I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach, gluten-free recipe creator, and home detoxification expert with a focus on gut health. I show burned-out women with digestive issues how to take a proactive, holistic approach to healing by sharing nutrient-dense recipes, and sustainable lifestyle tips that are easy to implement in everyday life.
I don’t know about you, but once the colder temperatures of winter come to town, I become allergic to cold food and beverages (ok, not really, I just find them repulsive). I drink warm water and herbal tea religiously all winter to stay warm. As such, I have a penchant for creamy drinks that taste like dessert but without the inflammatory side effects of a blood-sugar spike. This is how I came up with a recipe for healthy hot chocolate with ginger and collagen. While I prefer it warm, it’s just as delicious cold if you want a late-morning pick-me-up in the summer.
Since chocolate and ginger pair so well together, I wanted to make a healthy hot chocolate recipe with these flavors. Unfortunately, traditional cocoa is alkalized, meaning it’s highly processed and stripped of all its nutrients. It’s also loaded with sugar, which does a body no good.
For this recipe, I use cacao powder instead of traditional cocoa. Cacao powder comes from the cacao bean, which is basically chocolate in its purest, raw form. Raw cacao is a superfood due to its high antioxidant and flavonoid content. It’s also full of protein and fiber making it the perfect ingredient for this healthy hot chocolate recipe.
Ingredients to Make Healthy Hot Chocolate
There are so many methods to making this healthy hot chocolate recipe, which makes it easy to customize. I’ve tested this recipe using three different types of ginger so you can prepare it with whichever type you already have in your kitchen.
From the Refrigerator:
Water – 12-16 ounces of filtered water is enough. Adjust the quantity to leave enough room in your mug for non-dairy milk. While I prefer to make this hot chocolate, you can use cold water for an iced version if you’re using minced ginger from a jar, or powdered ginger instead of fresh.
Ginger – The spicy, warming flavor of ginger pairs so well with rich, bitter cacao and creamy non-dairy milk. Choose your source of ginger from the list below:
1) Fresh Ginger – A 1” piece of fresh ginger, chopped into small pieces and placed in a stainless steel tea ball infuser will give your hot chocolate a nice kick. For best results, use hot water.
2) Minced Fresh Ginger – 1 ½ teaspoons of jarred ginger will add a little texture to your hot chocolate, but the finer it’s minced the less noticeable it is.
3) Ground Ginger – ½ teaspoon is plenty. Keep in mind the fresher the ground ginger, the stronger the flavor.
Options 2 and 3 will work with cold water if you want a chilled version. They’re also quicker.
From the Pantry:
Cacao Powder – You’ll need about 1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder. Cacao does contain caffeine, so be mindful if you’re sensitive to it and adjust accordingly. On the flip side, if you want extra chocolatey goodness, add more.
Collagen Peptides – Turn your healthy hot chocolate into a legitimate snack: 1 scoop of unflavored collagen peptides adds healthy dose of protein without altering the flavor. Leave them out if you’re not a fan.
To make this hot chocolate recipe, choose the method below for the type of ginger you’ll be using.
Option 1 – Fresh Ginger:
Finely chop the ginger and place it in a stainless steel tea ball infuser.
Heat your water just before boiling. If you have an electric kettle, set it to 200º.
Pour the hot water over the ginger pieces and let steep for 5-10 minutes. The longer you leave it in the water, the more flavor you’ll get. I don’t take it out until I’ve finished with the hot chocolate (and sometimes I eat the pieces afterward).
Whisk in the cacao and collagen peptides, or mix with a matcha frother.
Add sweetener and non-dairy milk.
Garnish with cinnamon (optional).
Options 2 & 3 – Minced Ginger from a Jar or Ground Ginger:
Follow the instructions above, starting with step two.
Add the minced or powdered ginger after the cacao and collagen. There’s no need to steep it first.
Helpful Tools to Make Healthy Hot Chocolate
These three tools aren’t necessary to make this hot chocolate recipe, but they’ll make it a lot easier if you have them.
Tea Ball Infuser – A stainless steel tea ball infuser is handy for using fresh ginger in this recipe. The finer the ginger is chopped, the higher the flavor. If you don’t have one, just cut the ginger into a few smaller pieces to increase its surface area and toss it in the water.
AeroLatte Matcha Frother – These are great for dissolving powders, even if you don’t drink matcha. They break them up so they don’t leave chunks in your drink. I use them for hot chocolate, matcha lattes and electrolytes.
You can also use a traditional latte frother, but they’re designed to add air to the fatty molecules of milk to make it foamy, not necessarily to break up powders.
Electric Tea Kettle – This Chefman Electric Kettlehas been a game changer in our household. Not only does it have seven preset temperatures for various types of tea, it’s also fast.
This healthy hot chocolate recipe includes ginger and collagen for a kick of extra flavor, added nutrients and protein. It’s dairy free to curb inflammation and doesn’t contain any added sugar to maintain steady blood glucose levels.
Ingredients
UnitsScale
FRESH GINGER VARIATION:
12–16oz hot water
1” piece of fresh ginger, chopped (or alternatives below)
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
1 scoop unflavored collagen peptides
1/4cup unsweetened, non-dairy milk
pure liquid stevia or pure monk fruit drops to taste
If using fresh ginger, chop it and place it in a stainless steel tea ball infuser.
Heat your water just before boiling. If you have an electric kettle, set it to 200º.
Pour the hot water over the ginger pieces and let steep for 5-10 minutes. The longer you leave it in the water, the more flavor you’ll get. I don’t take it out until I’ve finished with the hot chocolate (and sometimes I eat the pieces afterward).
Whisk in the collagen peptides and cacao powder, or mix with a matcha frother.
Add sweetener and non-dairy milk to taste.
Garnish with cinnamon (optional).
Option 2 & 3 – Minced Ginger from a Jar or Ground Ginger:
Follow the instructions above, starting with step 2.
Add the minced ginger after the collagen and cacao. There’s no need to steep the minced ginger.
This healthy hot chocolate recipe tastes just as delicious and refreshing served cold. If using jarred ginger or powdered ginger you don’t have to use hot water, so it also saves time.
