Brain Food: Guilt-Free Hot Cocoa for the Holidays!

I had to taste test a lot of hot cocoa recipes to come up with my own versions that are just right! Here are two recipes that you can make at home for yourself AND prepare as home-made gifts for your friends and family.

Hot Cocoa (Dry) Mix

This healthy hot chocolate mix will have your mouth watering! For a gift, it can be placed in a small jar (it is a powder) and added to a nice little basket with the toppings.

Rich & Smooth Hot Chocolate

This is a smooth and creamy hot cocoa that everyone will enjoy. All of the ingredients can be placed in a basket for a sensational holiday gift from the heart.

Add for Some Extra Flair

Whipped Coconut Cream

Add a dollop of my delicious Coconut Whipped Cream. This whipped cream is much healthier for you, especially diabetics, because the coconut sugar has a low glycemic index. For those of you who don’t like coconut, don’t worry – it does not taste like coconut.

The Brain Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

I’ve written about this before. YES, dark chocolate benefits include boosting brain health! Since I wrote that blog back in 2014 “How Much Chocolate a Day will Keep Dementia at Bay?” research has continued to this day, all of it confirming earlier studies that dark chocolate IS good for you.

The most important brain health benefits of dark chocolate derive from the flavanols found in cocoa (all chocolate – dark and milk chocolate – begins with the cacao tree). Flavanols, which can boost your blood oxygen levels, is linked to better cognitive health and performance, and improve heart and circulatory health. The flavonals in cocoa powder have other health benefits too – from reducing high blood pressure to lowering your risk of heart attack and stroke to improving mood and symptoms of depression.

So make up a comforting cup of hot cocoa for a guilt-free holiday sweet! If you really want to splurge you can add Baileys liquor to your hot cocoa (spoiler – Baileys is NOT brain food!)