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This protein-packed collagen hot chocolate recipe is the best-tasting way to sneak in some extra collagen and protein into your day! Not to mention, in the simplest way possible as well. Not only is this the tastiest hot chocolate recipe that I’ve ever tried, but it is also dairy-free, paleo-friendly, low-sugar, and gluten-free. Isn’t that crazy?!

Now that the weather outside is getting much chillier, nothing hits the spot more for me than a cozy cup of hot chocolate! For the past few years now, I have been testing different versions of “healthier” hot chocolate or trying new ways to add protein into hot chocolate while still trying to keep that delicious taste.

 

And this collagen hot chocolate recipe is hands down my new favorite!

 

 

 

 

As I mentioned, this hot chocolate recipe is dairy-free, paleo, low-sugar, low-carb, and also gluten-free. However, it is also the creamiest and thickest hot chocolate that I have ever tasted since it includes collagen! And because of the collagen, this drink also contains a lot of protein and tons of other powerful health benefits without adding a bitter or unsatisfying taste! In fact, I have an entire post about the incredible and powerful benefits of collagen + how to use collagen that you should definitely check out afterward!

However, in case you haven’t read that post or you want the TL;DR version, I’ll break it down for you and give you a quick summary of why it is so important to add a collagen supplement into your daily diet.

 

 

 

What is Collagen? 

 

Collagen benefits are so remarkable because this protein is what helps give our skin elasticity and potency, along with replacing dead skin cells. When it comes to our tendons and joints, you can think of collagen as the “glue” that helps hold the body together and function properly.

As we age, our body’s collagen production naturally begins to slow down. This is what results in the formation and appearance of aging such as wrinkles and sagging skin. As well as the appearance of cellulite (explained in my collagen blog post linked above!).

Bones become less dense and joints become less flexible, and this can result in knee or elbow pains. Decreases of cartilage are also due to low levels of collagen in the body. It is essential to point out that our body’s production of collagen also depletes when we have excessive exposure to sunlight, diets rich in high amounts of sugar, and if you smoke.

Luckily, there are collagen supplements that are rich in amino acids (glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline) that are each necessary to synthesize collagen. Since “amino acid” is another term for protein, that is why collagen supplements are often referred to as “collagen protein.” And that’s where Vital Proteins Collagen comes in! It’s the powder that I use in my collagen hot-chocolate recipe, that I throw into my oatmeal, stir into my coffee, etc. There are so many recipes that you can easily sneak collagen into! I’ve been using Vital Proteins for years now and I absolutely love it!

 

Benefits of Collagen: 

 

There are so many benefits of collagen that I don’t even know where to begin! Since it is so abundant in our bodies, collagen has so many vital roles.

• It helps to strengthen skin, hair, teeth, and nails.

• Reduce the appearance of aging, cellulite, and wrinkles/sagging skin.

• Promotes hair growth.

• Improve digestion and gut health.

• Hydrates the intestinal lining which promotes optimal healing for your gut.

• It helps to reduce joint inflammation and aids in injury prevention.

• Improves your liver health by helping with detoxification.

• Increases your metabolism since your adding lean muscle mass by intaking clean and natural protein.

 

There are numerous ways to use collagen and add collagen into your diet as well! It’s so unbelievably easy and you’ll see that with this collagen hot chocolate recipe! With that, if you want more recipes or other useful tips on how to incorporate collagen on a daily basis, definitely check out my other blog post which goes into more detail and more depth about the importance of collagen!

So with that, let’s get into the recipe!

 

 

 

 

Personally, I topped mine with a coconut cream snowflake (in the little picture above). And all you have to do for this is freeze some coconut cream on parchment paper, and use a cookie cutter to cut it out, and add on top of your hot chocolate! It’s also a great way to chill down hot chocolate while getting in some healthy fats from the coconut cream!

P.S: I also want to mention that I used sugar-free maple syrup for this recipe as well. The taste stayed the same and the hot chocolate was still creamy, decadent, and delicious! Plus, by adding the sugar-free maple syrup instead of normal maple syrup, I was able to bring the calories down to 70!

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know in the comments if you try it and love it just as much as I do! 🙌 😍

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What’s your favorite hot chocolate topping?

Let me know in the comments!

xo, Cydney