Alpine Hot Chocolate
Real cocoa, milk powder, and a spoonful of fat. Not the packet.
- calories
- 320
- weight
- 2.4 oz
- cal / oz
- 133
- protein
- 8 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 1 min
- cook
- 3 min
- total time
- 4 min
- water
- 350 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Drink
- Dessert
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Campfire coals
- Liquid fuel
- Winter / snow
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Unsweetened cocoa powder | 2 tbsp | |
|---|---|---|
| Full fat powdered milk | 1/4 cup | |
| Sugar | 2 tbsp | |
| Coconut oil or milk powder | 1 tsp | |
| Salt and cinnamon | a pinch each | |
| Instant espresso | 1/4 tsp | optional, and it is not optional |
Method
- Premix the dry ingredients at home into single-serving bags.
- Boil 350 ml of water, kill the heat, and whisk the powder in with your spoon.
- Add the fat last and stir until it disappears.
- Drink it in your quilt. That is the intended use case.
Packet hot chocolate is sugar and a rumor of cocoa. This is 320 calories of actual fat and sugar going into a cold person right before bed, which is the single most effective way to sleep warm.
The pinch of salt and the quarter teaspoon of espresso are what separate this from the packet. Neither is detectable on its own. Both are obvious if you leave them out.
Packing
Single-serving bags. Trying to measure cocoa powder with gloves on is a losing game.
Variations
- A shot of whiskey, in the contexts where that is legal and wise.
- Powdered peanut butter stirred in makes it dessert.