Date-Sweetened Matcha Mint Hot Cocoa

So simple I hesitate to even post this as a recipe—this warming beverage has a festive feel worth enjoying all winter long. Date-sweetened with a lift of mint and the earthy, comforting power of matcha, it’s become a security blanket in beverage form lately. All it takes to make is a quick blitz in the blender and a quick heat on the stove. If you can spare the extra seconds, I highly recommend a second small saucepan for frothing a pure matcha-milk only blend, because as you can see from the photo, that foamy pale top adds an elegant contrast that just feels good and encourages slow sipping…and who couldn’t use a little more of doing a little less this time of year?

Lately I’ve been finding myself landing in what feels like a lot of oxymorons. Reflecting on how there’s just too little time to reflect. I know I’m echoing myself here, but from the first day, December felt like every moment was spoken for. I can only speak for myself, but December first feels just too darn early to feel panicked and behind on the holidays.

The thing is, underneath all the beautiful messaging that encourages us to mindfully slow down and take time to embrace the holidays, there is a continuous undercurrent or urging to the very opposite. There’s marketing that showcases tender quiet moments while propelling us to get out there and tackle all the lists to make everything perfect. Some of these list items we can relinquish. Others we can’t—but we can take them on with a little more gentle relaxation if we give ourselves permission to.

Matcha and cacao can’t save our sanity, but combined I’ve discovered they go a long way in helping even the regular workaday tasks feel a lot more festive and merry. I personally love Poṣaṇa as my culinary matcha of choice. All those powerful antioxidants brimming with cozy flavor create a true state of energizing calm—sounds like a contradiction, but it’s real! Blending matcha powder straight into plant milk and then warming may not have the traditional authenticity, but trust me, the results are worth lingering over, and lingering is bliss.

It’s cliche, but let’s remind ourselves that presence is where the presents of the season are. Happy, happy! xo

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Author: Wendy McMillan

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Date-Sweetened Matcha Mint Hot Cocoa

So simple, so soothing—this warming beverage has a festive feel worth enjoying all winter long.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened plant milk, divided (I like using unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
• 1-2 plump Medjool dates
• 1 handful of mint sprigs
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cacao powder
• 1 Teaspoon culinary matcha powder, divided

Instructions

1. Place 1 cup of plant milk, dates, mint, cacao, and 1/2 teaspoon of matcha powder in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and warm through.
2. In another pan, heat the remaining half cup of milk and 1/2 teaspoon matcha powder. Heat through and whisk or use a frother to create a foam.
3. Pour warm cacao mixture into a mug and top with the frothed matcha milk. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

162

Fat

1 g

Sat. Fat

1 g

Carbs

39 g

Fiber

9 g

Net carbs

30 g

Sugar

28 g

Protein

5 g

Sodium

6 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg