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Showing posts with label hot cocoa. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

The Best Tasting, Healthy, High Protein Hot Chocolate

I love hot chocolate, especially during the cold winter months. Unfortunately, most hot chocolate and hot cocoa mixes on the market either don't taste great or are high in sugar and other ingredients I'd prefer to avoid. I have shared my delicious The Ultimate Keto Hot Chocolate Recipe here on Review This Reviews, but it takes a bit of time to prepare and sometimes I just want something quick and easy.

As we age, it's also increasingly important to prioritize protein in our diets. Grass-fed bone broth is a wonderful way to get more high-quality protein, but let's face it, it doesn't hit the spot when what we're really craving is some yummy hot chocolate!

When I first heard of chocolate bone broth, the idea was a real turn-off. When I finally tried it, it tasted a lot better than I expected....but definitely not good enough to substitute for hot chocolate.

Eventually, I came up with the idea of mixing grass-fed chocolate bone broth and grass-fed chocolate collagen peptides with hot milk (I usually use almond, cashew, or macadamia milk), which gave the drink a much creamier, more luscious mouthfeel and smoother, richer flavor.

Today I'm sharing not only my quick and easy recipe for this delicious high protein hot chocolate, but also the many benefits of drinking bone broth and collagen peptides with added MCT oil. Enjoy!

The Best Healthy, Delicious, High Protein Hot Chocolate

Grass-fed chocolate bone broth and collagen peptides combine with hot nut milk of your choice to create a delicious, nutritious, creamy hot chocolate high in protein and other benefits.

A High Protein Hot Chocolate That’s Healthy, Delicious, and Nutritious

Nothing beats the cozy comfort of a hot chocolate on a chilly day. But what if your favorite indulgence could be transformed into a nutrient-packed powerhouse that supports your health, beauty, and energy levels? With this High Protein Hot Chocolate Recipe, you can enjoy the creamy, decadent flavors of chocolate and mint while nourishing your body from the inside out.

This drink combines Paleovalley Chocolate Bone Broth Protein, Perfect Keto Mint Chocolate Collagen Peptides & MCT Brain Boost, the hot milk of your choice (I use nut milk), and optional sweeteners and flavor enhancers (I use either liquid allulose and extracts or monk fruit based flavoring syrups).

The result? A guilt-free, delicious treat that’s as functional as it is tasty.

Why Make This High Protein Hot Chocolate Recipe?

I chose each ingredient in this recipe not only for its taste but also for its compelling health benefits. Here’s what makes this delicious drink a game-changer for your wellness routine:

1. Paleovalley Chocolate Bone Broth Protein

Bone broth is celebrated for its nutrient density, and Paleovalley’s Chocolate Bone Broth Protein delivers these benefits in a convenient, delicious form:

Collagen Support: Bone broth is a natural source of collagen, which promotes healthier, more youthful-looking skin, stronger hair, and resilient nails.
Gut Health: Rich in glycine and other amino acids, bone broth supports a healthy gut lining and improves digestion.
Clean Ingredients: Made from grass-fed, pasture-raised beef bones, it’s free of hormones, antibiotics, and unnecessary fillers.

2. Perfect Keto Chocolate or Mint Chocolate Collagen Peptides & MCT Brain Boost

This product combines two superfoods—collagen and MCT oil—for a double dose of health benefits:

Collagen Peptides: Helps improve skin elasticity, hydrate the skin, reduce wrinkles, and support joint and bone health.
MCT Oil: Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) provide clean, sustained energy and enhance mental clarity, making this drink an ideal choice for busy mornings or midday pick-me-ups.

I love chocolate and mint together, so I usually buy the mint chocolate collagen peptides, but chocolate collagen peptides can be flavored with extracts or flavoring syrups.

3. Nut Milk

Hot unsweetened nut milk like almond, coconut, cashew, or macadamia adds a velvety, creamy texture to the drink while keeping it dairy-free and low in calories. However, you can use hemp milk, dairy milk, or another type of milk, if you prefer.

