Easy Hot Cocoa with Honey and Whipped Cream

I don’t feel bad about making this hot cocoa for my girls a few times a week or more during the winter. With just a little raw honey for sugar and good whole milk for the cocoa and cream, this drink is a perfect way to end the day. And it’s easy enough for a 3 and 4 year old to make. Whipped cream does not, in my mind need to have sugar added. Especially since it is normally added to a dessert which already has sugar. The sweetness in the cream itself is perfect. I am planning on a whole milk vs skim milk post soon because this is something I am very passionate about and one of the hardest things for people to change to, but I truly believe that whole milk will not make you gain weight and all children especially should drink it instead of skim or 2 percent. Like I said, I will post an entry soon outlining why I believe this, but feel free to google it now if you think I’m bonkers. Anyway, back to hot cocoa. After a night of mental power struggles with my two monkeys, we all needed a reset button and this was the perfect one. You can’t help but smile, laugh and have fun when cooking with your kids. And I love them like crazy.

Hot Cocoa with honey and whipped cream (with a raspberry on top please!)

Hot cocoa and whipped cream gets made a lot in my home. During the winter it is made almost daily. And if you make it right, it doesn't have to be an unhealthy treat. In fact, the hot cocoa I make for the girls is only sweetened at the very end with a little raw honey and if they want, a square of dark mint chocolate added to the milk. I don't add any sugar to the whipped cream and the resident sweet tooth in the house licked the bowl clean. This isn't a fancy recipe and I promise I will post some beautiful and delicious variations of hot chocolate once the snow starts falling but this recipe works for my young kids and it is very low in sugar and is made with only 5 ingredients.

Ingredients

whole milk, nonhomogenized from grass fed cows
unsweetened cocoa powder
raw honey or raw agave
heavy whipping cream
pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Heat milk in a pot on low to medium heat and stir in as much cocoa as you want, I just do a few spoonfuls. I also will add in a square of dark mint chocolate or other flavored dark chocolate for extra flavor.
For the whipped cream all you need is a bowl, whisk and a little arm muscle. I added just a splash of vanilla and half of the whipping cream and it was perfect for 2 cups and a little extra for eating with a spoon. Whisk until it forms peaks.
When your cocoa is at the perfect temp for you, spoon in a little honey achieve your desired amount of sweetness, add in some whipped cream and enjoy.
Very low in sugar...but I think these two like it just fine!