Hormone-Healthy Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate (2024)

My love for the holidays/winter is synonymous with my love for hot chocolate.

It is legit one of my favorite things about this season, as a warm, creamy, cozy cup of hot chocolate always brightens my spirits, even on the dreariest and darkest of winter days.

What doesn’t work for me and hot chocolate? Artificial sweeteners, too much sugar, dairy or additives that can have a negative impact on my gut, digestion, mood and blood sugar balance (all things directly tied to hormone balance).

So what’s a hot chocolate loving gal who also wants to feel her best do? Implement some simple swaps, aka follow the Hormone-Balancing Hot Chocolate Formula.

Yes, after countless hot chocolate recipe making/testing, I’ve developed a tried and true formula to help your hot chocolate taste as creamy and dreamy as it gets, while still sneaking in nutrients and implementing simple swaps to keep your blood sugar stable and hormones happy.

Snag the formula and my all-time fave hormone-healthy peanut butter hot chocolate recipe below.

HORMONE-HEALTHY HOT CHOCOLATE FORMULA

+ Use Cacao + Dark Chocolate As A Base

Not only does cacao and dark chocolate (typically made from cacao) have a rich, earthy taste, but they’re both loaded with magnesium, a powerhouse nutrient that works to reduce stress in the body and keep hormones running smoothly. This is my absolute favorite clean chocolate brand,use my code “Lauren” to save 15% off your purchase from their site!

+ Add in A Healthy Fat

Critical for a creamy, indulgent taste and texture, as well as keeping blood sugar balanced, a healthy fat like coconut oil or nut butter helps trigger the release of CCK, aka your satiation hormone. Healthy fats are also crucial for hormones to do their jobs effectively, positively impacting everything from ovulation, fertility and your menstrual cycle to brain function and mood.

+ Sprinkle In Anti-Inflammatory Spices

I love adding in cinnamon, which works to regulate blood sugar, while spices like cardamom, cayenne, turmeric, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves are rich in anti-inflammatory antioxidants that do everything from boost metabolism to optimize digestion. They’re also a great way to add a lot of flavor, with zero added sugar.

+ Try A Superfood Boost

An easy way to give your hormones a bit of a boost is to sneak in superfood powders and adaptogens, which help maintain homeostasis and balance in the body. I especially love adding in powder blends such as gut-supportive collagen **use code SOGREEN10 to save, adaptogens like maca (fertility-boosting), aswagandha (stress-reducing) or reishi mushroom (calming and relaxing) or beet root powder (supports liver function + detox).

+ Use A Clean Non-Dairy Milk (Or Make Your Own)

Crucial for an optimal hormone-healthy hot chocolate, as many store bought non-dairy milks contain shelf-stabilizing emulsifiers and added sugars that can mess with your gut and hormone health. If you have time, try making your own, which tastes delicious and minimizes processed additives. If not, make sure to read those ingredient labels or check out my favorite clean non-dairy brand **use code Lauren15 for 15% off.

+ Opt For A Natural, Less Processed Sweetener

I love using pitted, chopped dates or a small amount of maple syrup in my hot chocolate as a way to add a sweet taste, while avoiding over-processed sugars or artificial sweeteners, which can wreak havoc on your blood sugar and intestinal tract. No matter which option you choose, it’s important to remember sugar is still sugar, and a little goes a long way. When you have such other high quality ingredients, I think you’ll find you don’t need as much anyway!

So there you have it, a simple Hormone-Healthy Hot Chocolate Formula you can use any time a craving strikes. Feel free to get creative with any of the ingredients (i.e. swapping adaptogens, trying a different non-dairy milk, switching up your nut butters, etc.) Or if you need a recipe to help get you started, try one of my all time faves, Hormone-Healthy Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate below!

HORMONE-HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER HOT CHOCOLATE INGREDIENTS

+ ORGANIC PEANUT BUTTER W/ MINIMAL INGREDIENTS

Peanut butter contains ahigh amount of B-vitamins, which work to support liver detoxification in order to move estrogen effectively out of the body. It’s also rich in zinc, making it an ideal food to addduring your period, as it will work to remineralize your blood. Make sure to purchaseorganic peanut butter without any added oils or sugars.

+ DARK CHOCOLATE

Dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher) is rich in magnesium, which helps lower prostaglandins, hormone-like substances thatcause cramping. It also supports pituitary health, helping to signal the release of FSH and LH, necessary for a healthymenstrual cycleandfertility. Make sure to choose a brand without any emulsifiers thatcan disrupt gut and hormone health.This is my absolute FAVE dark chocolateand you can use the code LAUREN to save 15%.

+OPTIONAL COLLAGEN PROTEIN POWDER

I love mixing in this flavorlesscollagen brand, which is rich ingut-healing compoundslike glutamine, glycine, collagen and proline that reduce intestinal inflammation and support yourthyroid gland.. *Use my code SOGREEN10 to save.

HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER HOT CHOCOLATE

The trick to making your peanut butter hot chocolate super creamy and frothy is to heating all of the ingredients together on the stovetop, then blending (either in blender or handheld mixer/frother). This will ensure the peanut butter is evenly distributed throughout (instead of sinking to the bottom) lending a smooth, even texture.

PEANUT BUTTER HOT CHOCOLATE CUSTOMIZATIONS

+ VEGAN PEANUT BUTTER HOT CHOCOLATE

This recipe is naturally vegan, however if you want to add a protein source make sure you’re swapping the collagen protein for a plant-based protein powder instead. *This ismy fave vegan protein powder, use code SOFRESH10 to save.

+ PROTEIN-RICH PEANUT BUTTER HOT CHOCOLATE

To add plenty of high quality protein, you can add in a serving of collagen powder or plant-based protein powder.

+ GUT-HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER HOT CHOCOLATE

This peanut butter hot chocolate recipe is naturally gut-healthy, however if you’re looking to sneak in additional ingredients to boost gut health, try adding some prebiotic fiber, which is taste and odor-free but packs in plenty of fiber that works to promote healthy gut bacteria and optimize digestion. This ismy go-to brandand you can use the code SOGREEN10 to save 10%.

MORE HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPES

+ Hormone-Healthy Peppermint Hot Chocolate

+ Mood-Boosting Red Velvet Hot Chocolate

+ The OG Hormone-Helper Hot Chocolate (pg. 87 of the Hormone Balance Reset Plan)