4. Optional RxSugar Organic Allulose Liquid Sugar

I find I prefer a touch of added sweetness and RxSugar Organic Allulose Liquid Sugar is the perfect option.

Low-Calorie Sweetness: Allulose is a natural, plant-based sweetener with only 1 calorie per teaspoon. It tastes like sugar but doesn’t spike blood sugar levels, making it keto-friendly.
Zero Aftertaste: Unlike some sugar substitutes, RxSugar has no bitter aftertaste, keeping the focus on the chocolate and mint flavors.
Reduced Insulin Resistance: Studies suggest that allulose may help improve insulin sensitivity, which is beneficial for managing blood sugar levels.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects: Allulose may have anti-inflammatory properties, which could help reduce the risk of chronic diseases associated with inflammation.

5. Optional Flavor Extract or Sugar-Free Flavoring Syrup of Choice

A few drops of peppermint extract elevate the flavor with a refreshing twist, reminiscent of holiday treats like peppermint bark or candy canes. It’s also great for digestion and calming the stomach. But any flavor extract you prefer can be added.

Another wonderful option is to use one of the Choczero Flavoring Syrups in your choice of flavor instead of the liquid allulose and flavor extract.

High Protein Hot Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients:

1 scoop Paleovalley Chocolate Bone Broth Protein
1 scoop Perfect Keto Chocolate Collagen Peptides & MCT Brain Boost or Perfect Keto Mint Chocolate Collagen Peptides & MCT Brain Boost
10–12 ounces unsweetened nut milk (almond, coconut, or macadamia milk recommended)

Optional sweeteners and flavorings:

2 tsp. RxSugar Organic Allulose Liquid Sugar
A few drops of peppermint, vanilla, or other flavoring extract of choice

– OR –

2 tsp. ChocZero Flavoring Syrup in flavor of choice (these flavored monk fruit-based syrups come in a wide range of wonderful flavors!)

Optional toppings:

A sprinkle of cocoa powder, cinnamon, or a dollop of whipped dairy or coconut cream

Instructions:

Heat the milk in a small saucepan or microwave until it’s hot but not boiling.
In a mug, add 1 scoop of Paleovalley Chocolate Bone Broth Protein and 1 scoop of Perfect Keto Chocolate Collagen or Perfect Keto Mint Chocolate Collagen.
Stir in the hot milk and optional sweeteners and flavorings. Note: If using the ChocZero flavoring syrup, do not also use liquid allulose and extract.
Stir vigorously or use an electric frother to blend the ingredients until smooth and creamy. (I've tried several and this is by far my favorite electric frother!)
Optional: Add your favorite toppings, like a dusting of cocoa powder or a dollop of whipped coconut cream.

Sip, savor, and enjoy the indulgent flavors while reaping the health benefits!

High Protein Hot Chocolate Recipe - core ingredients on table

Summary of Health Benefits of This High Protein Hot Chocolate

This isn’t just a delicious drink—it’s a wellness elixir packed with benefits for your body and mind:

Supports Youthful Skin, Hair, and Nails

The collagen from both Paleovalley Chocolate Bone Broth and Perfect Keto Chocolate Collagen Peptides helps combat visible signs of aging by improving skin elasticity, hydrating the skin, and strengthening hair and nails.

Boosts Energy and Focus

The MCT oil provides quick, clean energy and enhances mental clarity, making this drink a perfect start to your day or an afternoon energy boost.

Improves Joint and Bone Health

The natural collagen and amino acids in bone broth help maintain strong, healthy joints and bones, which is especially beneficial as you age.

Promotes Gut Health

Bone broth’s glycine supports a healthy gut lining, while MCT oil aids digestion and enhances nutrient absorption.

Satisfies Cravings Without the Guilt

Rich in protein and healthy fats, this hot chocolate keeps you full and satisfied, curbing unhealthy cravings and preventing overeating.

