Cacao Coffee Recipe (How to Brew Cacao Beans)

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This cacao coffee recipe is made with real organic cacao beans. Cacao beans are one of nature’s superfoods and offer many health benefits.

Combining ground-roasted cacao beans with your favorite coffee beans is a great way to create a delicious cup of coffee with a hint of chocolatey flavor.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Click here for my full disclosure policy. Some recipes on Thirst Priority contain alcohol and are for those 21 years of age and older. If the recipe contains alcohol, please drink responsibly.

What You Need to Make Hot Cacao Coffee

To make this cacao coffee recipe we are using our Aeropress. The Aeropress is similar to a French press and can be used interchangeably for this recipe. You will need:

• 1 scoop, or 2 Tbsp (14g) roasted and ground cacao beans
• 1 scoop, or 2 Tbsp (14g) coffee grounds
• milk of choice
• ​dash of cinnamon
• dash of cacao powder

What is an Aeropress? 

We discuss this in more detail in the Aeropress espresso recipe post, which you can find here: Aeropress Espresso.  But to keep it simple, the Aeropress is very similar to a French press and is used for multiple brew methods. You can find more Aeropress recipes here: Aeropress recipes. If you have a French press that will also work for this cacao coffee recipe.

How to Roast Cacao Beans

To make our cacao coffee first preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

You also need to start with the whole bean. These are raw unpeeled cacao beans, and you can find them online here: cacao. 

These little beans are the origin of all the chocolate things that you have come to enjoy and love. This is the most pure form of chocolate before it becomes things like cacao powder or cocoa powder.

Measure 1/4 cup of beans, or more if you’d like to make a large batch for future use. 

Scatter the raw beans on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. 

Roast the raw cacao beans in the oven for 10 minutes. Then let them cool until they are cool enough to handle. Gently remove any loose skin from the beans.

Next, grind the beans in the same manner in which you grind your coffee beans. We use a standard coffee grinder, like this one: Grinder.

How to Brew Cacao Coffee

Scoop the ground coffee beans and cacao beans into the Aeropress chamber. You can use either regular or decaf coffee. Then add a pinch of cinnamon to the chamber.

Boil water in a tea kettle on the stove and then pour the hot water into the Aeropress brew chamber. Fill the Aeropress chamber up to the #4, or if using a French press, use 10oz of hot water. 

Next, use the Aeropress stick to stir the hot water with the grinds for about one minute. Make sure that grinds are thoroughly immersed for a full brew. 

Then insert the plunger into the top of the chamber and allow the cacao coffee to steep for 3-5 minutes. 

Place the Areopress onto the top of your favorite mug and depress the plunger down gently pushing the cacao coffee into the mug. 

Remove the Aeropress and you have what looks like a cup of black coffee. 

Hot Cacao Coffee Recipe with Raw Cacao Beans

​If you take milk in your morning coffee then add your milk of choice. We are using a dash of almond milk in our coffee. 

Then dust your cacao herbal coffee with a dash of cacao powder, and/or cinnamon. 

One thing to keep in mind is that cacao has a distinct flavor and is not like your typical hot chocolate. There is no sugar in cacao, so you will need to add your own sweetener of choice if you prefer sweet hot beverages.

If you are looking for a sweet hot cocoa type drink then I do not think this is for you. Cacao in its original raw form is a bit more bitter, which is why it makes a great coffee alternative. The taste is much more similar to coffee than to any cocoa mix.  

Another Cacao Alternative to Hot Brewed Coffee 

When looking for coffee alternatives, but also wanting to keep things easy I have a surprise for you. Let someone else do all the work while reaping the health benefits. You can actually get cacao brewing chocolate already ground up and ready to brew online here. Brewed Chocolate Premium Brewing Cacao.

According to the label: 

• Health benefits of raw cacao: Made from pure, dark, and unprocessed raw cacao beans in the form of brewed cacao, this coffee alternative is a clean mood enhancer and energy booster with less caffeine than coffee and a whole lot more nutrients, yet it brews just like traditional coffee. 
• This ground cacao coffee substitute provides a nutritious boost of magnesium, enzymes, polyphenol antioxidants, and some of the highest concentrations of flavonoids in the world. Experience increased focus, reduced stress, more lean muscle mass, better blood pressure control, easier weight management, increased endorphins and serotonin, and quality sleep. 
• Brew just like traditional coffee—in a French press, drip coffee maker, pour-over, percolator, Keurig, or any other brewing method you prefer. No special equipment or coffee machine is needed

According to the reviews, it can be used to make hot drinks or iced coffee. 

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