I super love this pick-me up and treat in the afternoons while I’m working at the computer. If you haven’t tried the Peppermint Cream recipe I shared at Christmas time, you really must take a few minutes to whip some up (literally). It has zero sugar, is all real, and it tastes delicious in hot drinks.
My favorite use for Peppermint Cream is in and on a hot mug of Crio Bru. What is Crio Bru, you ask? It is ground cocoa beans, which you brew just like coffee. Yup, straight chocolate, no sugar. Sounds bitter? Actually, it really is delicious all on its own without sugar. (You can also doctor it up with maple syrup and milk and make it into the most delicious hot chocolate you’ve ever had.) I love it all by itself – but topped with this Peppermint Cream? Well, it is amazing. Rich, hot, creamy, and all real. Delicious!
I order Crio Bru from Amazon, iHerb, or Azure Standard. It’s a little pricey, so I definitely consider it a treat. But it’s a no-sugar treat that warms me from the inside out. Love it!
Have you tried Crio Bru? And more importantly, have you tried Peppermint Cream? Yum, yum, yum, and then some.
I just got my first bag of Crio Bru with my Vitcost order yesterday. Excited to try it today! Now, I may have to make peppermint cream to go with it!
I don’t know how the price of crio bru compares with cocoa nibs, but I’d think cocoa nibs would be less pricey. I grind my cocoa nibs, just like coffee beans, and make my own crio bru.
Good idea!
I’d never heard of crio bru, but it sounds delicious! But I don’t get how it differs from cocoa.
My baking cocoa says it’s “ground cocoa beans”, too. Is this just ground coarser, or are there different types of cocoa beans?
Yes, this is much courser. They also sell Crio Bru by the bean so that you can grind them yourself in a coffee grinder.
I saw on Good Eats this week that cocoa powder has the cocoa butter removed. :)
Hi Laura,
I’m curious if you have tried any of the other Crio Bru flavors? I also wanted to tell you that I had some pumpkin spice syrup (made with cane sugar) from Williams Sonoma. I added it to my whipped cream like you did with the peppermint and it was delicious! When the winter is over you should experiment with more flavors. :o)
Thanks!
Amy
What kind of of crio bru do you buy – there are several varieties.
Laura uses Cavella.
Oops…I think it is spelled Cavalla. Sorry! :)