Balances Blood Sugar

Thanks to the keto-friendly ingredients and optional RxSugar liquid allulose sweetener, this drink satisfies your sweet tooth without spiking blood sugar levels.

Who Will Love This Recipe?

Anyone looking to increase their protein intake easily and deliciously.

Anyone looking to support healthy, glowing skin and strong hair and nails.

Anyone seeking a nutritious, comforting drink that aligns with their health goals.

Anyone following a low card or keto lifestyle who wants a delicious, low-carb treat packed with protein and healthy fats.

Final Thoughts

This High Protein Hot Chocolate is more than just a beverage—it’s a ritual of self-care. With its indulgent taste and impressive nutritional profile, it’s a delicious way to support your health while satisfying your chocolate cravings. Whether you’re curling up with a book on a chilly evening, looking for a mid-afternoon energy boost, or starting your day with a protein-packed drink, this recipe is the perfect choice.

Give it a try, and let this hot chocolate redefine how you think about indulgence and nutrition!

The Best Tasting, Healthy, High Protein Hot Chocolate by Margaret Schindel

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

The Best Sugar-Free Hot Cocoa Bombs — An Outstanding Low-Carb Treat

We're in the thick of winter snowstorms here in New England. Since I have a bad back, my husband does the snow shoveling. I always greet him upon his return with a steaming cup of hot cocoa to warm him up and show my appreciation.

Since we both stopped eating sugar a few years ago (and feel so much better as a result), now I make sugar-free hot chocolate. If it's the weekend, I usually prepare my Ultimate Keto Hot Chocolate recipe, which is rich and decadent and has pretty much spoiled commercial hot cocoa mixes for us, but takes a bit more time and effort than using an instant hot cocoa mix.

However, when sugar-free ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs launched a few months ago, I was anxious to try them. Fortunately, they did not disappoint!

Now, if I want to make delicious hot cocoa with mini marshmallows quickly and easily, I just heat some almond or macadamia milk, drop in a ChocZero hot cocoa bomb, and stir until dissolved. Here's my product review of this outstanding low-carb treat.

Image created using Canva generative AI

I have talked about ChocZero sugar-free chocolate and other sweet treats sweetened with natural monk fruit here on Review This Reviews, including ChocZero's mini marshmallows in my High-Protein, Sugar-Free Rocky Road Cottage Cheese Ice Cream recipe (still one of my favorites!); their regular sugar-free marshmallows in my Healthy Pistachio Cherry Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cereal Treats recipe; my review of the best sugar-free chocolate hazelnut spreads; ChocZero's fabulous truffles, chocolate keto bark, butter cookies, chewy caramels, jams, cookie spread, honey, and Rhea chocolate peanut nougat candy bars in my review of An Awesome Low Carb Gourmet Gift Basket Everyone Will Love; ChocZero's coffee syrups in my Refreshing Vanilla Italian Soda recipe; their sugar-free strawberry jam in my Low Carb Keto Shortcake Cupcakes recipe; and more.

So, even though I have been somewhat disappointed in the low-carb, sugar-free hot cocoa mixes I have tried, I knew ChocZero's sugar-free hot cocoa bombs would be worth a try.

What I Love About ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs

Awesome Packaging

ChocZero Keto Hot Cocoa Bombs - Premium Zero Sugar Added Milk Chocolate Melting Bomb Gift Set - Filled with Sugar-Free Marshmallows (4 Count)

The first thing you notice when you receive your order of ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs is the fabulous packaging.

The clear plastic box is printed with the ChocZero brand, product name, product image, and other pertinent information.

Because the outer box is clear, you can see through to the inside, where each hot cocoa bomb is snugly wrapped in festive bright gold foil that makes it look extra special.

There are four hot cocoa bombs per box. Inside the outer box, there is a protective molded plastic shell with four spherical depressions that cradle the foil-wrapped chocolate spheres and prevent them from being broken or otherwise harmed during transit.

