Cocoa Tea is a spiced hot cocoa beverage recipe that’s popular in Guyana and across the Caribbean. Cozy up with a mug of Caribbean cocoa tea on a cold day for sweet comfort.
Caribbean Cocoa Tea
In Guyana, we call all hot beverages tea. There is regular tea, milk tea, bush tea, baby milk or formula is also tea and even coffee tea. So there is no surprise that this is called cocoa tea and not hot chocolate. The addition of spices takes this beverage up a notch from your everyday hot cocoa or chocolate. And if you love this, you may also like my Vanilla Chai Recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Caribbean Cocoa Tea Recipe
- Quick & Easy: Add everything to a pot, simmer, and you’ll have a delicious drink in just 15 minutes.
- Sweet Treat: This is a tasty afternoon pick-me-up or dessert for after dinner. With a deep cocoa flavor, this is a chocolate lover’s dream!
- Versatile: Switch up the flavor and texture depending on how you like your cocoa tea. I’ll help you with some tasty suggestions.
Ingredients for Caribbean Cocoa Tea
This sweet, spiced Caribbean hot cocoa recipe comes together with just a few simple ingredients.
- Pure Cocoa Sticks: This also comes in the form of a cocoa ball. If you are in the U.S., you can buy cocoa sticks here.
- Milk of your choice: You can use whole milk or heavy cream. Or keep it dairy-free and use coconut milk, almond milk, or oat milk.
- Cinnamon Sticks: This adds a warm, spiced quality to the beverage.
- Fresh Grated nutmeg: this has a nutty, earthy taste that adds depth of flavor to this drink.
- Bay Leaf: This is an optional ingredient that adds a subtle, minty twist.
- Sugar: I love to use demerara sugar, a coarse-grain sugar.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Cocoa Tea
Start by grating the cocoa sticks. I use the small shred side of a box grater.
I love this box grater with a pull out drawer. It is so convenient. You can get one by clicking on my Amazon affiliate link here.
Once you have your cocoa ready, boil your milk with the spices, but keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t spill over the pot.
Then add the grated cocoa in and continue to boil until all of the cocoa dissolves into the spiced milk and sweeten how ever you like.
Finally brew (also called cooling) the tea.
Tips
- If you are using cocoa sticks or a cocoa ball for this recipe, feel free to store any leftover in your refrigerator. It keeps the sticks fresh longer.
- Before serving you can brew the tea by using two cups and pouring the tea with a lift of about a foot and pouring into the other cup. This aerates the tea and makes it light and frothy.
- Want to buy a set of enamel cups like the ones pictured in this post? In the US they are called camping cups and you can find them at my Amazon affiliate link.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
Although the ingredients for this cocoa tea recipe are pretty simple, the cocoa sticks may be hard to find. Here are a few substitutions to make the recipe accessible where ever you are in the world
- Cocoa Sticks – Instead of cocoa sticks, you may also use cocoa nibs. They are roasted cocoa beans before the addition of cocoa butter to make cocoa sticks. Alternatively you can also use pure cocoa, like Hershey’s cocoa found in the baking section in most supermarkets. Or any other kind of 100% pure cocoa.
- Milk – In this recipe I used unsweetened almond milk, but feel free to use any milk you like.
- Sugar – I used Demerara sugar because it adds a flavor to the tea that connects me to my childhood, but regular brown sugar or any sweetened that you would typically add to hot chocolate or tea works well too.
- Bay Leaf – The bay leaf used in this recipe is the fresh bay leaf but the dry bay leaf also works and is optional based on taste preference.
- Consistency – Some people like to add a tablespoon of custard powder or cornstarch to their cocoa tea to give it a smooth creamy texture. I prefer mine without it.
Frequently Asked Questions
A childhood fave was always cocoa tea and salt biscuits (saltines) with butter. Dipping the buttered crackers into the tea is still my favorite thing!
This drink is caffeine-free.
Raw cocoa is packed with antioxidants that can reduce high blood pressure.
Caribbean Cocoa Tea
Equipment
- Large Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Raw Cocoa from grated cocoa sticks (or 1/4 cup)
- 6 cups Milk
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg freshly grated
- 1 Bayleaf (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Custard Powder (optional)
- Sugar to taste (about 1/2 cup)
Instructions
- If using cocoa sticks or balls, grate about 1 ounce or 1/4 cup of cocoa and set aside.
- To a large saucepan add milk, cinnamon sticks, bayleaf and grated nutmeg. Then add to high heat and bring to a roaring/rolling boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium, then continue to simmer for 5 minutes, before adding the grated cocoa / cocoa powder. Mix well until the grated cocoa dissolves into the spiced milk.
- If using custard powder, scoop 1/2 cup of the warm milk into a cup, then add the custard powder to the cup and mix until dissolves. Next add the milk back into the pot and mix well. Continue to simmer for a minute or two.
- Then sweetened to your liking.
- Before serving you can brew the tea by using two cups and pouring the tea with a lift of about a foot and pouring into the other cup. This aerates the tea and makes it light and frothy.
Notes
Nutrition
The information listed in the recipe card is an estimate provided by an online nutrition tool. The tool evaluates ingredient names and amounts then makes calculations based on the number of servings listed for the recipe. It is provided as a general guideline and not as a precise calculation. For precise nutrition information please feel free to add the ingredients to your preferred nutrition calculator or consult a doctor or licensed nutritionist.
Ponche De Crème
Guyanese Ginger Beer
Guyanese Style Sorrel Drink
Caribbean Rum Punch
Lillian Says
Such a warming delightful drink!! I’d never seen bay leaves in a drink before or heard of cocoa tea and it did not disappoint. I’ve been making this for two winters now, exactly as the recipe says and it ends up perfect every time.