It seems like fall weather is here to stay, so it's time for some warm, cozy drinks! One of my personal favorites and one of the classics is hot chocolate! Hot chocolate carries so many fond memories for most people, I think. The only thing - it's not that healthy for us. Have no fear though! A healthy version is easy to make and you can get rid of that instant hot chocolate powder that is made up of all sorts of crazy unnatural, processed junk. Get ready to get cozy with this simple, healthy hot chocolate!

Ingredients
3 Cups unsweetened Almond Milk
My personal favorite is Whole Foods organic unsweetened almond milk. It seems much creamier and richer than all the other brands I have tried. They are usually available in 2 packs which saves a little money.

2 TBS Cocoa or Cacao powder
The difference between the 2 is that cacao powder is considered raw - meaning it is subjected to low amounts of heat which does not ‘cook’ any of the antioxidants away aka cold pressed. Cocoa on the other hand has been processed in heat. Cacao is very high in antioxidants and is considered a super food for this reason. Cocoa does not have as many antioxidants due to the heating process. With this being said, you are heating up your hot chocolate so the cacao does not remain in its raw state. So there really is no benefit to using the cacao over the cocoa in this recipe. If you were making a cold drink or not heating or cooking with it, cacao would be a much better option.

2 TBS Honey, Xylitol, or Pure 100% Maple Syrup (Aunt Jemima doesn't count!!)
For anyone using xylitol (people on Candida Clear) it may need a little bit more. Just do a little taste test to try it out first.
1/4 TBS of Cinnamon

Over medium heat mix the almond milk and cocoa/cacao powder. Let it heat up, but not boil. I probably kept mine on the stove for 10 min total and stirred occasional. After it's nice and warm take it off the burner and let it sit. Add in your cinnamon and sweetener (xylitol, honey, or maple syrup) at this time and stir. The clumps of cocoa will continue to dissolve the longer it warms up.

Let it sit for a couple minutes and stir occasionally. Enjoy!!