A Rainy Day Drink That Won’t Destroy the Results of Your Hard Work

You’re relaxing at home on a rainy gray morning after a nice trail run, and you get that craving for a sweet, rich, comforting mug of hot chocolate.  But what do you do if you don’t eat sugar?  Make a cup of tea perhaps, maybe some roasted brown rice, peppermint, or chai flavored?  That could be good, but sometimes you just want something with a little bit more body.  Adding milk to tea works for some people, but if you’re lactose intolerant, that won’t work for you.  I discovered a satisfying concoction that I’d like to share with you.  It’s sugar and dairy free, and super-easy to prepare.

Start with a brewed cup of chai tea.  I used Zhena’s Gypsy Tea (Coconut Chai Black Tea) because that’s what was in my cupboard, but you can pick your favorite Chai tea.  Once it’s steeped the way you like it, remove the tea bag, and stir in about a tablespoon of unprocessed cacao powder.  (This is not the same as hot chocolate mix, it’s pure roasted chocolate beans with no added sweeteners.  Make sure that the only ingredient listed is “cocoa.”)   Add in a big splash of full fat coconut milk and stir.  This drink satisfied that rainy-day-comfort-drink urge.  The healthy fat from the coconut milk distracts you from the fact that this beverage isn’t very sweet.  If you prefer a sweeter drink, just add a dollop of honey!

You can read up on the benefits of cocoa at WebMD.  There’s more to cocoa than just antioxidants!  A summary of the benefits of coconut milk can be found at HealthLine.

Photo: wiki commons, Denmark

What do you like to drink on a rainy day?  Do you just give up and make a Starbucks run?  Or do you have a secret comforting, yet healthy drink that you like to whip up?  Please feel free to share your recipes in the comments section of this blog.

Originally posted on www.sandybaird.com