March 22, 2019
Hello friends!! I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty tired right now. It’s 9:30 pm as I’m writing this and after an 8-hour day of all thing’s yoga and anatomy on Saturday followed by two, hour long hot yoga classes and a Sunday full of chores… well you get it lol. But it’s ok, I honestly love having a lot going on as weird as that sounds and ya know what? As tired as I am at the end of a busy day, or weekend in this case, I always sleep super soundly 😊.
Ok rant over! So, here’s the deal: I came up with this idea at work about two months ago. I don’t know what in the world was going through my head, but I do know that I’m one of those people who likes coffee, but the Starbucks latte way. And I don’t mean that I only like Starbucks latte’s, but that I like my coffee sweet. The problem is that I feel guilty after dumping half a cup of flavored creamer in my 8 oz coffee (you know, to the point where it barely even tastes like coffee). So here I was at work wanting a coffee, but not one that was going to make me feel icky and gross after. Like I said I don’t really know what happened, but ideas just started flowing and the next thing I knew I was at Trader Joe’s gathering ingredients to make my concoction the following day at work. I ended up loving it and have also got a few friends on the “PB with your coffee” train haha.
If you’re sitting here thinking, “peanut butter in coffee?? You are disgusting!” just hear me out! The peanut butter flavor is actually not as prominent as you might think, and it gives the coffee a beautiful creamy texture. But beyond the texture, I love this recipe because 1. It actually tastes good and 2. It’s a much healthier alternative to flavored creamer or Starbucks lattes. Here’s why:
- Cacao Powder: This is a pantry staple for me! For those of you that don’t know, cacao is kind of the same as cocoa. The difference is that cocoa is what you get after cacao has been roasted and sometimes had sugar added to it. This process makes cocoa less nutritious than cacao. A few of the benefits of cacao are 1) it’s super high in antioxidants 2) it’s one of the highest plant-based sources of iron and magnesium and 3) it’s a great source of neurotransmitters that are natural mood lifters!
- Maca Powder: Where to start with this supplement?? When I have maca on hand, I am constantly throwing some in smoothies, hot chocolates, really just any drink that I can put a powder in! Maca can help boost energy, reduce blood pressure and (ladies listen up!) regulate your menstrual cycle.
- Peanut Butter: So peanut butter has kind of gotten a bad rap because, yes, it is high in fat and calories. But peanut butter is also a great source of protein, low in carbs and (even though it’s high in fat) about half of the fat in peanut butter is oleic acid which is a healthy fat. The point is that peanut butter definitely has its negatives, but when consumed in moderation, it’s a great addition to a healthy diet.
I’ve been making this pretty regularly and I’m actually surprised that I haven’t gotten sick of it yet! It’s just that good lol! It’s also helped me back off how much sweetener I put in my coffee. I think that the cacao and peanut butter pair so well with the coffee that more and more I’ve been wanting to make sure I can taste those flavors instead of drowning them with honey. Ok I think I’ve talked enough lol, here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 8 oz freshly brewed coffee (however you like it strong, mild, etc. I personally like a milder coffee)
- 1/3 cup warm unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 heaping tablespoon creamy peanut butter (If you’re like me and you like your coffee sweet, use sweetened peanut butter)
- 1 teaspoon maca powder
- 1 teaspoon raw honey or more to taste (optional)
Recipe:
- Brew your coffee. Make sure to time this so that the hot coffee is not sitting for too long while you get together all the other ingredients.
- When coffee is almost finished brewing, warm up almond milk. At work, I just put it in the microwave for 30 seconds, and at home I warm it up on the stove top over low heat for a few minutes. Do not boil! We’re just heating it up a bit so the other ingredients dissolve quicker, plus I like my coffee to stay hot for as long as possible.
- Pour almond milk into a blender along with cacao, peanut butter, maca, honey and coffee.
- Blend for about 15 seconds or until frothy and well combined.
- Pour liquid from the blender into your mug and enjoy!!
I am seriously obsessed with this!! I can’t say that enough lol! If you try it, I’d love to know what you think! And do you have any unconventional ingredients that you like in your coffee?? Comment if you do! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you have a beautiful rest of your day!
xoxo
Amber
