Healthy Herbal Coffee & Chocolate Alternatives

I’ve always found coffee to be a bit hard on my digestive system and only very occasionally have a decaf coffee. I love drinking tea (see some of my earlier posts on Chai blends and Earl Grey Teas) but sometimes I feel like something that is more ‘full-bodied’ but still healthy.

I’ve recently become interested in exploring herbs (see My Unexpected Journey into Herbalism) for both health and flavour. I’m certainly not ready to drink something simply because it is good for me, so making sure that it is an enjoyable taste experience is important.

Here I share a recipe for a Herbal Mocha Coffee and a Herbal ‘Chocolate’ Tea.

Herbal Mocha Coffee

Chicory coffee is believed to have first been used during a coffee shortage in France in the 1800s. It is made from roasted, ground, and brewed chicory root and is still used around the world today as a caffeine-free alternative to regular coffee. This recipe combines it with dandelion root, cacao nibs and maca powder to add to both the health properties and the flavour – so you can feel good about enjoying your morning coffee.

2 parts Dandelion root, roasted
2 parts Chicory root, roasted
2 parts Cacao nibs
1 part Maca powder (gives a caramel flavour)

Use 1 tbsp per cup of water in a coffee plunger. Leave to brew for 5-10 minutes. You can re-use the ‘grounds’ a few times and still get a tasty brew. I add milk to mine.

You can buy chicory and dandelion root from health food stores. Cacao nibs and maca powder can be found in supermarkets as well.

Dark Shot – Spiced Chocolate ‘Tea’

6 parts Cacao Nibs
3 parts Cinnamon bark
3 parts Liquorice root (buy as a tea)
1 part dried Orange zest (I make my own)
1.5 parts Ginger root

Break the ingredients into small pieces in a mortar and pestle (better than using ground spices but you can use if that is what you have).

Use 1 tbsp per cup of water in a coffee plunger. Leave to brew for at least 10 minutes to get a good chocolatey flavour.