One of my favorite treats is hot chocolate. It’s one of the most relaxing drinks, especially for those of us who are supertasters, and can’t appreciate the bitter taste of coffee. Hot chocolate combines a little bit of caffeine plus all of the other nutrients in cocoa, along with a warm, rich, satisfying flavor.
About Sweeteners
Of course, on a low-carb high-fat diet, you have to be careful about your sugar replacements. I’m one of those people who doesn’t mind using sugar substitute while staying low-carb. in fact, I’m a bit of an artist with it. I tend to blend my sugar substitutes depending on the context. For example, if I’m making iced tea, I’ll use half a packet of saccharin and half a packet of aspartame. The saccharine cuts the bitterness of 30, and the aspartame brings out the sweetness.
But hot chocolate is easy. For hot chocolate I just use sucralose. In fact, I use the sucralose liquids, so I don’t have to add any additional carbohydrate bases or starches. (Not that there’s much in the powdered form is to begin with anyway.)
My hot chocolate recipe is as simple as simple can be. It’s just cocoa powder, hot water, a little bit of salt, heavy cream, and a few drops of sweetener. I’ve also been known to add other flavorings, such as a drop of orange oil, or a sprinkling of cinnamon. Heck, I’ve even been known to melt in a tablespoon of coconut oil or butter!
Low-Carb High-Fat Hot Cocoa
1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
2/3 Cup Boiling Water
Dash of Salt
1/3 Cup Heavy Cream
3-4 drops Liquid Splenda
Optional Flavorings (Orange Oil, Cinnamon, Mint Leaves, etc.)
- Put the boiling water in a mug
- Stir in the cocoa powder until combined
- Add in the salt and stir
- Add the heavy cream and stir to combine
- Stir in the sweetener and any flavorings, tasting as you go
- Reheat in the microwave if desired
That’s about as simple as a recipe gets. You can make one serving, or you can make more if you have friends over. If you’re clever with your flavorings, it’s possible nobody will ever guess that it’s low carb.
Give it a try, and let me know what you think.
How many net carbs are in each cup of cocoa?
Depending on the brand of cocoa and whether it’s natural or Dutch process, there may be about one to two net carbs. Most cocoa has more fiber than people realize, and we’re not using much for this recipe.