Curl up with your sweetie and enjoy a rich warm mug of Maca Hot Chocolate. It's the dairy free date night dessert designed to amp up the fun! (I spent way too long writing that sentence.)

Originally, I wanted to perfect this recipe for Christmas, but I decided to hold off. Why? Well, it makes a bit more sense for Valentine's Day... after all, maca is purportedly an herbal libido booster. Chocolate + frisky feelings. I can't think of many other things I'd want for V-Day.

Mugs of dairy free maca hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows

Okay, to be real, maca powder probably won't magically make you immediately want to jump your partner the minute it hits your tastebuds. I don't want you to unrealistically get your hopes up. But maca has been used for centuries to stoke sexual appetites. And it's a natural energy booster. It's high in minerals like calcium, potassium, manganese, and zinc. It's also got vitamin B-6 and vitamin C. Finally, it supposedly helps mood and, as an adaptogen, balances hormones.

Maca has a nutty, earthy flavor that I think adds a touch of caramel to this hot chocolate. It's rich, smooth and dark. Perfect for me!

I make my own cashew milk. Here's how: Soak 1 cup cashews in water for a couple hours. Drain. Add cashews, a pinch of salt, and 3 cups hot water to a high-powered blender and blend for a couple minutes until it looks like milk and there aren't any cashew chunks. Pour through 2 layers of cheesecloth or a nut milk bag, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Now you've got a very basic cashew milk and cashew pulp, both of which can be stored in the fridge for a couple days. (The cashew pulp is amazing mixed with herbs + a little apple cider vinegar and spread on plantain chips.)

NOTE: I've actually revised the above homemade cashew milk recipe and it has its very own post now!

If you're looking for something a little different for Valentine's Day, why not try these other chocolate-laden recipes?

Dairy Free Maca Hot Chocolate

📖 Recipe

Maca Hot Chocolate (Dairy Free)

Author: Chelsea at Do You Even Paleo
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
Yield: 2 servings 1x
Category: Beverages
Method: stovetop

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Ingredients

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1.5 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 cups cashew milk (or dairy free milk of your choice)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 ½ tablespoons maca powder
⅛ teaspoon sea salt

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Instructions

In a small saucepan, mix the chocolate, cocoa powder, and 1 cup of cashew milk over low heat. Stir continuously until the chocolate has completely melted.
Add the remaining milk, maca powder and sea salt. Stir and allow to heat all the way through.
Stir in maple syrup to taste. Pour into two mugs and top with marshmallows or coconut whipped cream.