Hot Hazelnut Carob
Instead of eating, do you sometimes just want a nutritious drink for a meal as your third meal? If so, this is the recipe for you. This is my healthy substitute for hot chocolate. This is made with carob, which is more nutritious than chocolate.
I roast my hazelnuts myself. The amount of hazelnuts in here are about 8 hazelnuts total. If you roast more than that, you may freeze the rest for another day. I’ll spell out how I roast the hazelnuts briefly: I put them in a baking sheet on top of parchment paper. I bake them at 350 F for 10 minutes. At the end of 10 minutes, I broil them for 2-3 minutes, but be careful, I’ve found some ovens run hotter than mine. If you see they are browning well, stop there. No one thinks burnt hazelnuts taste good.
If you know little to nothing about carob, I will tell you it is a chocolate substitute with a great deal of nutritional benefits, unlike its caffeinated counterpart. According to a recent NIH study:
Carob is one of the major food trees for peoples of the Mediterranean basin, but it has also been traditionally used for medicinal purposes. Carob contains many nutrients and active natural products, and D-Pinitol is clearly one of the most important of these. D-Pinitol has been reported in dozens of scientific publications and its very diverse medicinal properties are still being studied. Presently, more than thirty medicinal activities of D-Pinitol have been reported. Among these, many publications have reported the strong activities of D-Pinitol as a natural antidiabetic and insulin regulator, but also as an active anti-Alzheimer, anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory, and is also immune- and hepato-protective.
Azab A. D-Pinitol-Active Natural Product from Carob with Notable Insulin Regulation. Nutrients. 2022 Mar 30;14(7):1453. doi: 10.3390/nu14071453. PMID: 35406064; PMCID: PMC9003036.
As always do your own research into the foods (or drinks) you are consuming.
Now, without further ado, enjoy this recipe.
Hot Hazelnut Carob
Ingredients
- 1 cup water*
- 2 tablespoons roasted hazelnuts
- 1 tablespoon carob powder
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon tahini**
- ½ teaspoon molasses
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, alcohol-free
- 1/8 teaspoon coffee substitute, optional
- Pinch pink Himalayan salt
- Pinch powdered coriander
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Heat carob drink until hot, not boiling. Pour into your favorite ceramic mug. If desired, infuse peppermint into this by adding a drop of therapeutic peppermint oil; infuse a peanut butter flavor by replacing the tahini in this recipe, or topped with plant-based marshmallows or whipped cream.
NOTES:
- * Replacing ¼ cup of water with plain plant-based milk makes this even creamier (i.e., soy, oats)
- ** Tahini enhances “chocolate-y” taste; peanut butter changes flavor.
