How to Make Gingerbread Hot Cocoa with Essential Oils

Learn how to make gingerbread hot cocoa with essential oils with this healthy homemade chocolate recipe for Christmas. This low sugar, all natural ingredients hot chocolate recipe is the perfect drink for a cold day setting up Christmas lights, or reading a book by the fire! Make this recipe this dairy free by using almond or coconut milk instead of cow’s milk.

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The other day I wanted to make a delicious homemade hot cocoa for John and I as we started putting up the Christmas lights. So I made this gingerbread hot cocoa and it is our new favorite drink! I love the added ginger spice and the molasses. It’s also low on sugar (lower than other store-bought hot cocoas) so I don’t feel so bad about drinking it.

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Christmas time is Here!

This year has flown by, I can’t believe it! I remember Christmas last year like it was yesterday. Every time Christmas comes around I am always so thankful for the music, the smells, the extra time with family, and all the goodness that comes with it. I mean, it’s just hard to beat.

To start decorating, we just bring out one box at a time. We like to start with outdoor Christmas lights if we can, because those are so fun to enjoy as it gets dark at 4pm here starting in November. That is why I needed to make this hot cocoa. As John was outside putting up lights in the cold, I made this hot cocoa for him as I went inside and started making a Christmas greenery wreath to get ready for the season.

Cold Weather means Warm Food & Drinks

I am always amazed that as soon as the cold weather hits, we suddenly crave soups, roasts, and hot drinks. Yet in the summer time I am all about the zucchinis, salmon, and iced lattes.

Not matter what time of year or the weather you have, it’s so much fun to eat seasonally. And it’s better for you too! Basically the idea is that if the food is in season and grown locally to you, it takes less time to travel to the store. So you’re getting a fresher food that was grown in your location. Sounds good to me!

What are your favorite warm, cozy winter foods? Let me know in the comments at the end of this post!

Tools Needed

Medium-sized stovetop pot

Whisk

Gingerbread Hot Cocoa Ingredients

3 cups milk (we love using raw cow’s milk or goat’s milk for this because it’s thick and creamy. Otherwise, you can use whole milk)

Quarter cup organic cocoa powder

2 TB brown sugar

4 TB organic chocolate chips

one teaspoon molasses

1-2 drops ginger essential oil (or 1 tsp ground ginger)

pinch salt

half teaspoon vanilla extract

Gingerbread Hot Cocoa – The Process

Pour the milk into a medium sized stovetop pot on medium heat.

Add all the ingredients and whisk together until the cocoa powder is full dissolved.

Continue whisking and heating, about 7-10 minutes, until the milk is smoking but not boiling.

Tip: allow the milk to simmer but not boil. Keep whisking the milk as it’s heating to prevent burning.

Where Can I Find Organic Ingredients?

I use a lot of organic ingredients in my cooking, and this is because organic means that there were no pesticides or artificial preservatives used in the making of the food. Also, if the ingredients are organic, then the farmer used organic practices when harvested the food too.

A lot of people think organic is way more expensive and sometimes that’s true. But you can actually find a lot of organic food on Amazon, and Whole Foods has some good deals too if you have one near you. Most the time when I’m at Whole Foods I only notice a 50 cent or so difference in the organic versus conventional food when it comes to staple foods like fruit, flour, etc.

Here are some organic staples you can find on Amazon to make this recipe all year long:

Organic brown sugar

Organic chocolate chips

Molasses

Cocoa Powder

Is Ginger Good for You?

There are a few natural foods that I consider ultra nutrient dense, almost like a superfood. Meaning, you only have to eat a small amount of it and you get major benefits. We try to put these in our morning smoothies, to get things like maca powder, chia seed, flax seed, etc.

Ginger contains gingerol, which has powerful medicinal properties. It has a long history in traditional medicine of naturally aiding in digestion, reducing nausea, and helping fight the flu and common cold. It is also an anti-inflammatory and can help reduce menstrual cramping and reducing symptoms of arthritis based issues (source).

We buy ginger in essential oil format now a days. When I was living in my little city apartment almost 10 years ago, I used to go buy ginger root from the store and would eat it and cook with it all the time. I still like doing that, but I find myself wanting ginger more often than I have it on hand, so the essential oil is good for that.

Ginger essential oil is ultra-powerful, so one drop is all you need for this recipe.

You can find ginger essential oil here, but you can also find it at your local grocery store. Just make sure you do your research before buying, especially if you plan to ingest it internally, as not all products labeled as “pure” are truly pure. I wrote a blog post about our top 10 essential oils at our farmhouse here!

Can I make this with a non-dairy milk?

Absolutely! Try coconut milk or almond milk for this recipe if you want a non-dairy option.

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