5 Chocolate Breakfast Recipes that Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity
If it’s 10 am and you’re already sporting chocolate stains in the corner creases of your lips, you may just have your life together better than you thought. No, chocolate is not just a fixture in dessert dishes and calorie-laden snacks. It can very well be part of nutritious and body-friendly meals (in the morning, no less!). Chocolate makes for a healthy and happy way to start your day, and it doesn’t have to be part of some kind of guilt trip. The trick is in knowing what ways you can incorporate the deliciously addictive ingredient into easy-to-digest breakfasts that fuel your body instead of take it on a sugar rush roller coaster. Here are 5 healthy breakfast recipes that feature chocolate.
If doesn’t take much convincing when it comes to whether or not a chocolate-filled breakfast will taste good, but what about the health aspects? Pure cocoa is unlike milk chocolate and other sugary, over-processed chocolate candy products in that they are very low, if not completely free, of sugar and don’t include animal byproducts and other unsavory additives. Meanwhile, cocoa is high in naturally-occurring antioxidants and tryptophan, an essential amino acid that precedes serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for regulating the mood and producing feelings of elation. Cocoa can also prevent allergies, cancer, oxidative stress, inflammation, anxiety, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance.
Simply use pure, raw cocoa and at least 70 percent dark chocolate as your benchmark when perusing the chocolate bar aisle, because 70 percent dark chocolate is almost ensured to be free of milk, low in sugar, and high in nutrition!
5 Chocolate-Filled Breakfast Recipes
This recipe for a chocolate smoothie is raw, which means all of the nutrients are at their peak. The smoothie relies on avocado for creaminess, raw cacao powder for that crave-worthy comfort, and banana and honey for sweetness. If you are vegan, replace the honey with an equal amount of maple syrup or agave.
Instead of using the above recipe, you could also make your own custom blend and just add 1-2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder into it.
2. Whole-Gain Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
This breakfast-apropos muffin features the unlikely add-in of not only chocolate but also zucchini! Make sure to use dark chocolate chips. To make this recipe vegan, use flax eggs in place of the real eggs and use maple syrup in place of the honey component.
Take cue from this recipe and try adding in dark chocolate chips to all your morning breads, pancakes, pastries, and muffins.
3. Chocolate Coffee Energy Bites
We all could use a boost of energy in the morning! These chocolate coffee energy bites feature both chocolate and coffee, giving you that oomph you need to start the day off on the right foot.
4.Mint Chocolate Chip Avocado Ice Cream
This recipe sounds a whole lot like dessert, but its ingredients beg to differ. Coconut milk, avocado, and bananas join forces to create a smooth texture that is lifted by fresh mint and grounded by cacao nibs. The result is an ice cream-like experience that energizes your senses for a productive and happy day.
Whether you’re a coffee person or not, a warm cup of something moves mountains on a cold, blistering morning. This hot cocoa recipe is vegan and full of goodness, such as coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and of course, chocolate.
If you make your own cup of morning Jo, add ¼ cup cocoa powder per cup of coffee to your coffeemaker and experience the magic!
Related on Organic Authority
Is Raw Chocolate Really Better for You?
Better Living with Laura Klein – Organic Chocolate Fondue (Video)
Chocolate Smoothie Image from Shutterstock
