There is nothing quite like cozying up during the cold winter months with a warm drink in hand. And while hot cocoa is a go-to for many families, including our own, there are many delicious options to fill up your cups. Today I’m sharing some of my favorites, that not only give off all the winter feels, but that also pack a healthy punch for kids and adults alike.
I crave warm beverages in the winter time. And while it can tempting to snag the box of Nestle instant hot cocoa from popular store shelves or load up on all of the festive peppermint patties, I also crave drinks with ingredients that nourish and serve my body. Not only my body, but those of my entire family.
The following list includes some of my favorite “winter” drink recipes and store-bought options packed with real ingredients, superfoods, spices and more for all to enjoy this season.
*Note: While all of these drinks are things I feel comfortable serving my child, use your best discretion with your own. In particular, anything that contains honey should only be served to children over the age of one.
Hot Cider
While I recognize this is more of a “fall” beverage, it is still oh’ so tasty as the weather starts to get a little cooler. So I felt like it deserved a home here.
Recipes:
- Hot Apple Cider from Pretend it’s a Donut: If you are looking to spice up some locally made or store bought apple cider, this recipe is for you.
- Homemade Slow Cooker Apple Cider from Wellness Mama: This make your cider from scratch recipe can be done in an slow cooker or Instant Pot.
- Healing Apple Cider Hot Toddy from Paleo Hacks: This non-alcoholic hot toddy recipe fuses anti-inflammatory ingredients with natural sugars and spice.
Store Bought Options:
- Purchase cider from local orchards or co-ops (when in season). I would recommend buying organic or learning about the growers practices, whenever possible.
- North Coast Organic Apple Cider is an option if you are looking for something you can buy at varying times of the year.
Hot Chocolate
- Paleo Hot Chocolate Mix from Thriving on Paleo: This simple, DIY mix option uses cocoa, coconut sugar, cinnamon and a touch of sea salt.
- Healthy Hot Chocolate (+ Veggies) from The Natural Nurturer: Spinach in hot chocolate? You better believe it’s not only doable, but darn delicious.
- Turmeric Hot Chocolate from Happy Foods Tube: This hot chocolate will not only warm you up but boost your immune system while doing so. It’s loaded with anti-inflammatory turmeric and other goods like coconut oil, honey and cayenne pepper.
- Paleo Peppermint Hot Chocolate from Mary’s Whole Life: Add a few drops of peppermint extract to this paleo hot chocolate base for an added festive flair.
Store Bought Options:
- Equal Exchange Organic Dark Hot Chocolate Mix: This fair trade, small farmer grown mix option just requires you to add your preferred hot milk.
- Chocolate Bone Broth Protein: This staple in our home can be added to milk to make a protein rich cocoa, as well as tossed into smoothies, bake goods, and more.
- Cacoco Drinking Chocolate: This ethically sourced, organic option comes in a variety of flavors like “Extra Dark”, “Spicy Dark”, etc.
Tea
- DIY Cold Care Tea for Kids from Real Food Outlaws: This recipe is full of some of my favorite herbs to support the whole family when illness strikes.
- Toddler Bedtime Tea from The Happy Herbal Home: This recipe, created with calming and stress relieving herbs in mind, is a great one to cuddle up with before bed.
- Immune Boosting Elderberry Tea from Wellness Mama: We love the immune boosting properties of elderberry around here in the form of syrup, gummies, popsicles, and yes, even tea!
Store Bought Options:
- Quiet Child Tea from Mountain Rose Herbs: A tranquil blend created by one of my favorite online herb sources specifically with kids in mind.
- Grab a lemon and some natural raw honey while you are getting your groceries. Add a squeeze and a dollop to some hot water, and voila, instant, satisfying and soothing tea.
Bone Broth
- Foolproof Foraging Bone Broth from Cook by Color: This recipe, created for both the crock pot or stovetop, gives you all the deets on the how’s and why’s of making your own bone broth from scratch.
- Slow Cooker Beef Bone Broth from The Healthy Foodie: While we usually make our broth with chicken bones, using high quality beef bones, gives you a different flavor with similar benefits!
Store Bought Options:
- Bonafide Provisions is hands down my favorite in this category. Their broth can be purchased at most retailers from Whole Foods to Target, etc.
Spiced Milk
- Warm Honey Vanilla Milk from Kids Activities Blog: This recipe, with the soothing tastes of cinnamon, honey and vanilla, makes for a tranquil pre-bed time treat.
- How to Make Golden Milk from Running on Real Food: I mentioned turmeric above, and it’s back again in this golden milk recipe with all of its glorious anti-inflammatory properties with it.
- Vegan Warm Spiced Pumpkin Milk from Wee Little Vegans: No list of fall or winter flavors would be complete without some sort of pumpkin addition. Whose up for a little pumpkin pie in a cup?
Looking for more drink ideas for the whole family? Check out these posts:
The Best Veggies for Smoothies
Pin this for later
No Comments