Cacao tea recipe: how to prepare cocoa tea with caffeine

Introduction

Cocoa is one of the most valuable foods. Along with macronutrients such as fat and protein, it also contains micronutrients such as iron, magnesium and potassium. So let’s take a closer look at cocoa for this tasty cocoa-and-tea recipe.

If you’d like to learn more about cocoa’s health properties, we recommend our article “Is cocoa healthy? Ingredients, effects, histamine & preparation”. If you’re particularly interested in cocoa ceremonies, we also have a detailed article on that subject.

Contents:

1. How do you recognise good cocoa?
2. How to prepare plain cocoa 
3. Cocoa recipe with spices
4. Cocoa tea with caffeine
1. Cocoa tea with guayusa powder
2. Cocoa tea with chai

1. How to choose good cocoa

South America—and Ecuador in particular—has won international awards for its cocoa several times. This is attributed to its distinctive volcanic soil. That said, delicious cocoa grows in many parts of the world. In the end, it’s up to you whether you prefer beans from Asia, Africa or South America.

For a good cocoa recipe and the fullest flavour, check that no calcium carbonate has been added to the cocoa powder or cocoa mass you buy. It is often used to bulk out expensive cocoa and make it flow more easily. You can check the ingredients list: it should contain either cocoa alone, or cocoa and cocoa butter.

2. How to prepare plain cocoa

Before we get to the cocoa-and-tea recipe, let’s first look at how to make a delicious, full-bodied basic cocoa.

For a basic cocoa recipe, you’ll need boiling water, heated in a kettle or on the hob. Simply dissolve the cocoa mass or powder in the boiling water, stirring as you do so. Traditionally, cocoa is made much like espresso: strong, with just a little water. Adjust the amount of cocoa to suit how intense you like it. A good starting point is about 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder per 300–400 ml cup.

3. Cocoa recipe with spices

You can add spices to your basic cocoa, such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and liquorice. This is also a traditional way to prepare cocoa, often used for cocoa ceremonies. You can usually find all these spices, except liquorice, in any large grocery shop.  

This method works much better on the hob, as all the ingredients need to come to the boil together and then simmer on a low heat for 3–5 minutes.

Strain the ingredients before serving. You can finish the cocoa with a little oat milk and sugar or honey, for example.

4. Cocoa tea with caffeine

“Cocoa tea” is a popular name for our basic cocoa recipe. Strictly speaking, it is simply cocoa made with water. Most people may find this way of drinking cocoa quite intense, as cocoa can be very bitter.

But we want to make a proper cocoa tea with guayusa, not some especially fancy drink! Guayusa tea comes from another South American plant. Its leaves are the world’s most caffeine-rich, yet they do not cause the same side effects as coffee. Find out more about the effects of guayusa tea and how to prepare it in the linked articles.

You’ll find many guayusa varieties in our shop. For this cocoa-and-tea recipe, we’ll focus on two: CHAI and PURE POWDER.

4.1 Cocoa tea with guayusa powder

Cocoa also contains caffeine, but very little. PURE guayusa powder therefore gives the cocoa a real lift.

We’re making enough cocoa for one large cup or a glass of about 400 ml. You’ll need a saucepan, 450 ml of water, guayusa powder and cocoa powder. Add about 1 teaspoon of guayusa powder and 2 teaspoons of cocoa to the water, then bring it to the boil.

Guayusa is a leaf, so some small particles may initially float on the water until they have absorbed enough liquid. The cocoa and the remaining guayusa powder should already disperse well in the water.

Bring the mixture to the boil, then simmer it over low heat for about 5 minutes. You can drink the cocoa and guayusa powder as they are. Some people may find that unpleasant, even though it is traditionally done this way. So strain out the guayusa and cocoa powders, then enjoy your pick-me-up. 

A splash of oat milk is a lovely finishing touch for this recipe too. You can also prepare it in our dripper with a double-walled stainless-steel infuser, or simply pour hot water over the mixture in a cup.

4.2 Cocoa tea with chai

For a spicier drink with less caffeine, replace our guayusa powder with our Guayusa CHAI. Our CHAI contains cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, liquorice and a little guayusa.

The easiest way to make it is in a saucepan or our 950 ml glass teapot with stainless-steel infuser. 

Use one generous teaspoon of CHAI and two teaspoons of cocoa. Put the CHAI blend in the tea infuser and the cocoa directly into the pot so you can drink it with the tea. Pour boiling water over the mixture and stir a few times. Let it steep for about 10 minutes.

This blend is especially tasty: liquorice adds a gentle sweetness, while our cinnamon, cardamom and clove blend brings warming spice. It contains a little less caffeine, though you can change that by adding some guayusa.