Cinnamon Hot Chocolate (Healthy Hot Cocoa)

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate is a wholesome but utterly luxurious healthy hot cocoa drink. Sweetened naturally using dates and with a hint of spice this healthy hot chocolate recipe is sure to please the entire family.

This recipe was first published in 2016 and updated in 2022 with fresh images, step-by-step instructions and answers to frequently asked questions. Enjoy!

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This wonderful cinnamon hot chocolate tastes and looks incredibly decadent. But don’t let those good looks deceive you. Made from cocoa powder and sweetened using dates, this is a much more healthy hot cocoa drink than appearances suggest.

Confession: I am a hot chocolate snob. My mum always treated me to a fantastic hot chocolate, complete with whipped cream and a chocolate flake, whenever we went on shopping trips together in Nottingham in the late 1980s.

As the decades have relentlessly rolled by, I’ve continued to seek pleasure and sometimes comfort in a hot mug of liquid chocolate. And, in turn, I’ve also passed on the mother-daughter tradition by treating my girls to hot chocolate in their childhood.

But I’ve always been picky about where I’ll indulge them, having grown sick and tired of woefully inferior, weak and barely warm versions that so many cafés are prone to serving up these days. In fact, a while back I vowed never again to deviate from hot chocolate made with copious amounts of real chocolate melted into it.

However, I now retract that vow wholeheartedly. This cinnamon hot chocolate is proof that not all chocolate drinks must contain melted chocolate. In fact, when a healthy version of hot chocolate can taste this good, without all the fat and sugar typically associated with this luxury drink, how can I not love it?

This indulgent tasting healthy hot cocoa drink puts so many of those pitiful café versions to shame. So, I reserve my right to continue to boycott any inferior coffee shop not willing to put the effort into making a truly spectacular hot chocolate drink – whether or not it is made with cocoa powder or melted chocolate.

Why you’ll love this healthy hot cocoa drink

Here are a handful of reasons why you should consider making this cinnamon hot cholate recipe:

• The only sweetener is dates. There’s no refined sugar added.
• And those dates do make this drink quite filling as they are incredibly rich in nutrients, meaning they keep hunger pangs at bay.
• The dates also work their magic to create a wonderfully textured drink. It’s thick and creamy. In fact, if you’re a fan of Italian-style hot chocolate you’ve love this healthy thick hot chocolate recipe.
• It can be made with regular cow’s milk but dairy-free milk alternatives such as almond milk, coconut milk or oat milk can all be used to make a healthy vegan cinnamon hot chocolate.
• The recipe calls for cocoa powder rather than chocolate so it’s a purse-friendly recipe.
• This is a naturally gluten-free hot chocolate recipe since cocoa powder contains no additional ingredients. That said, I urge celiacs and those with gluten sensitivity to always check the container packaging for notes about possible cross-contamination during manufacturing.
• This healthy hot cocoa drink can be made in advance and heated up as required.
• The spice level can be varied. Double the cinnamon for a bolder flavour. Or introduce more flavours such as nutmeg and star anise.
• Alternatively, the cinnamon can be left out completely should you prefer a straightforward healthy hot chocolate recipe.

These reasons should be testament enough, so why not treat yourself to a cinnamon hot cocoa that is wickedly delicious but unexpectedly, brilliantly and amazingly healthy?

If you like the sound of this recipe for hot chocolate with dates, you might well enjoy my date shake recipes too. I have cinnamon, coffee and gingerbread to choose from.

Ingredients and equipment notes

Dates: these are the star ingredient in this healthy hot chocolate recipe. They are softened in warm milk before being blitzed in a blender. This means that not only do the dates impart their wonderful natural sweetness into this drink they also give it a slightly thicker consistency. This lends a wonderfully luxurious quality to this healthy cinnamon hot chocolate.

Use soft dates such as Deglet Nour or Medjool. These will blend well, helping to create a healthy hot cocoa drink that is smooth and alluringly thick. Try to buy pitted dates for easy of chopping and blending but if you struggle, just ensure that you do take the time to remove the stones to avoid damaging the blades in your blender.

