Have Your Herbal Chocolate And Eat It Too

By Angel Dudley


Herbal chocolate is a lot more than a passing fad, because it is already an integral part of the healthy lifestyles of millions of people. The core issue is that ordinary chocolate contains around 155 calories for every ounce. It is soaked in sugar and all kinds of preservatives and additives used for artificial flavoring. Eliminating these harmful substances with a healthy recipe helps people enjoy the heavenly taste of chocolates without the weight gain and associated health risks and guilt.

The traditional method for making chocolates begins with a harvest of cocoa beans, which is then refined and fermented. The beans are then roasted and ground, and then converted into a viscous sweet liquid by adding sugar and milk. This batch is then stored and cut into smaller pieces. Making this an herbal product is quite simple, and just needs some of the ingredients to be replaced with healthier alternatives.

There are any number of herbs and natural ingredients that can be combined to produce chocolates that are just as heavenly, but without the excess calories and harmful contents. For instance, it's possible to make guilt-free healthy chocolates using cocoa butter and cocoa powder with honey. The recipe can be further improved by using natural ingredients such as lavender, cinnamon, rose petals and mint.

There's really no set formula that must be followed here. Just start with some dark chocolate and milk as the core ingredients. Those who are desperate to sink their fangs into something sweet should include honey as the third core component of the recipe. It replaces sugar and is a lot healthier while at the same time maintaining the delicious sweetness of the concoction.

The cocoa should preferably be in powdered form, so that it can be easily and precisely added in just the right measure in combination with the rest of the items in the recipe. For optimum results, add two tablespoons of honey and three cups of milk for every three spoons of cocoa. The rest is just a matter of experimentation to get the right balance of flavor and health benefits.

Adding a couple of spoons of gluten-free organic vanilla extract will produce vanilla-flavored chocolates. To get mint chocolates, just add a few drops of organic peppermint oil. Remember that this is a concentrated and potent oil, so an excess of it will smother the flavor and taste of everything else in the recipe.

The recipe can be further modified by using coconut oil instead of milk. Honey can also be replaced with stevia, which makes the concoction sugar-free and eliminates high calories and carbohydrates. Chopped up mint leaves will add a touch of natural flavoring. This combination works perfectly when the coconut oil is heated and turns into a clear liquid that easily mixes with the cocoa powder and other ingredients.

It's well-nigh impossible for such recipes to compete with global brands and their large factories and thousands of distributors. Even so, people manage to locate providers offering herbal alternatives that satisfy gastronomic urges without risking their health. It's always possible to cook up a batch at home. Herbal chocolate is not only good for the whole family, but is also the perfect holiday season gift. It is also the healthy option for kids who consume huge amounts of chocolates at birthday parties and other such celebrations.




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