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Brewed Butter Chocolate {primal}

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Brewed Butter Chocolate by Our Paleo Life

If I had to pick one type of recipe to make for the rest of my life, it would without a doubt be dessert. I know that’s not so healthy, but I don’t even care. Sweets are fun to bake, fun to come up with, and most importantly, fun to eat. I try to keep an even balance of treats and “real” food here on the OPL site, but it’s hard when I get an idea for something sweet, even though the last 5 recipes posted may have been a treat.

While today’s post isn’t really a “treat”, it’s still a fun indulgence, though not really bad for you so I feel pretty good about it. You may remember I recently mentioned the new chocolate shop that opened up in town. In addition to having delicious chocolate, they also have brewing chocolate. This is not the same thing as hot cocoa. It’s not a creamy chocolate drink. Think of it as coffee, but instead of coffee beans, it’s roasted/ground cocoa beans.

For personal reasons, we don’t drink coffee, though we do enjoy the occasional mug of herbal tea (mmm, peppermint is our favorite). I kept hearing about butter coffee, but since coffee’s not my thing, I never tried it, even though I love me some butter. I’m also not wild about large amounts of caffeine, so when I heard about brewing chocolate, which is naturally low in caffeine, I perked up a bit {see what I did there?}. As it turns out, brewing chocolate has lots of theobromine, which gives you an all-day energy boost, without the jitters. I certainly don’t feel like I drank Red Bulls all day, but I have the energy I need to make it through the day without feeling like I’ll pass out on the couch around 3pm.

Having not been a coffee-drinker, I can’t really compare the flavor of brewing chocolate to coffee, but it doesn’t taste like hot chocolate, so don’t go into it with that expectation. It’s unique, and I’m honestly not quite sure how to describe it. But I like it. I was actually surprised that I liked it. But just drinking it straight, with nothing added to it, really isn’t my thing. I needed it a bit creamier, with some sweetness added to it. That’s when the butter coffee thought popped into my head.

We occasionally eat dairy (a little cheese here and there, cooking with grass-fed butter, etc) so I wasn’t at all against the idea of using grass-fed butter in my brewed chocolate. Apparently, coconut oil is a thing being added to coffee now too, and I’m always looking to increase my coconut oil intake, so in it went. Also, I wanted it sweeter and creamier, so I added some coconut milk and honey as well. The honey-butter mixture that I make to add to the chocolate is way too good by itself. I’m trying to think of other ways to use it, it’s that good.

Oh, and worth mentioning, but just like coffee, maybe don’t drink this stuff late in the day or in the evening. I don’t want to be held responsible for any sleepless nights. Theobromine is a stimulant, after all.

The brewing process for the chocolate can be time-intensive, especially if you want a full-flavor, so I actually prefer to make a bunch in advance and keep a carafe of chocolate and a jar of honey/butter mixture in the fridge so I can just heat it and go and in the morning. The instructions on the bag of chocolate I bought say to brew for 10-15 minutes, but I go at least 4-5 times longer than that. I’ve included instructions below for 3-servings or bulk storage. The bulk will make about 6 cups of chocolate (approximately 6 oz each). With the addition of the butter mixture to the mug, you’ll have a full cup of not-coffee each day for a week with the bulk prep method.

Now, the most important question: Where do you find brewing chocolate?!

Good question. I do buy mine locally, so I can’t vouch for the quality of any other source. That said, I have seen a few places online where you can purchase it, just do a Google search for “brewing chocolate” or “brewing cocoa”. Though I would highly recommend trying to find a local (or close to local) source, if you can.

And one final note, don’t even try to get away with simply stirring the honey/butter mixture into the chocolate. It must be blended** to fully emulsify all ingredients and give it a truly fantastic creamy texture with a fluffy foam cap. Seriously. Do. Not. Skip. It.

