Chocolate Hazelnut Milk

Chocolate milk must be one of the best childhood memories ever (or adulthood memories as well, in my case)!!! And it’s probably more to do with chocolate than it is with milk. 

Thinking about it, it’s all about chocolate really, as I didn’t enjoy milk as a kid at all. Not even a little bit. The taste, the smell and texture (especially when it was a warm milk) was giving me nausea, and back then, I could not imagined anything worse than warm milk.  But mum always knew how to sneak in things we hate into our diets, without us noticing (or tasting) a thing! Chocolate milk was defo one of the best things, and I could drink buckets of this stuff without complaining until my bladder will burst…

After creating my Vanilla Bean Iced Coffee (click here), I got quite addicted to coffee ice cubes and it got me thinking… why not to try and freeze different things into ice cubes?!? The idea is not new, I’m sure you have seen this before, but just in case if somehow you have missed it, or perhaps didn’t have a chance yet to test and try it for yourself, then I highly recommend you to do so.

Especially if you are planning on hosting any kind of summer parties or BBQ’s or any gatherings with friends and family. I can guarantee you, there will be at least one person, who will say: ‘Wow! What a great idea! How did you come up with that?’, and :’Oh, this is ahh-mazing!’ and you will probably hear quite few ohhhh’s and aahhh’s and more than likely lots of mmmmmmmm’s. Do you know what I mean? In case if you don’t, they are flippin awesome!

Making nut milk from scratch sounds quite scary and time consuming, but trust me, it’s easier than making a toast, you just need to get yourself cheesecloth or thin cloth kitchen towel (there are also special nut milk bags), and some nuts! In the past, I have also came across the recipes that didn’t require use of cheesecloth, and also tasted out of this world! And making your own nut milk is not time consuming at all, you just have to make sure to soak the nuts in water before (I would recommend overnight). Plus, we all know what goes into milk nowadays, don’t we? So once again my friend, if you have not tried making you own nut milk yet, I think you are loosing out! Do you like loosing out? I didn’t think so…

This chocolate hazelnut milk will bring the smile to your face, and it will be hard to wipe it out. It doesn’t contain any refined sugar, as you only using dates to sweeten it up, and agave nectar is optional. It’s clean of any nasty ingredients, and in my opinion it tastes gazillion times better comparing to normal milk. Winner winner, chocolate hazelnut milk for breakfast and dinner! It tastes so sweet and creamy, you may cry when it’s over and your glass is empty…

Luckily, you can store it in a fridge in a glass jar or bottle for up to 5 days (just make sure to shake it before use!). The recipe below is not including time for soaking the hazelnuts overnight.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Milk

Prep Time

2 hrs

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

2 hrs 10 mins

 

Chocolatey goodness, delicious home made hazelnut milk served with creamy ice cubes made from coconut cream and coffee.

Course: Drinks

: Vegan

Servings: 4

: 260 kcal

Author: Anna Banana

Ingredients

Hazelnut Milk:

• 2 cups hazelnuts (soaked in water overnight)
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 5-6 dates
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• pinch of salt

Ice cubes:

• 3/4 cup coconut cream
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3/4 cup freshly brewed and cooled coffee
• 2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

Ice Cubes (prepare in advance as they will take at least 2-3 hours to freeze)

1. In a blender combine together coffee, coconut cream, with vanilla essence and agave nectar (if using).
2. Pour into ice cubes molds and freeze for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.

Chocolate Hazelnut Milk:

1. Drain your hazelnuts and rinse them well under cold water.
2. Using high powered blender, blend hazelnuts, add water and dates and blend all together.
3. Using cheesecloth, nut milk bag or thin kitchen towel, slowly pour hazelnut milk mixture into the cloth and gently squeeze the bottom of the cloth to release milk into bowl or a jug.
4. Using blender, mix together milk, cocoa, vanilla bean paste and pinch of salt, blend until smooth.
5. Pour over coconut cream & coffee ice cubes.
6. Enjoy!