So, chocolate…or vanilla? That is the question.
I’d almost always say “chocolate” and yet…depending on the day, the occasion or the item…I may want vanilla. I’d say just about nothing beats this Warm Vanilla Soother.
And yet, last week the boys asked if I could try making my Warm Vanilla Soother into a Warm Chocolate Soother, just for fun. The kids thought it sounded yummy and hey, who am I to argue when it comes to making something chocolatey?
This recipe is almost exactly like Warm Vanilla Soother…just a couple of ingredients added.
Warm Chocolate Soother
3 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup real maple syrup
3 T. sucanat
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 T. arrowroot powder or corn starch
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, egg yolks, maple syrup, sucanat, cocoa and arrowroot powder. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly (I use a whisk) until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Stir until creamy. Pour into mugs and serve warm.
Once this finally cooled down enough to drink, my eight year old proclaimed, “Mom!! It tastes just like you’re drinking a brownie!”
For real?! Drinking a brownie? I want to drink a brownie!!!
Mmmm, he was right!
This has the appearance of hot cocoa, but it’s thicker and heartier. Oh. My.
So chocolate…or vanilla? That is still the question.
Maybe we’ll assign days to flavors.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and every other Sunday will be Warm Chocolate Soother days. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and every other Sunday will be Warm Vanilla Soother days.
Unless I have a hankering for vanilla on a Friday or feel a deep need for chocolate on a Tuesday, which I very well may. I’ll have to be flexible and leave the options open.
Let’s see, today is Tuesday. Which one are you gonna make?
It must be the day for chocolate! My sister just posted about the yummy treat!
The first time I made your Soother recipe, I was actually out of vanilla, and made it with chocolate instead! Yum, this is so good! Last time, I had a hankering for banana, and I used my immersion blender to blend the milk and two bananas together before I made the recipe. THAT was yummie TOO! Thanks for your recipes!
I just had another thought– CHOCOLATE BANANA SOOTHER.
I made this for breakfast this morning and it was SO good! I added a sprinkle of cinnamon too. yummy! Thanks Laura!
I made your Vanilla Soother last week and LOVED it. It was absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to try the chocolate version … mmmmm. Thanks!!
In answer to your previous question, I’d say BOTH chocolate and vanilla! There’s a mood for each of these soothers, and thank you for the delicious choices. Yum!
Oh my– and I was already having a pregnancy-induced chocolate craving. See what you’ve gone and done, Laura? Now I’ll have to go scrounge around in my kitchen and mix up a little cup of chocolate heaven. These are calorie-free, right? ;)
Thanks for the recipe. I’m ALWAYS in the mood for chocolate. The only time I’m really hungry for vanilla is in the summer time– homemade vanilla ice cream!! Kristy
The word chocolate always gets my attention. This recipes looks like a real winner! Thanks for sharing.
Hey Laura
quick question…do you think you can make this w/ liquid stevia instead of the maple syrup and sucatant? I realize it will have different consistancy probably, but thanks to a bout w/ gestational diabetes w/ my last child I am now insulin resistant. Sweeteners, no matter how “natural”, are out (w/ the exception of stevia). This sounds so yummy. And I am totally missing some of my “fav’s”. I think this would help fill a void for sure :)
Yes, I don’t know why not! It may not be quite as thick, but it would be close!
I made this this morning for two little boys (and myself of course!!) The verdict- delicious!! Mmm-hmmmm good! Thanx for the recipe- and it IS like drinking a brownie!
What a wonderful idea! I haven’t made the chocolate one yet, but I loved the vanilla. One question, does your arrow root powder have an overpowering flavor? Mine is quite distinct and I have a hard time getting past it. I’m suspecting it was just stored next to something, and absorbed the flavor.
Oh that is so awesome ;D I’m definitely gonna have to this. It looks so good.
love warm chocolate drinks and this recipe sounds delicous thanks for sharing
Hmm, my arrowroot powder does have a strong taste, but with the small amount in this recipe, I don’t even taste it. I keep mine in a jar to avoid flavor contamination. You could probably put about half the amount in this recipe and still come up with a good result.
OMGosh!! Yummy! that sounds amazing. I’m bookmarking… because I am sooo making this!
Mercy, I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed you over the past 10 days. :>) I linked to this on my weekly roundup with a note for any subscribers. Thanks!
Use maple flavored sugar free pancake syrup instead of maple syrup in this recipe to reduce carbs. You can add a dash of maple extract/flavoring if all you have is plain pancake syrup. That’s what I do and it works.
Hello there! I just wanted to tell you that after reading this recipe several times(with my mouth watering) I finally made it last night. My husband and I LOVE it. It was just as you described like “drinking a brownie.” Yum! I think this is one of those recipes that I will be making for the rest of my life :) (not everyday of course!) Thank you very much for sharing!
Laura, I’m so happy you have a gluten-free section. My youngest son(13 years) was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on 01/01/10(great way to start the new year) and then with Celiac Disease on 03/11/10. This has really taken away many of the foods he loves to eat but we are searching for new yummy foods we can all enjoy. I know we will eventually adjust to all the changes and be healthier for it. We are looking at it like an adventure. :) Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Would this be ok to serve if I were to make as directed then chill?
