Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Recipe (Naturally Sweetened) (2024)

FAQs

Does cinnamon work with chocolate? ›

Cinnamon. The sweet and woody taste of cinnamon makes it another spice that goes exceptionally well with chocolate. Although slightly sweet, the woody flavour is more prominent and has a subtle yet noticeable impact on every dish it is used in.

If you want your hot cocoa milder and sweeter, use more milk. Yield: Four to six servings. In a medium pan, combine the sugar and cocoa powder with a whisk until it is uniformly mixed. Add 1 cup milk and whisk until combined.

Cacao nibs are ground down and then roasted to form the base of Mexican chocolate. On its own, cacao is quite bitter. With the addition of granulated sugar and spicy cinnamon, the ingredients balance each other out to form an intense and (in my opinion) delicious flavor.

If unsweetened baking chocolate is in the pantry, you can combine it with some sugar. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar per 1 ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate and substitute it ounce-for-ounce for the semisweet baking chocolate. You won't need any added butter or oil.

Cocoa Powder to Chocolate Conversion

Substitute for semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (1 oz.): 1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder plus 2 tsp. sugar and 2 tsp. shortening is equivalent to 1 ounce of semisweet chocolate OR 3 Tbsp.

Cinnamon is safe to eat in small to moderate amounts with most medications. However, taking too much may be an issue if you're taking medication for diabetes, heart disease, or liver disease. This is because cinnamon may interact with those medications, either enhancing their effects or intensifying their side effects.

You can use regular cocoa powder, although we like it best with rich, raw cacao powder. Raw cacao is great because it's alkalinizing and brimming with antioxidants, and it tastes even better with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon, a splash of vanilla, and a little pure maple syrup to sweeten it up.

The most significant difference is in the ingredients. Mexican hot chocolate uses various spices, including cinnamon, cloves, and ancho chili pepper.

What is the secret ingredient in gourmet hot chocolate? ›

Marshmallows: The Unsung Hero

Believe it or not, the secret ingredient in gourmet hot chocolate is none other than marshmallows. These fluffy, sweet confections are the unsung heroes of the hot chocolate world, adding a delightful creaminess and hint of sweetness that takes the drink to a whole new level.

The cinnamon mostly used in Mexican cuisine is called Ceylon, or Canela in Spanish, and it is also known as true cinnamon. It is quite different from Cassia, which is mostly found in US stores.

Aztec hot chocolate is a traditional beverage customary to parts of Mexico where the ancient Aztec and Mayan civilizations lived. At its most basic form, it's a mix of hot chocolate with chili powder or spice, and sometimes cinnamon and vanilla. The word "chocolate" comes from the Aztec "xocoatl", for cacao plant.

It's not the cinnamon Americans are used to—it's much more mellow and subtle—but it's worth expanding our horizons for. Known as canela in Mexico, Ceylon cinnamon, or "real" cinnamon, C. verum is milder than its brash counterpart cassia. It's far less spicy, and if sampled with expectations of cassia it may disappoint.

To make cocoa powder sweet, you can mix it with powdered sugar or a sweetener of your choice to taste. Start by adding small amounts of sweetener and gradually adjust to your desired level of sweetness.

The easiest way to bloom cocoa powder is to use liquid that already goes into your recipe, heating it up until it's warm but not boiling, adding it to your cocoa powder, and letting it sit for a few minutes. Then, just add the bloomed cocoa powder mixture at whichever step you would have normally added the liquid.

If you really need to sweeten dark chocolate, I would suggest adding honey. Melt the chocolate and then add honey, approx 1 table spoon per 8oz of chocolate. If you want to make it even sweeter, then you should probably go for semi-sweet chocolate (you can still add honey).

Other than water, the most common to use are hot coffee, milk, oil, or melted butter. I wouldn't try it with buttermilk though, or it will curdle. Note that blooming cocoa won't work in recipes that don't have enough liquid ingredients to saturate the cocoa powder (at least 1:1 by volume, but there is some leeway).