Recipe: Homemade Adaptogenic Hot Chocolate
Essential Takeaways
- Get your holiday hot chocolate fix with added adaptogens like Reishi and Chaga, and take this cozy drink to a whole new level of relaxation and restoration.
- Created with Elix TCM Advisor and Chef Zoey Gong, this recipe was crafted with a holistic food therapy approach rooted in plant-based Chinese medicinal cuisine.
- Let us know if you recreate this recipe by tagging us @elixhealing @zoeyxinyigong on Instagram!
Cozy up on winter nights with this dreamy, creamy adaptogenic hot chocolate recipe that’s low in sugar, and high in stress relief. Cacao is definitely everyone’s favorite antioxidant that’s known for balancing our mood and uplifting our spirit, but when paired with the powerful herbs and medicinal mushrooms found in Elix Stay Well, you can take this classic treat to a whole new level of restoration and relaxation.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), adaptogens like reishi or chaga are powerful mushrooms and herbs that can increase your body’s resistance to stressors like the end of year work rush, remembering everyone on your gift list, and unsolicited advice from family members at holiday gatherings. Adaptogens and hot chocolate are like a match made in winter wonderland, because instead of masking their earthy, rich flavours, this drink compliments them and adds a nice natural sweetness that balances everything out beautifully.
Feel free to customize your hot chocolate with the adaptogens that suit your needs, but in this recipe Zoey used Reishi powder and Elix Stay Well for their calming and immune boosting benefits, which are perfect for this time of year.
TCM Benefits:
- Reishi and Elix Stay Well Tincture boost immunity.
- Cacao balances mood, while reishi calms the spirit.
- Goji berry and Elix Stay Well Tincture provides sustained energy.
Hot Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients (1mug):- ⅕ cup cashew milk
- ½ palm-sized dark chocolate bar
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tsp reishi or other mushroom powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar, or to taste
- 3 drops Elix Stay Well Tincture
- 2 tsp goji berry
Method:
- Warm cashew milk in the microwave or on the stove.
- Melt the chocolate bar in the warm milk. Whisk until dissolved completely.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, except for goji berries. Whisk or blend until combined well without clumps.
- Top with goji berries and serve warm.
Zoey Gong is a Traditional Chinese Medicine nutritionist, food therapist, and chef. Her recipes have been featured in various publications, including the cover of Food & Wine magazine in the February 2023 issue. She’s the author of The Five Elements Cookbook: A Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine with Recipes for Everyday Healing, where she guides readers in the basics of TCM through encyclopedic entries on common ingredients and 50 nourishing recipes.