P.S. I just made this and oh my, it is delish!!!
Yes, in fact…then it becomes kind of a pudding. It can be rewarmed no problem.
what do you do with all of the egg whites???
Usually make them into coconut macaroons: https://heavenlyhomemakers.com/healthy-treat-for-today-coconut-macaroons
Apparently I’m the only one who’s never heard of sucanat. What is it and can it be substituted? I want to try this recipe right away. Thanks!
Sucanat is organic dehydrated cane sugar juice, explained here: https://heavenlyhomemakers.com/the-most-nutritious-sweeteners
You can substitute it one for one with white or brown sugar if you want.
YUM!! This was great! And I don’t know if I cooked it a little too long or what, but if I stuck it in the fridge, it would totally be chocolate pudding. Who doesn’t like drinking warm liquid pudding?!?! We loved it :D.
Can I make this without any egg?
Yum! I LOVE this. The kids agree that it tastes like drinking a brownie. Oh, this is going to be a favorite all winter, thanks so much for sharing!!
I have a hot chocolate maker, it warms and stirs at the same time. Do you think I could put all the ingredients into it and get the same results?
My kids said the same thing “Mom, this tastes like a brownie!” My husband likened more to drinking warm homemade pudding. Either way, yummy is the word.
I guess so, but then it wouldn’t be very thick I don’t think…more like a hot cocoa drink.
Still good though!
I don’t have any experience with a hot chocolate maker, but since it stirs at the same time I would imagine it would work.
I just made this for the first time only I used peppermint extract instead of vanilla.
Yum!
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Good morning! I just found this recipe and have three questions. How much does this make? I have a number of people who would clamor for this and would probably have to at least double this recipe. A ballpark figure is good. AANNDD can WHOLE eggs be used instead of just the egg yolks? Is there a health concern for not using the egg whites in this recipe? (I looked at the macaroon recipe–YUM– but if I can use the whole eggs here woo-hoo!) Thank you for this and the other delicious recipes here.
I can usually get four nice mugfuls out of this recipe. The reason for separating the eggs is just that the egg whites tend to cook up into weird little lumps in the soother as it’s being heated…taking out the egg whites makes for a smoother mixture. I think you CAN leave the egg whites in…just be sure you stir and stir the whole time to keep it smooth!
Dear Laura,
Thank you for the reply. One of my DC was sitting with me as I submitted my questions earlier and was most anxious for a response. I think I see Warm Chocolate Soothers, without “egg-white lumps” in the near future. Thank you and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Yummy! I just made this for myself and my four little tots. They (and I) loved it! I am on a gluten free / no processed sugar diet, so I just increased the maple syrup to 1/3 cup and it was LOVELY! thanks, Laura!
Whipped this up for breakfast and had some leftover so I threw it in the icecream machine and it turned the flavor/texture of a pudding pop!! Yummmmm! My husband is going to be so excited when he gets home(pudding pops are his favorite, but we are no longer comfortable buying them) Thanks for the recipe! Now I have a base for pudding pops!!
My kids called it “drinkable fudge”. A total keeper for cold wintery days!
Finally tried this out–YUM. We are having unusually cold, wet weather in north Florida this winter and I am relying on this drink to boost me out of my fledgling Seasonal Affective Disorder. :)
I just made this. Thank you so much. I’ve been drinking the hot chocolate with fake sugar. No more I say!
Wow! This is yummy!! Ours came out so thick that we could eat it with a spoon! I thinned it with milk a little to cool it for the kids and they really liked it, said it was like a chocolate smoothie! Does yours come out super thick? I was thinking of pouring it into bowls and chilling for pudding!
Mine usually doesn’t come out quite that thick – you could maybe add a little less arrowroot powder or cornstarch next time to see if it’s a little thinner. :)
If we buy only ‘regular’ eggs [non-organic, non-free range] in our house, is it still safe to put the yokes in this drink? Does the heat kill any bacteria issues? I know Laura has mentioned elsewhere that she only uses the eggs from her neighbors’ chickens, which she knows are safe. Thank you!
Yes, this would be okay in this recipe since you’re heating it on the stove!
This was really good! Thanks for the great recipe, Laura.
Yum! Just made this and it’s soooo good! I wanted to make the vanilla soother but I was outvoted this time(: Thanks for the recipe!
I think if you wanted to use whole eggs, you could start with
all of the other ingredients. Mix the eggs in a separate bowl.
Then add a tablespoon at a time of the warm liquid to the eggs to
temper it. After a few tablespoons, you could add your egg
mixture to the rest and be sure to keeping stirring. Should
hopefully avoid any lumps. (Works when making pudding!)
@Shawna, did you ever try this? I have a hot cocoa maker as well and wondered the same thing. I was just concerned that the eggs wouldn’t cook right.