The first two boxes I ordered were a gift for my husband since he loves hot chocolate so much.

Convenience

My husband and I really love my Ultimate Keto Hot Chocolate recipe and if I have all the ingredients on hand, it's a special treat.

However, the ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs are the first low-carb, sugar-free hot cocoa "mix" we've tried that we really enjoy.

They are also quicker and easier to prepare than my from-scratch recipe when we're looking for instant gratification.

And unwrapping each gold foil-wrapped ball really does add something special to the experience of making hot cocoa!

Rich Chocolate Taste and Luscious Mouthfeel

Like my ultimate keto hot chocolate recipe, the ChocZero Hot Cocoa Bombs include both cocoa powder and chocolate.

The chocolate shell creates a richer chocolate taste and a more luscious mouthfeel than the hot cocoa mix inside alone.

The chocolate shell also contains not only the sugar-free hot cocoa mix but also sugar-free mini marshmallows, which my husband and I both love in our hot cocoa.

Unlike most sugar-free hot cocoa mixes we've tried, we don't need to add anything to make this taste better, although we often enjoy adding a splash of one of ChocZero's flavoring syrups.

How I Use ChocZero Sugar-Free Hot Cocoa Bombs

We start by unwrapping each hot cocoa bomb and placing it in a large mug.

Next, we heat the milk. Although you can use any kind of milk you prefer, we prefer to use either unsweetened vanilla almond milk or unsweetened vanilla macadamia milk to make our hot cocoa, since they are lower in natural sugar and carbs than dairy milk. We sometimes add a splash of heavy cream for added richness.

It's important to heat the milk very hot before pouring it over the hot cocoa bomb, and it takes a bit of stirring to completely melt the outer milk chocolate shell and dissolve the cocoa mix.

ChocZero Sugar Free Peppermint Syrup for Coffee - Keto Flavoring Syrups - Low Calorie Simple Syrup for Flavored Drinks (26.5 ounce bottle/750ml)

My husband and I love the flavor combination of chocolate and peppermint, so we usually add a splash of the awesome ChocZero Sugar-Free Peppermint Syrup into our prepared hot cocoa.

We also enjoy our cocoa with a splash of other ChocZero flavoring syrups, especially caramel or hazelnut. They're fabulous and don't have the unpleasant aftertaste or questionable sweeteners used in other brands of sugar-free syrups.

This flavored hot cocoa makes such a satisfying, sweet, low-carb treat that we often enjoy it for dessert.

What's Next?

I noticed the packaging includes the descriptor "Milk," so I'm hoping that ChocZero will be adding dark chocolate hot cocoa bombs in the future.

One of the things I love about this brand is that they are always improving their products and adding new ones based on customer feedback.

So, ChocZero, if you're reading this, I hope you'll consider making dark chocolate hot cocoa bombs next! 💓🍫

The Best Sugar-Free Hot Cocoa Bombs — An Outstanding Low-Carb Treat by Margaret Schindel

Friday, January 14, 2022

Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Collectible Gift Tins Reviewed

One of my favorite gifts that I received this year for Christmas was a set of Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Tins filled with fabulous packets of instant hot chocolate. This gift shows that my sister-in-law knows me well!

I am an unapologetic chocoholic. Any gift of chocolate is greatly appreciated. Since I enjoy a mug of hot chocolate on a cold winter day, the hot cocoa was a perfect choice.

I am also a collector of glass jars and tins. I can trace my obsession to glass jars and tins to my favorite hobbies. They make excellent and inexpensive containers for all kinds of craft supplies. While glass jars are excellent for viewing contents, a tin won't break, which means they both have their place in my craft room.

The adorable gnome tins will be an awesome addition to my collection of tins in my craft room when we have finished drinking the hot cocoa. Correction: when we have finished using them for hot cocoa. I have already had to replace the hot cocoa packets in two of my new tins and it has only been a few weeks since Christmas. Most likely, I will keep two of the tins in my kitchen for continuous refills and use.

