Although food is primarily for nourishment, it serves other purposes in our lives. Food is a means around which we enjoy each others company and deepen relationships. It provides pleasure as it tickles the taste buds. For me, and probably for many of you, preparing food is also an outlet for creativity.
I like eating to be an adventure. I love finding or creating recipes that use food in unusual ways, especially when they incorporate healthy ingredients. Such is the case for Thick and Creamy Mayan Hot Chocolate. You’ll never guess the secret ingredient that makes this hot chocolate drink thick and creamy…
It’s squash.
That’s right, butternut squash. I feel pretty confident no one would ever guess the secret ingredient, unless they have super sensitive taste buds. Even my squash hating daughter likes this drink.
I wouldn’t try to pass this off as regular hot chocolate to your kids, though. It’s different. It is a sweet, hot, chocolate drink but it’s not a cup of hot chocolate like they might expect.
The version below is my take on the recipe. It’s less sweet and uses baking chocolate instead of a more expensive semi sweet chocolate bar.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips could be used, but if you’re trying to avoid GMO soy and sugar you’ll find both of those in regular chocolate chips.
Non-GMO chocolate chips are readily available in my grocery store, but it’s less expensive to use baking chocolate squares.
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Creamy Mayan Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked butternut squash or canned pumpkin
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 ounces baking chocolate
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 – 3 tablespoons sweetener of choice I like maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Put all ingredients, except vanilla, in a thick bottomed pan or double boiler and heat on medium, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and sweetener.
- Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.
- Serve warm.