Brewed Butter Chocolate {A Primal Coffee Alternative} by Our Paleo Life

Brewed Butter Chocolate {primal}

Yield: 4 (8oz) servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 Tbsp Brewing Chocolate, I purchase mine locally from Nuance Chocolate
  • 24 oz Water
  • 3 Tbsp Grass-Fed Butter, melted or softened
  • 3 Tbsp Coconut Oil, melted or softened
  • 4 Tbsp Honey, (up to 6 Tbsp if you like it sweet)
  • 6 Tbsp Full-Fat Coconut Milk, canned
  • 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Instructions

  1. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan.
  2. While the water is boiling, pour hot tap water in the French Press carafe to warm up the glass (this will prevent temperature shock so the glass doesn't break when you pour in the hot water).
  3. When the water has reached a boil, pour out the hot tap water, add the brewing chocolate to the bottom of the press, and pour in about 1 cup of the boiling water. Stir to saturate all the grounds, then add the rest of the boiling water.
  4. Place the French Press lid back on the carafe, positioning the plunger just above the water level, but not into the water.
  5. Let brew for 1 hour (or more, but no less than 1 hour). Unlike coffee, brewing chocolate does not become bitter if brewed for too long, it only gets stronger (and more delicious). Slowly push the plunger all the way down until it stops.
  6. Pour the brewed chocolate into a high-powered blender (we use the Blendtec). *NOTE: I often pour the chocolate grounds into a cheesecloth and wring out the remaining brew (I'm not a fan of wasting anything). I also save the grounds for possible future uses.
  7. Add all other ingredients. Blend on HIGH about 1 minute (or run the Smoothie cycle on the Blendtec) until creamy in color and slightly foamy.
  8. Pour into individual mugs.
  9. Since the brewing time made the chocolate cool down, we pop ours in the microwave for 1 minute to heat back up. This also amps up the foam a LOT. If you don't use a microwave, heat up the chocolate on the stovetop before pouring into the mugs.

BULK INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Brew a double batch of chocolate as described in steps 1-5 above. This takes me 2 hours (1 hour per batch) due to the size of my French Press. Adjust accordingly.
  2. Pour into a glass storage jar (I use a Weck Carafe) and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  3. Combine the melted butter, melted coconut oil, and honey (make sure to double all ingredients). Whisk to evenly combine. Add in the coconut milk, vanilla extract, and salt and whisk to combine. Store in the refrigerator in a glass jar (I use Weck Tulip jars). Depending on how long you store this in the fridge, you may need to re-stir to combine as the honey often settles to the bottom.
  4. When you're ready to prepare your single serving drink, heat up 6 oz (3/4 cup) of brewed chocolate in a small saucepan (or microwave, if you're so inclined).
  5. Once it's hot enough, add to the blender and add in ¼ cup of the honey/butter-mixture. Blend on HIGH about 1 minute (or run the Smoothie cycle on the Blendtec) until creamy in color and frothy. Enjoy!

Notes

  • ** Bulk Batch ** You can brew the chocolate in a large batch in advance and refrigerate until ready to use. I would suggest using it within a week of brewing. The longer it sits in the refrigerator, the more the flavor will change. You might notice a more cinnamon-honey flavor after a day or so in the fridge. This is not a bad thing.
     - To make the morning process easier (ie: make in advance and in bulk), use the BULK INSTRUCTIONS above.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 8 oz
Amount Per Serving Calories 374Total Fat 29gSaturated Fat 21gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 27mgSodium 239mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 1gSugar 26gProtein 2g

Nutrition is calculated by a third party and may not be 100% accurate

Please share:

Kellie

Wednesday 20th of June 2018

I just found this and tried and wow, it's lovely. I love the bitter undertone of the chocolate with the smooth creamy action of the other ingredients. Great adaptation!

Heather

Thursday 8th of January 2015

I've put my coffee and coconut oil in a mason jar so I can shake it up. I'm only doing one serving so it seems a bother to pull out the blender.

Rob Benson

Monday 1st of December 2014

We need to make this more regularly. I love it, great on cold mornings!

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