Swiss Miss Collectible Gift Tins

I had never seen the wonderful Swiss Miss tins before, but I will certainly be watching for additional sets.

When writing this article, I checked Amazon to see if they had my gnome tins available. While there, I noted some precious woodland animal Swiss Miss tins. Of course, I had to order a set of those for my craft room. I need more storage tins for craft supplies (yes, that was my excuse!) .

Each Gnome tin contains 5 packets of hot cocoa. My personal favorite is the marshmallow hot cocoa, but my husband prefers the milk chocolate. The animal tins contain 4 packets in each tin.

For the first time in my entire life, I tried the peppermint hot cocoa that came in the tins. I love it! It is my new second favorite (sorry, the marshmallow can't be beat). I also tried the caramel for the first time ever. It is good, but the competition is stiff. Still, if I run out of my marshmallow and peppermint, I'll be more than happy to enjoy a mug of caramel hot cocoa. All of the flavors are fabulous!

How to Make Swiss Miss Cocoa Packets

It is very easy to make hot cocoa with the Swiss Miss packets. Simply pour the packet of mix into a mug, add 1 cup of hot water & stir. It is important to note that you should only add 1 cup (measurement) of water. More water will dilute it and diminish the chocolatey flavor.

You can add fresh marshmallows, peppermint, or other toppings to create your own fun flavor of hot cocoa.

How to Get Your Own Set of Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Tins

Swiss Miss Gift Pack Tins Gnomes Characters, 6.9 Oz pack of 4. LIMITED EDITION. Milk Chocolate, Peppermint, Marshmallow and Caramel FlavorsCheck Price Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate Variety Pack (4 Flavors), Hot Chocolate Mix, Hot Chocolate Variety, Hot Chocolate Swiss Miss, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Instant Hot ChocolateCheck Price

Friday, February 15, 2019

Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa K-Cups Reviewed

When I am chilled to the bone by the winter cold weather, I seek out my Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa k-cups for my Keurig coffee maker. There isn't anything better than a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day, especially when I need it fast!

I was hesitant to try the Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa simply because I don't normally like hot cocoa. In most cases, I much prefer hot chocolate. But, I really wanted a hot chocolate k-cup that I could make quickly when needed to warm up. So, I kept tasting and testing. My search is now finished and I extremely surprised that it has ended with a hot cocoa k-cup instead of hot chocolate. Regardless, I am thrilled the search is over and I have a k-cup that meets, and exceeds, my requirements.

Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa K-Cups

Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa K-Cups, Milk Chocolate, 72 CountCheck PriceI tried several different brands of hot chocolate k-cups, but most of them tasted like nasty hot water. As I said, I was hesitant to venture into the hot cocoa k-cups. I really didn't wish to waste my money, again. However, the Swiss Miss cocoa is a real winner!

The Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa from the k-cup has a nice rich and delicious taste. Plus, it really does have a milk chocolate flavor just like the package states. Since it is made with water, and not milk, it isn't as thick as a homemade cup of hot cocoa, but it doesn't have that cocoa aftertaste.

Now, when I come in from the cold, I have a fast and easy hot drink to warm me up. Oh, and it is extra delicious with those little marshmallows added.

The Snow Leopard Mug

Snow Leopard Coffee MugCheck PriceThe snow leopard mug you see filled with the Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa in the photo, is available on Zazzle. It is one of my own personal photos that I have made available on a variety of Zazzle products. The Snow Leopard mug does seem totally appropriate for warm hot cocoa on a cold day.

Visually, I think the marshmallows bring out the beauty of the Snow Leopard's gorgeous fur.

My mug is a little different from the one that is offered on Zazzle. In my desire to feature the snow leopard face, I didn't realize I had off-centered the image until I got my own mug in the mail. At that time, I went back into the Zazzle mug image set-up and centered the image on each side.