There’s nothing quite like a warming cup of hot chocolate when it’s cold outside. Unfortunately, most store bought hot chocolate powders are packed with added sugar which, as we know, isn’t exactly great for our health. As an alternative, you can try the hot chocolate recipe below which uses banana and dates for sweetening!

Ingredients (makes 2 cups):

1 small or 1/2 normal sized ripe banana

1 1/2 tablespoons cacao powder (unsweetened)

2 soft dates (fresh if possible)

1 cup plant based “milk” or normal milk if you prefer

1 cup water

A dash of cinnamon to garnish

Instructions:

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you are using dried dates, you can soak them in water for a few minutes to soften them before blending. Then, pour the liquid from the blender into a pan and heat it up slowly and gradually on low- medium heat. Keep stirring to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning! Once the liquid has reached your desired heat, pour it into cups and garnish with the cinnamon.