Laura,
I just wanted to say that we love these! I use to make them all the time then last summer we found out 4 out of 5 of our family is allergic to milk. I have wanted to make these for some time and decided to try again with rice milk. I am so happy to report it worked!! It took a little longer to thicken but I’m ok with that. My children’s response was great WE CAN HAVE CHOCOLATE SOOTHIES AGAIN?!?!?!?!!! So as I type my children sit at the table dipping bananas in their soothies as they call them. :) Thank you for your blog!
we sampled this today. It was yummy! My kids thought it tasted like warm brownie batter. thanks for the recipe!
Oh my! I was just thinking this very morning about how I wished I could give my kids something like Instant Breakfast before school in the mornings. We had to go gf about a year and a half ago (a wonderful life change for us), and the truth is that understanding better how our health is linked to what we eat (how did it take me so long to see that?), I can’t bring myself to even consider such a thing (that is, if it’s even gf). This recipe looks delicious, and here’s to hoping that the child who won’t even look at eggs or eat anything at all before 10 am will think it tastes just as amazing as I think it looks. Thanks for posting.
I made this for breakfast this morning and it was yummy! I am going to wait and get maple syrup for vanilla. . . I just used honey…Thanks though!
I am just writing this for future readers as I am sure they have figured it ou by now:) But I did use whole eggs but I used 3 instead of four. . . I also had to double… a family of five… and so it seemed to make over six servings filling coffee cups:)
I don’t remember how I found this, but I made this today for myself and my kids and we all enjoyed it. I cut back the cornstarch a little bit, and it was nice and thick.
I know this is from forever ago but I just finally got around to trying your soothers about 3 weeks ago. Interestingly enough my one son who hates eggs is the only one who likes the soothers. My other boys are healthier eaters but just don’t care for the texture. I looked at my pudding recipe because this recipe sounded so similar. My pudding recipe doesn’t call for eggs but other than that and the milk & cornstarch ratios being a little different the recipes are very similar. So liquid pudding in a cup? Yes please! I even had a little soother left over the other day so I threw it in a 4 oz jar and chilled it. Set up just like pudding. Yumm-o! I keep telling myself at least he’s getting egg yolks and I’m using coconut sugar and/or maple syrup so it’s healthier than usual.
Just made this without the eggs, corn starch, and butter. I loved the vanilla soother flavor when I made it with the eggs, but I still ended up with little tiny pieces of boiled egg whites, which grossed me out. This makes great healthier hot chocolate without the eggs.If anyone knows a good egg separating trick that doesn’t let any of the white sneak it’s way in, please let me know.
Just found this today while looking for a non packet yummy hot cocoa. Just moved to WV and staying in Maryland and we got our first snow today and the kids have been begging for hot chocolate!
Oh my! This is so yummy and decadent!!!!!
Made this tonight for myself and the kids. I used almond milk and “Earth Balance spread”, in order to make it dairy-free for my son with the allergies. Also, subbed honey for the maple since our syrup has a very strong taste, and I used cornstarch instead of arrowroot.
It turned out quite yummy! Tasted like milk chocolate… somewhere in between “brownie in a mug” and “Grandma’s cocoa gravy”, according to the kids.
Next time, I’m going to try doubling the cocoa powder. I also intend to try using DF dark chocolate in addition to the cocoa powder. Let the tweaking begin! Because I WILL be making this again!
Thanks for the recipe!
Ohhhhh … and peanut butter! Can we add peanut butter? Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Soother?
i just tip the egg into my fingers (over a bowl, and let the egg white drip out. Once I’m happy that the white is all off, I can put the yolk into whatever it needs to be in.
I just tried this and it is true….Drinking a brownie!!! Thank you so much for all you do. Especially for ADHA moms like me that just don’t have time to tweak recipes and make new ones. I love the healthiness of your foods and the uniqueness. God bless you and your family!!
great idea!!
Have you ever had any luck making a big batch of this up and keeping it warm in a crock pot? We have been making this at our house and really like both the chocolate and vanilla versions and wanted to make it up for Christmas morning so everyone could have some, but not spend the whole morning in front of the stove. We will have about 10-12 people here.
I haven’t tried it, but I really think it would work!
Hi Laura,
I just wanted to tell you thank you for all the recipes you have shared!! I made you pumpkin cream cheese muffins the day before yesterday and your warm chocolate soother and added it to the coffee and oh my goodness!!! Delicious!!! Happy new year!!
Luz
Ok, dumb question, but is it completely safe with the eggs? Do they cook thoroughly enough? I really want to try it, but I am a paranoid egg eater. While Mitch will eat them over easy, I tend to like mine hard because the thought of raw egg worries me. But sounds like it is heated enough to be safe?
You aren’t the only one who has had that fear about this recipe! I believe this is more than safe. The eggs are cooked until the mixture is thick and bubbly – so boiling point. I think at that point they are officially dead. :) :)
I tossed a cinnamon stick in while I heated this up last night. HIGHLY recommend. Makes a perfect snack combo with your homemade graham crackers!
Ooh! That sounds delicious! I am going to have to give that a try.
-Bethany (HH Team)
Oh, wow, that sounds amazing! Going to give that a try, thanks!
-Bethany (HH Team)