The Best Hot Chocolate Recipe Ever … umm, really? Could it be that good? YEESSSS! Rich dark raw cacao, creamy, a hint of maple syrup for sweetness, subtle hints of turmeric and cinnamon with a little collagen, gelatin, and coconut oil (or butter) thrown in for added nourishment.
I suppose that one could just make “regular” hot chocolate. In fact, if I was short on time and ingredients, I would do just that by using only three ingredients: milk (any kind), raw cacao, & maple syrup.
But the Best Hot Chocolate Recipe is so much more …. it is the creamy, rich cocoa taste you expect, with such fantastic real food ingredients that you’ll be making this for your kids (and yourself) every day all winter long!
Not only is the Best Hot Chocolate Recipe great to drink warm but it makes absolutely divine chocolate milk for later. Just be sure to leave out the gelatin (use collagen instead because it is cold soluble) or you will end up either eating it with a spoon or reheating it. My favorite brand of collagen is Vital Proteins because it is high quality, made from exclusively grass-fed cows, & it is tasteless which makes it easy to add to recipes without the kids noticing.
It was a cold, cloudy morning when I made this hot chocolate to photograph and put on the blog for you. The best part of the whole experience was definitely my eager three-year-old daughter, Avah, who was on her step-stool “helping” me measure, pour, & stir. She was soon followed by her one-year-old sister; that little squirt just pushed a full-size adult chair from the dining room to the kitchen and crawled right up to participate (enter Mom growing in the virtue of patience).
Now, Avah is really into “tea” since she got to watch Winnie The Pooh. She loves to pretend it’s a “blustery day” and drink anything warm out of one of Mom’s real glass mugs. She never forgets the saucer, either, and insists on picking up both the mug followed by the saucer every time she takes a sip. So far we haven’t had any accidents—but it’s coming.
As for the one-year-old, Adalynn …. she happily zooms around with her hot chocolate in a stainless steel spill-proof cup. There are no glass mugs in her near future! (Real quick, since I put a link to the cup: I accidentally purchased the plastic cup with easy grip handles to start with, but it ended up being perfect because the easy grip handle lid fits on the stainless steel cup. I threw away the plastic cup because we avoid plastics as much as possible.)
I would never have drizzled melted dark chocolate over the Best Hot Chocolate Recipe if I wasn’t photographing it. Talk about a happy accident! You can bet that I will absolutely be either drizzling or just dunking my mug (margarita style!) into dark chocolate from here on out. Drinking this hot chocolate after taking the photos was hands down the best way E.V.E.R. to drink hot cocoa! I don’t plan on telling the kids this for several years (can you imagine the mess that would follow toddlers with dark chocolate-rimmed mugs filled with cocoa?!) but chances are, it won’t be long before they catch on.
As for milk, you can use any kind that you like. We have tried it with the following types & they are all tasty:
- Raw (unpasteurized) goat’s milk
- Raw (unpasteurized) cow’s milk from A2 Jersey Cows, 100% grass-fed
- Coconut milk
- Almond milk
What makes the Best Hot Chocolate Recipe Ever {Turmeric, Collagen} nutrient dense?
- Raw cacao (instead of cocoa)
- Organic turmeric (anti-inflammatory)
- Organic cinnamon (anti-inflammatory)
- Organic maple syrup (naturally sweetened)
- Collagen/gelatin (great for your gut, joints, hair, skin, nails, and all connective tissue)
- High-quality milk (grass-fed, non-homogenized) for those that tolerate dairy
- Or a safe milk substitute (avoid guar gum, milk enriched with folic acid or synthetic vitamins, carrageenan, & other fillers)
- A touch of grass-fed butter or refined coconut oil (nourishing fats; especially important for little growing bodies!)
Enjoy! -Rashele, BSN, RN, CEN
Don’t forget to pin the Best Hot Chocolate Ever {Turmeric, Collagen} to your favorite Pinterest board for later!

Best Hot Chocolate Recipe Ever {Turmeric, Collagen}
The Best Hot Chocolate Recipe Ever ... umm, really? Could it be that good? YEESSSS! Rich dark raw cacao, creamy, a hint of maple syrup of sweetness, subtle hints of turmeric & cinnamon with a little collagen, gelatin, & coconut oil (or butter) thrown in for added nourishment.
Ingredients
- 8 oz milk any kind
- 2 Tbsp raw cacao or cocoa
- 1/2 -1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tsp gelatin
- 1 1/2 tsp collagen
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp coconut oil or grass-fed butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 cup dark chocolate optional
Instructions
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Warm milk in saucepan over medium heat.
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Add remaining ingredients.
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Whisk to combine or use an immersion blender.
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Garnish rim of cocoa mug with melted dark chocolate if desired.
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Serve immediately.T
Recipe Notes
The Best Hot Chocolate Recipe Ever makes great chocolate milk for later. Make to use only collagen (which is cold soluble) if you plan on refrigerating this beverage as the gelatin will make it ... well ... it'll make into something you can eat with a spoon.
Tools that I used to make the Best Ever Hot Chocolate Recipe (click photo for details):
This was amazing. Like liquid dessert. Nourishing and so good. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it!