Beyond Hot Chocolate: 7

Cocoa Powder

Recipes To Explore For World Chocolate Day

You may have mixed it with sugar and milk to make hot chocolate, but have you ever wondered what cocoa powder is, exactly? When you roast cacao beans at high temperatures, it presses out the fat (cocoa butter) from them. Grind the remaining solids, and you have a dry, unsweetened chocolate product. It’s more intense in flavour than a chocolate bar. And its uses are far more diverse than just hot chocolate. This World Chocolate Day, discover cocoa powder recipes that you can try at home.

If you’re tired of slathering your meat with the same set of spice rubs and are open to experimenting with bold new flavours, try the mocha spice rub. Made by mixing a tbsp each of cocoa powder, ground coffee, and brown sugar with a pinch of black pepper, this works best with chicken or salmon. It lends a smoky flavour to the dish that adds depth without turning the meat too spicy to eat. 

Few dishes are as perfect as peanut butter, but even perfection can be improved, especially when it comes to cooking. In this case, simply add a tbsp of cocoa powder and a tbsp of honey to 1 cup of peanut butter and mix thoroughly. This cocoa powder recipe gives a spread that can be smeared on toasted bread, consumed as a dip with apple slices, or topped on hot waffles. It tastes great every time (and yes, you can even consume it directly from the jar!) 

There’s something about chocolate that makes everything feel indulgent. Or at least it does so with pancakes. Just add two tbsp of powder into your regular pancake batter. You can do the same with waffles or even crepes! Top it with whipped cream and berries for a brunch that screams Sunday! Or if you want to keep things more balanced, skip the cream – but keep the maple syrup, of course. 

Yes, you can get a chocolate bar delivered to your doorstep in 10 minutes, but what if you could make one of your own? Of course, for this cocoa powder recipe, you need to add back some of the fat! So, begin by melting 2 tbsp of food-grade cocoa butter. Now, mix in 1 tbsp cocoa powder and 1 tbsp maple syrup. Pour the mix into an ice cube tray and freeze for 10 minutes to make your own candy.

Whoever said workout smoothies had to be green and grassy can look away. The rest of you? Start stirring a little unsweetened powder in your smoothie for a post-workout treat (you’ve earned it!). Start with a tablespoon and adjust the quantity as per your preference. Also, to prevent the powder from clumping, add the powder directly to the liquid base (like milk) before adding frozen ingredients (like berries).

There have been enough dishes to prove that healthy and decadent can coexist, but oatmeal is still looked at with suspicion. It’s time to get rid of the bad rep by combining nutrient-rich oats with antioxidant-rich cocoa powder. You get a warm, creamy porridge packed with fibre. It can be easily customised with natural sweeteners and your favourite toppings like bananas, nut butters, and seeds. You can also stir it with milk (just like in a smoothie) for a bowl of overnight oats.

Unexpected guests at home? Or sweet cravings that just won’t go away? Well, bring out dessert staples and create a batch of creamy cocoa mousse. This cocoa recipe yields six servings. To make this, mix a cup of heavy cream with three tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder (adjust to taste), one-third cup of sugar, half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Combine everything in a large bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Serve immediately or chill until serving.

If cocoa powder can make it to your favourite body lotion, it can certainly make its way to more dishes than just the hot chocolate. And if you ever needed an extra reason to give sweet, chocolate dishes a try, then use World Chocolate Day as the perfect excuse to bring out the pots, pans, mixers, and get cooking. This sweet surprise, whether used in rubs or stirred in smoothies, is not going to let you down.