While brewing up this recipe, it came to our attention that hot cocoa and hot chocolate are in fact different! We must have missed this lesson in elementary school… Kratom tea hot cocoa contains cocoa powder, whereas hot chocolate has melted chocolate in it, making it a bit richer. The drink is fantastic with just the cocoa, but if you’re looking for an even thicker chocolate treat, check out our kratom hot chocolate recipe!
Cocoa Tea Origins
People have been brewing up drinks using cacao trees for over 5000 years, and cacao-based drinks have taken on many forms throughout the ages. The ancient Olmec and Mayan civilizations in Mesoamerica regarded cacao as a sacred gift from the gods. They crafted beverages with cacao paste and chili peppers that were much more bitter than the chocolate drinks people are accustomed to today.
Steeped cocoa tea has also been popular for centuries, though cocoa mixed with hot water is not technically a true tea – all “true teas” are made by steeping the leaves of Camellia sinensis in hot water. Cocoa tea also refers to a range of drinks: you can make a it with cacao husks, bits of the beans, or even cocoa powder. Many specialty tea blends have been created that combine parts of the cacao plant with black tea or other herbs and spices, but hot cocoa made with tea isn’t very common.
Only in the past few centuries have cacao-based drinks become sweet and indulgent treats. Cacao has evolved from a drink consumed for individual health benefits (or even as an aphrodisiac) to a dessert that’s consumed mainly for its taste.
Intense Flavor and Function
Health benefits and good flavors don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Kratom hot cocoa combines these two purposes! Brewing kratom tea is fundamentally about having something that both tastes great and benefits your body and mind. Unlike with kratom powder, there’s no need to compromise flavor for effects, or effects for flavor. Kratom hot cocoa with oat milk and sweetener is a bit more indulgent than kratom cocoa tea, but it’ll still provide you with benefits far beyond what you could get from a bottle of Yoo-hoo or a Swiss Miss packet.
Ready to have your cocoa and drink it too?
Kratom Hot Cocoa
Prep time: 5
Brew time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 3 Unwind red vein kratom tea bags (see note below)
- 1 cup water
- 1.5 cups milk of choice
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp sweetener of choice, more or less to taste (see note below)
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- Extra flavor (optional): 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1 drop of peppermint extract, or 1 drop of coconut extract
- Toppings (optional): dash of ground cinnamon or cayenne pepper, coconut whip, mini marshmallows, sprig of mint
Stovetop Directions:
- Add kratom tea bags and water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and keep over heat for 10-15 minutes. This tea lacks lemon juice, making it slightly weaker; you can steep for longer if desired, just add a few extra tbsp of water.
- Remove the tea bags, then add in the cocoa, salt, sweetener, milk, and any additional flavoring. Whisk gently until the cocoa powder has dissolved. Warm mixture thoroughly before removing from heat.
- Pour into mugs, add any toppings, and serve immediately.
Thermos Directions:
- Place tea bags into your thermos and add boiling water. Steep for 15-20 minutes or longer if desired.
- When the tea is almost done steeping, warm the milk in the microwave (about 90 seconds). Add cocoa, salt, sweetener, and any of the optional flavors. Stir until combined.
- Divide tea and milk mixture between two mugs and add any toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
Kratom tea bags: We originally made this recipe with Red Dragon, which we’ve since replace with our strainless Unwind red vein kratom tea. We love using red vein kratom tea when we make kratom tea hot cocoa in the evenings, but you can use whichever tea you like best!
Find natural support for relaxation
Sweetener suggestions: For each serving, add 1-2 tbsp maple syrup, 1/4-3/4 tsp stevia, or 1/2-1 tbsp cane sugar, depending on how sweet you like your cocoa.
Kratom Drinks for Every Season
Check out the Better Brewing Blog soon for more recipes, from mixed drinks and mocktails to lattes and smoothies. Cheers to better brewing!
