plenty sweet on its own, but I do give an option to add them below. Don’t you think this would be the perfect thing to drink while unwrapping presents or spending time with family over the holidays? That’s a heck yes.

Paleo Mexican Hot Chocolate

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Author: Jean Choi

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Ingredients

Coconut Whipped Cream

• 1 can full fat coconut milk with no stabilizers like guar gum, chilled in the fridge for at least 4 hours
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Mexican Hot Chocolate

• 2 cups non-dairy milk (I used 1/2 almond milk and 1/2 full fat coconut milk)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1.5 ounce dark chocolate bar, roughly chopped
• Optional: 1-2 tbsp honey or maple syrup*
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• Options: cocoa powder, chopped chocolate, or cinnamon, for garnish

Instructions

Coconut Whipped Cream

1. Carefully take out the can of coconut milk from the fridge, and turn it upside down.
2. Open the can. You'll see the coconut water floating at the top. Pour out the coconut water, until you see the thick coconut cream resting on the bottom.
3. Scoop out the cream into a large bowl. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract.
4. Using a hand mixer, a stand mixer, or an electric whisk, whip the cream until it becomes fluffy.
5. Place back into the fridge until ready to use.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

1. Pour milk and cinnamon into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium low heat for 5 minutes until fragrant. Whisk occasionally to prevent the milk from burning.
2. Add cocoa powder, chocolate, honey, vanilla extract, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and salt. Whisk frequently, until the chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the hot chocolate into 2 mugs
4. Top with coconut whipped cream.
5. Garnish with cocoa powder, chopped chocolate, and/or cinnamon.

Recipe Notes

I don't add like to add sweeteners to my hot chocolate and I really love it that way, but if you need a bit of sweetness, feel free to add some!