Back
Have your chocolate and drink it too with one of these wholefood hot chocolates, happily taste-tested by GoodnessMe Box Nutritionist, Melissa Fine.
1. Harry’s Bondi – Bondi Beach
@melissaeatsmindfully
The Beetroot and Cacao Latte on Harry’s new Bondi hipster menu is like nothing I’ve ever tried….and you won’t feel like you’re drinking a cup of borscht or a beetroot juice, I promise! The beetroot flavour is subtle and adds a lovely pink hue to the creamy house-made almond and macadamia milk, which they sweeten with dates. Like the waitress described it, “Tastes like red velvet.” Couldn’t have said it better myself, and I like that it’s not sickly sweet.
2. Sprout - Naremburn
@sproutwholefood
Props to this lower North Shore wholefood café for not using the super commercial, shelf-stable barista blend almond milk that you see everywhere. Instead, Sprout use fresh, cold-pressed, unsweetened Inside Out Almond Milk, a match made in heaven with the bittersweet cacao and coconut sugar in their hot choc…do yourself a favour and pair this with Sprout’s paleo fudge, my all time favourite raw dessert that I get every time I’m here!
3. Earth to Table – Bondi Junction
@earthtotablebondi
I’ll make a point of stopping to get a drink of some-sort whenever I go past this unique health food joint, where everything is vegan, raw and delicious – especially the sweet stuff. The hot chocolate is made with organic cacao and house-made steamed (but not boiling), creamy almond ‘mylk’, but the best bit is the cacao sauce drizzle, which I always save to eat last with a spoon. If you’re after an extra energy lift, they also do a ‘Chocolate Matte Latte’ with yerba mate, a South American herb full of antioxidants and a little caffeine – so you get the pick-me-up, without the coffee jitters or stomach upset.
4. Ruby Lane – Manly
@morkchocolate
The health food scene has truly hit Manly, with a growing list of wholefood cafes opening their doors in this beachside suburb. If Manly isn’t close to your ‘hood, make a day of it and catch the ferry for a beach day and a little health food adventure. You know we like our chocolate dark at GMB, and I would make a point of going back to Ruby Lane just for their Venezuelan 70% Hot Chocolate.
5. Little Bay Organics – Little Bay
@littlebayorganics
A hidden gem of a coffee shop and health food store, I think this hot chocolate is my favourite. Make sure you introduce yourself to the owner, Nathan, who will look after you and even make fresh nut milk for you on the spot. You can also get your hot choccie made with the Nutty Bruce brand of fresh almond and/or coconut milk, which we’re fans of at GMB because it’s the real deal – organic, and no ‘crazy ingredients’, thickeners, flavours or preservatives. I’m not sure how he gets the hot chocolate to taste so thick, rich, and creamy but whatever you’re doing, keep doing it Nathan! I get mine sweetened with a little coconut sugar and it’s heaven in a cup. Head down at Little Bay Beach after for an extra treat.
6. Home
@anicka83
Nothing beats rugging up on the couch with a warm drink on a rainy day, and sometimes, you just want to stay in on a sleepy Sunday. Make your own hot choccie on days like these (and save some $$!) with Morlife’s Cacao Bliss Chocolate Drink Powder. With no added sugar, this cacao powder is paired with ingredients like vanilla, carob, coconut and caramelly lucuma – along with herbs like calming lemon balm and energising gingko…our justification for making a cup of this in the GMB office come 3.30!
There are only so many healthified hot chocolates I can sample each week/month, so we're always on the look out for hot new tips.
Where are your favourite hot choccie spots? We'd love to know all the secrets Australia-wide!