Drinking chocolate flavored with warm spices and topped with orange vanilla whipped coconut cream is perfect for sipping slowly on a frigid winter day.

I was planning to share a new salad recipe with you today, but the forecast says we’re about to get buried under a ton of snow and I couldn’t do that to you. Or to me – it’s been too cold to even think about eating a salad.

Instead, how about a warm drinking chocolate that’s rich enough to pull double-duty as dessert? Now that’s more like it. Even better, it’s dairy free!

If you love hot, spicy drink recipes be sure to also check out my Gingerbread Hot Chocolate and my Orange-Cardamom Dessert Coffee with Rum. You’ll also love this white hot chocolate starbucks copycat recipe! and, of course, you can’t go wrong with aged eggnog!

Do you remember back in the early-2000’s when Starbucks had a huge marketing campaign around their chantico drinking chocolate? It was incredibly rich, thick hot chocolate served in an espresso cup. It reminded me of drinking molten brownie batter and it was insanely delicious – and probably had enough calories to last a week but that’s another story. Then one sad day not long after it launched, they pulled it off the menu. Apparently it wasn’t very popular.

Anyway, I took one sip of this spiced drinking chocolate from The Whole Coconut cookbook and was instantly transported back in time. This drink reminds me a lot of chantico, except not as sweet and with cinnamon and cayenne pepper to make it extra cozy. It was love at first sip.

This drinking chocolate is topped with whipped coconut cream that’s flavored with orange and vanilla – two of my favorite flavors to pair with chocolate. (When I was in college I worked at the coffee beanery and we had a drink that was half coffee, half hot chocolate with orange and vanilla extracts – it was to die for and is another coffeeshop drink that’s sadly no longer on the menu.)

It’s warm and cozy and perfect for a snow day. Save the salad for next week.

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Orange Vanilla Drinking Chocolate (Dairy Free)

This recipe requires a little pre-planning – the coconut cream, mixing bowl, and beaters need to be very cold – but it’s well worth the wait. Leftover whipped cream will keep for about 1 week in the fridge.

Prep Time 8 hours hours

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

For the whipped cream

• 8 ounces coconut cream
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch sea salt

For the drinking chocolate

• 3 ½ ounces dark chocolate chopped
• 1 cup canned coconut milk
• ½ cup coconut water
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

• Refrigerate the coconut cream, a metal mixing bowl, and the beaters from a hand mixer (or whisk attachment from a stand mixer) for several hours until thoroughly chilled.
• Transfer the coconut cream to the chilled mixing bowl. Using a mixer, beat the cream on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add the orange zest, sugar, vanilla, and salt; beat again. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Gently melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Set aside.
• Combine the coconut milk, coconut water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a low simmer, whisking continuously. Whisk in the melted chocolate, cinnamon, and cayenne. Serve immediately, topped with 1 heaping tablespoon of the whipped cream.

Notes

I buy small cans of coconut cream from Trader Joe’s – they’re perfect for recipes like this one. If you can’t find coconut cream, you can make it by refrigerating a can of full fat coconut milk overnight. Open the can very carefully – the cream will be in a solid mass at the top. Scoop is out and save the coconut water underneath for smoothies or to use in this drinking chocolate recipe.

This healthy sweet potato casserole is a warm and comforting side dish that makes a frequent appearance on my dining room table in the colder months.

The curried cashews that top this sweet potato casserole were one of my favorite recipes from culinary school.

We made them to add to quinoa and apple salad, but I’ve been looking for ways to incorporate them into other recipes ever since.

As soon as the cooler weather began to roll in, it hit me: sweet potato casserole! The buttery, spicy nuts are an amazing contrast to silky smooth sweet potatoes.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Sweet Potatoes.

Orange Juice. Instead of using milk or butter, I mashed the sweet potatoes with orange juice. It gives the potatoes a nice bright flavor and keeps the recipe dairy free.

Cashews.

Madras Curry Powder. This has a richer flavor and more spice than the traditional yellow curry powder that you might be more familiar with.

Egg. An egg mixed in to the potatoes helps them rise a little so they’re light and fluffy, but you can omit it for a vegan option.

Shredded Coconut. I like to use unsweetened coconut for additional flavor and texture.

Brown Sugar. For a hint of sweetness to balance out the spicy curry and tart orange juice. You can use either dark brown sugar or light brown sugar in this recipe.

Variations

• Try using reduced calorie orange juice for less sugar
• OJ with pulp or without — it’s your choice!
• Use a combination of sweet potatoes and roasted butternut squash to reduce carbs
• Omit the egg to make it vegan

More healthy casserole recipes

• Healthy Broccoli Casserole
• Fresh Green Bean Casserole
• Cajun Turkey Casserole
• Cheesy Baked Scalloped Potatoes

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Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

This healthy sweet potato casserole is topped with a flavorful curry-cashew topping that gives it an irresistible crunch. Perfect for a cozy night in or a special holiday meal, this casserole is a must-try for sweet potato lovers.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword healthy sweet potato casserole, sweet potato casserole with curry

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 196kcal

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• ¾ cup halved raw cashews
• 1 teaspoon grape seed oil
• ½ teaspoon Madras curry powder
• 2 large sweet potatoes about 4 pounds total
• ½ cup orange juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large egg beaten
• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Instructions

• Heat your oven to 325°F.
• Toss the cashews with the oil, curry powder and salt. Arrange them in a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until lightly toasted, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 2-inch cubes. Place them in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until fork-tender — about 15 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the orange juice and mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg, then transfer the potatoes to a 9"x13" baking dish.
• Mix the toasted cashews with the coconut and brown sugar. Scatter them over the mashed sweet potatoes.
• Return to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the casserole is golden brown and slightly puffed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 62mg | Potassium: 422mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 10774IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg