Most afternoons, I play around with a hot new bevvie which is how today’s anti-inflammatory date tahini hot cacao came together. Dates have been my newest go-to superfood for about a year now. They’re my #1 travel companion, as I bring them on road trips and flights instead of snacking on fast food or airline food, they’re sweet and full of fiber and antioxidants, and not too sugary as long as you don’t overdo it. They’re also highly anti-inflammatory and good for heart and bone health. Win-win!
Tahini is the next superfood in this creamy hot cacao, a big-time fighter of chronic inflammation, with heart, brain, and bone health to boot. And it makes this drink extra creamy and decadent, perfect when you want a late afternoon snack with a nice velvety taste.
Topped with aromatic cinnamon to help warm up the palate of this drink, this anti-inflammatory date tahini hot cacao balances all the other ingredients, making this delicious cacao served either warm in the winter, or cool (if you wish) in the summer.
As with all the chocolatey-beverages on this blog, this drink is made with cacao instead of cocoa. Of course, use what you prefer, but cacao is less refined, has greater heart health and anti-inflammatory benefits, and doesn’t have that overly sweet or processed taste like a lot of cocoa powders carry. Ever since my husband and I went on a cacao tour in Costa Rica back in 2016, I’ve been absolutely hooked, and have yet to drink cocoa ever since. Give it a try and see if you enjoy the difference!
Do you have to heat this up? Absolutely not! As you know, I follow a mostly Ayurvedic diet so almost all of my beverages are enjoyed at room temperature or heated warm. You’re more than welcome to add ice cubes to this instead of water and skip the final step of heating this over the stove if you’re craving something cool, or if it’s just too hot outside and you can’t fathom drinking a warm beverage, or using the stovetop for goodness sake. I get it. It’s totally up to you!
Finally, I can’t talk about this anti-inflammatory date tahini hot cacao recipe and not mention my new favorite splurge: these East Fork mugs! It has definitely felt like spring here in North Texas for several weeks now, and I just had to add to my East Fork collection with their new spring colors: this creamy mauve (Thistle) and light blue (Heron). They’re the perfect colors for springtime celebrations and I love the cheer that these colors bring to my afternoon rituals. We all could use a little more cheer these days, especially with what’s going on in our country, so I say, add a little joy to your life whenever and wherever you can.
I hope you love this, and if you do, I’d love for you to take a moment and rate it, please!
Peace and love,
Jen
Anti-Inflammatory Date Tahini Hot Cacao Recipe:
Anti-inflammatory Date Tahini Hot Cacao
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond milk unsweetened
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 dates pitted
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 pinch cinnamon powder
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender in this order: dates, water, tahini, cacao, and almond milk. Blend on high for a minute or until creamy.
- Pour into a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat for a few minutes, whisking often.
- Remove from heat, pour into your favorite mug, top with a pinch of cinnamon, and enjoy!
Recipe notes:
A note about your dates: they need to be fresh and slightly moist, so if they’re older or too dry, soak them in a bowl of water for about 5-8 minutes before starting this recipe.
As I mentioned above, you do not need to serve this anti-inflammatory date tahini hot cacao warm: just trade out the water for ice cubes if you’d rather enjoy this more as a cold smoothie, or don’t heat it over the stove if you prefer to drink it at room temperature. It’s totally up to you and your preferences, and the time of year!