If you like coffee and chocolate as much as I do then you’re going to LOVE these. I will share with you three recipes. One that is quick and hits the spot, another that takes a little longer but is definitely worth the wait and the last is a healthy version that can be used as a quick way to get in extra protein to get you moving and out the door in the morning.

The first one we we will get into is the “I want my Hot Chocolate Coffee and I WANT IT NOW!” recipe

• Ingredients:
• 1 cup of Brickhouse Kick-Ass Colombian (The strong chocolate and caramel notes in this coffee work perfect for this)
• 1 packet of instant hot chocolate (I like Swiss Miss hot cocoa mix)
• 1 – 2 tbs almond milk caramel creamer or creamer of choice.
• Marshmallows, almond or regular whipped cream, chocolate syrup and powdered cinnamon for garnish.

• Directions:
• Brew coffee and simply put the coffee, hot chocolate and creamer in a large mug and mix it up.
• Add the whipped cream and top it with a marshmallow (or 2) and sprinkle with cinnamon.
• ENJOY!

I like to compare the second recipe to early 90s R&B. It’s strong, smooth and sweet in all the right ways and when you’re done you feel a little naughty.

• Ingredients:
• Brickhouse Kick-Ass Colombian. Again, the strong chocolate and caramel notes in this artisan coffee if going to send this over the top.
• 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups of milk but If you’re like me and can’t have milk, you can certainly use almond milk or Oatly (it’s a dairy alternative made from oats.)
• 6-8 oz of semi sweet chocolate (I like to mix it up and use dark chocolate too)
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract.
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Whipped cream (Regular or almond)
• Powdered cocoa
• Pirouline
• Chocolate syrup
• The chocolate mixture makes more than enough for 1 cup so you can have some friends over or save it for another time. Just refrigerate after.

• Directions:
• Brew at least 1 strong cup (2 tbs coffee per 6-8 oz water) of the Brickhouse Kick-Ass Colombian. I like to use a french press and let it steep for 5 min. If you are going to use a french press make sure to add 2 extra oz of water to account for water absorption into the grounds.
• Place milk, 6-8 oz chocolate, vanilla extract in a small sauce pan and melt chocolate on low/medium heat. Once the chocolate is fully melted add the cinnamon stick and simmer on low for 5 min
• Pure 1 cup of coffee into a large mug and slowly pure in the chocolate mixture to taste.
• Top with whipped cream (or marshmallows) powdered cocoa, chocolate syrup and toss one of the piroulines in there.

This is almost too good! I don’t mean to toot my own horn but TOOT, TOOT!

The last one is straight to the point. It’s more of a tip than a recipe. Just throw a scoop of your favorite chocolate protein in your travel mug and hit the road. By no means is this better than a meal but if you are really late it’s better than nothing. Then again I just gave you 2 recipes that will surely throw your total caloric intake way off so as long as you are consistent with your diet and training 99% of the time, it’s OK to treat yourself.

Don’t forget to share and leave a comment.

-Jack DiBenedetto