In the cold weather months and whenever I feel the need for comfort (let’s face it… basically all of 2020 - and 2021 is looking about the same), I want something hot to drink. I want tea or coffee in the morning and soup or hot chocolate at night. I want to curl up on my sofa with my dogs, wrap a blanket around me, hold a cup of something hot, and feel cozy.
Hot chocolate is what I’ve been craving the last few weeks! When I ran out of pre-made hot chocolate mix, I made my own. Then, when I ran out of that, I realized I had chocolate-flavored protein powder… and this drink was born!
If you have chocolate flavored protein powder, the recipe practically writes itself! If you don’t have chocolate flavored protein powder but still want the protein boost, you can still use your favorite powder – just add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder. I haven’t tried this yet with other flavors, but I bet Mint Chocolate, Caramel, and French Vanilla would also be awesome! I use a frother to mix my protein powder together with the hot water, but you could use a spoon or a blender in a pinch.
I use water in this recipe partly to reserve calories for my other vices (hello, wine and chocolate) and partly because I’m lazy. I have a fantastic electric water heater that heats everything in just a few minutes. If you want a creamier version of hot chocolate or are drinking on a special occasion (even a self-care moment!), you can always swap out the water for cow milk or dairy free milk. The creamiest version of this would be with coconut milk (yum!).
When Chris and I are in the mood for an alcoholic beverage during the winter, we usually reach for hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps! It’s one of our favorites. For a non-alcoholic version, we substitute peppermint extract for the schnapps. You can experiment with other extracts as well – for example, vanilla protein powder paired with almond extract would be delicious!
High Protein Hot Chocolate
1 serving
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Chocolate protein powder or Naked Protein Powder
1 tsp monk fruit or other sweetener
¼ tsp vanilla extract
8 oz hot water (swap with dairy free milk for a creamier drink)
Marshmellows
Sprinkle cinnamon
Directions:
Place protein powder in a heat-proof mug. Heat water on stovetop or in microwave. Pour hot water over protein powder; blend with spoon or frother. Add sweetener and vanilla extract. Stir. Top with marshmellows and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Curl up and enjoy!
Note: Depending on your type of protein powder, nutrition values will vary. 2 Tbsp gets me about 15g protein!
Did you try this recipe or a version of it? Have any tips for variations? I’d love to hear about it!
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