Hot Chocolate with a Healthy Twist, Did You Pick a Word This Year?, Total Milage in 2021 & My Thoughts

This healthy hot chocolate recipe is the perfect cold weather treat! It’s totally vegan and dairy-free, but it’s still rich, chocolatey, and delicious.

***The Very Best Hot Chocolate I have ever had!***

I made this a couple weeks ago and posted the recipe on Instagram. Obviously not all my fans are on Instagram or they don’t see my feed because I have received a few texts asking me for a healthy hot chocolate recipe using Shaklee’s Rich Chocolate Protein. Hope you enjoy this delicious healthy cold weather treat!

Did you grow up drinking any of the popular powdered mixes like Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate? This healthy hot chocolate is a delicious dairy-free alternative plus it tastes even creamier and richer!

***Whisk on top of the stove briefly until desired temp. It’s sooooo*** YUMMY

What I love about making my own homemade hot chocolate is that you can customize the chocolate flavor exactly to your liking. You can also omit the sweetener if you prefer it less sweet like me, or use your favorite sugar-free alternative. My favorite part about my recipe is it has 10 grams of protein in each serving….or 20 depending if you add one or two scoops of protein.

I know you are going to LOVE this recipe ~

Dairy-free
Vegan & Paleo friendly
Naturally sweetened
Low fat & high in protein
Totally customizable
And super easy to make

I love having this mid afternoon for a healthy pick me up and to warm my insides after a cold afternoon walk with the dog. I most often use cashew milk and a small amount of coconut milk becuase it blends seamlessly with the rich cocoa powder. If you want a creamier and nut-free drink, try using all coconut milk.

Healthy Hot Chocolate Recipe Ingredients

You only need a few ingredients to make this healthy hot chocolate recipe:

Raw cacao powder – The most pure form of chocolate, cacao is packed with antioxidants, fiber, and magnesium. It makes this recipe rich and chocolatey, but good for you, too.
Cashew milk – I use cashew milk but feel free to substitute any type of milk you like. I sometimes use the Unsweetened Pea milk because it also blends nicely and it’s higher in protein.
Coconut Milk – Just a little gives this such a creamier consistency.
Maple syrup – This is optional. I prefer my hot chocolate without a sweetener.
Cinnamon – It adds warm depth of flavor. If you like your hot chocolate with a spicy kick, add a pinch of cayenne as well.
Splash Vanilla – Again this is optional but so lovely.
And a little bit of salt – Don’t skip it! It makes all these delicious flavors pop.

Combine these ingredients in a blender, or whisk them together by hand. Then, transfer the chocolate mixture to a small saucepan and warm it over medium heat. Taste and adjust the healthy hot chocolate. Pour it into mugs, top it with coconut whip or vegan marshmallow or both😉.

I enjoyed sipping on this while attending a workshop on picking a word of the year. Do you pick a word? I don’t always, but this year as I was reflecting on 2021, the one word that kept coming back to me was ROLLERCOASTER. This past year my emotions were all over the place. There were highs like this trip to North Carolina. But there were many lows too like when I had to pull out of my fall marathon. My emotions about the pandemic, my running, my fitness, racing, not racing, social media, my business, international travel, and even the weather, were all over the place.

Our world is still full of some uncertainty but I am more prepared than ever to work hard, stay positive, and hang on tight, while I climb back up from a low to a much better place! I GOT THIS!

My total milage for 2021 was close to 1500 miles, 1451 to be exact. In 2020 I ran two thousand and 20 miles. A big difference and I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother me a little but look how many days I was active. 305 days out of 365….Yeah me!

**305 Active Days and Almost 1500 Miles**

My running may have taken a back seat last year for a variety of reasons, but I was damn proud of myself because I stayed active. I enjoyed more sunrise and sunset walks both by myself, with Skye (my brother’s dog) and of course my husband and my mom. Don’t get me wrong…I am a much happier person when I am running, but a break does the mind and body good.

I am excited to sip on more hot chocolate this winter as I continue to run through 2022! Will you join me?