Is there anything better than a steaming hot cup of cocoa in wintertime? Not if you ask us. Especially not if it’s a mug of this vegan Red Velvet Hot Chocolate, made with coconut milk, organic cacao powder, maca powder (optional), and our Red Beet Crystals—and topped with a dollop of homemade coconut whipped cream. It’s truly something special to sip and savor.

Drink Your Veggies with Red Beet Crystals

Our instantly soluble Red Beet Crystals provide an easy way to bring all the benefits of beets to your favorite drinks and other recipes in every season—from a holiday-inspired mocktail to a sparkling pink lemonade perfect for summer days. They’re naturally sweet-tasting, crafted from the juice of freshly harvested organic beets, and are vegan, non-GMO, and Certified Organic, so you can feel good about (and enjoy!) using them in the kitchen.

Red Velvet Hot Chocolate

Serves 2

Red Velvet Hot Chocolate

This recipe is indulgent and delicious yet completely vegan. It calls for cacao powder, if you have it; if not, cocoa powder works just fine. What's the difference? Cacao is the raw, unprocessed version of cocoa, and it’s believed to be higher in beneficial antioxidants.

If you’re looking for a boost, you can mix in maca: This herb grows in the high elevations of the Andes Mountains and has long been used to support healthy energy and stamina, though it’s naturally caffeine-free.*

Ingredients for the hot chocolate:

• 1 can coconut milk

• 2 tbsp organic Red Beet Crystals

• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup cacao, or cocoa powder if you don’t have cacao on hand

• 2 tsp organic maca powder (such as Gaia Herbs Maca Powder), optional

• Pinch of sea salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• Honey or maple syrup to sweeten

• Cinnamon stick, cacao powder or nibs, and coconut whipped cream for garnish (recipe below), optional

Ingredients for Red Velvet Hot Chocolate

Instructions:

1. Gently combine coconut milk, Red Beet Crystals, and vanilla extract in a bowl until mixed together and a beautiful red color.

2. Add in cacao powder a little at a time until it is all used and the ingredients are combined. Then, add maca powder, cinnamon, and sea salt. If you’d like, you can add in other spices of your choice, such as cardamom or nutmeg.

3. To make the drink extra frothy, pour mixture into a blender and blend. This step is optional.

4. Pour into a small saucepan and heat on the stovetop over medium heat. Gently stir until the mixture is, well, velvety, and nice and hot!

5. Pour your beverage into a mug and stir in honey or maple syrup to sweeten to taste.

6. Top with coconut whipped cream (below) and cacao powder or cacao nibs, if desired; garnish with a cinnamon stick, if you’d like.

Coconut Whipped Cream

Ingredients for the coconut whipped cream:

• 1 can coconut milk or coconut cream, chilled in the refrigerator for several hours or, ideally, overnight

• ~1/4 cup powdered sugar, to taste

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Open the cold can and scoop out the coconut cream that has solidified and separated from the water. Save the leftover coconut water for a smoothie or other recipe.

2. Using a stand or hand mixer, blend until you start to have a big, fluffy cloud of whipped cream.

3. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and continue to blend briefly until just combined.


Recipe and photographs courtesy of Amy Ortiz

A superfan of our superfood supplement, Amy Ortiz is a photographer, food blogger, and content creator in Asheville, NC. She enjoys living a simple yet enriching life on a farm, raising a multicultural family, and cooking wholesome and delicious homemade food. Amy is the creator of the Señora Amy Ortiz blog, which features an assortment of authentic recipes from around the world and her own original culinary creations. She is also the creator of Spicy Grandmas—a YouTube Channel series—where she learns to cook from the world's most endearing and daring grandmothers.

FOLLOW AMY ON INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, YOUTUBE: @senoraamyortiz
WEBSITE: www.senoraamyortiz.com