Incidentally, dates are far more than just a natural way to sweeten food. Regular consumption of dates is also a very healthy habit to form since they are marvellously rich in nutrients. Read more about them in my original date shake recipe post.

Cocoa powder: this takes the place of chocolate and delivers a strong and punchy hit of unsweetened flavour. I used Bourneville cocoa powder but you can use any that you have to hand. Do not use hot chocolate powder as this typically has sugar added to it.

Cinnamon: I’ve used whole cinnamon sticks broken up slightly to help infuse the lovely warming baking spice flavour into this healthy hot chocolate recipe.

Milk: I’ve made this drink with cow’s milk, coconut milk and almond milk. It comes out tasting divine every time, so it’s the ideal recipe to get a little playful with that base liquid. This does, of course, mean that it’s very easy to turn this into a recipe for vegan cinnamon hot chocolate.

Blender: some form of blender is essential for this recipe. I have quite a high-powered blender (1500W) which does a great job of breaking down the softened dates. I’ve previously made this date hot chocolate using a Magimix with great success.

If you only have a handheld blender, you can still give it a try. The dates might not break down quite so well, but they should still impart sweetness to the liquid and straining the drink through a sieve will help ensure a smoothly textured drink.

Step-by-step instructions

This healthy cinnamon hot chocolate recipe is very easy to make:

1. Roughly chop the dates and break up the cinnamon slightly by hitting once or twice with a rolling pin or a pestle.
2. Put the milk, dates and cinnamon into a saucepan and heat to scalding. Set aside to infuse for 15 minutes.
3. Carefully pick out the pieces of cinnamon from the milk (they should be floating on the top) and pour the warm milk infusion into a blender. Add the vanilla and cocoa powder and blitz until the dates are as fine as the blender can get them.
4. Strain the hot chocolate through a sieve back into the saucepan.
5. Heat through and serve with the toppings of your choice.

Expert tips

• Heed my advice about the cinnamon sticks and break them up only slightly, otherwise, you’ll be picking bits out of the milk for eternity.
• If a few small bits of cinnamon remain in the milk don’t worry about it. They will get broken up in the blender. Just don’t leave all the cinnamon in when it is blended as the flavour will be too pronounced.
• Ensure that you heat the milk and leave it to infuse for at least 15 minutes to allow the dates to soften and the milk to pick up the cinnamon flavour.
• Should you prefer your cinnamon hot cocoa sweeter then feel free to add a trickle of maple syrup or honey into the mix (but I advise tasting before you do so).
• Wanting to cut the sweetness? Use fewer dates but be mindful that the drink will not be quite so thick.
• To increase the cinnamon flavour simply add an extra stick or two.
• Similarly, feel free to add some additional spices. Nutmeg and star anise would work well alongside the cinnamon in this healthy hot chocolate recipe.

Frequently asked questions

How to Top Healthy Hot Cocoa

Well, my friends, whether or not to stay healthy or splurge a little on those hot chocolate toppings is entirely up to you. I promise not to judge you.

Of course, you can add whipped cream, marshmallows, sprinkles and any other indulgent treats that you see fit, but if you’re looking for more wholesome ways to round off this healthy hot chocolate recipe consider the following options:

• A cinnamon stick – quick, simple, perfectly in-keeping and great for stirring your cup of cinnamon hot chocolate.
• Or a light sprinkle of ground cinnamon works a treat too.
• Dust with cocoa powder.
• Grate some dark chocolate and scatter over the top for a tiny piece of indulgence.
• Dip the rim of your mug first in the hot chocolate then into some finely chopped nuts.

More hot chocolate recipes

I get it, as lovely as this cinnamon hot cocoa is, sometimes we’re all just in the mood for something a little more hedonistic. I have plenty of deliciously decadent hot drink recipes to tempt you with. Here are a few examples:

Have you made this healthy hot chocolate recipe? I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do. Please consider leaving a comment and/ or rating below to let me, and other readers, know how you got along.

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