Snack & Sip Archives - Hallowed Mama Doula

This creamy, cozy, concoction in a mug is a delicious treat for a postpartum mama! Giving credit where credit is due, this a spinoff of Shell Luttrell’s postpartum ceremonial hot chocolate. This hot carob “cocoa” is a great alternative to traditional caffeinated coffee or hot cocoa and still hits the spot if you’re craving something decadent. Drink up, you amazing postpartum mama!

a white table with a heart cookie cutter sitting in a pile of carob powder for hot carob "cocoa"

What is Carob?

Interestingly, carob is actually a legume! It grows in a pod (like a bean) and the pulp on the inside is dried and ground down into a powder. It’s naturally sweet and high in fiber. It is an easy substitute for cocoa or cacao, but it’s naturally caffeine and theobromine free.

Theobromine is a natural chemical component in cocoa which gives it (and chocolate) that bitter tinge. It can cause stomachaches in some people. This makes carob a great alternative ingredient and a friendly postpartum and breastfeeding choice.

You can buy carob powder from health food stores and online. It’s becoming more readily available in traditional grocery stores also. It’s quickly gaining popularity as a good source of fiber and substitute for caffeinated alternatives. Pick up some on your next splurge so hot carob “cocoa” can be on your menu!

HOT CAROB “COCOA”

Enjoy this decadent spin on traditional hot cocoa! Naturally sweetened and caffeine-free.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Course Drinks

Servings 2

Ingredients

2 cups coconut milk
3 tbsp carob powder
1 tbsp cornmeal
1 tbsp butter or coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp chili powder
maple syrup (or other natural sweetener of choice)
orange peel (optional)
1 pinch sea salt

Instructions

Warm the coconut milk in a small pan over medium heat.
When steamy, add the remaining ingredients.
Stir until the carob and sweetener are dissolved.
Remove orange peel.
OPTIONAL: Froth or blend to fully mix remaining bits of cornmeal and carob.

Notes

Add a dollop of whipped cream or cinnamon stick for an added kick. Enjoy!

As with all of my recipes, do your best to source organic ingredients first when it’s financially doable for you. I try to offer recipes that are user friendly with few ingredients and instructions. Postpartum women and their caregivers just need things to be quick, easy and nutritious! Please, feel free to sub where it best suits you, accommodating doctor instructions and food allergies/intolerances.

Kitchen Gadgets & Favorite Ingredients

Carob Powder

Coconut Milk

Milk Frother

a wooden table with carob pods and a wooden scoop full of carob powder to make hot carob "cocoa"

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This hydrating postpartum lemon gingerade is the perfect beverage for helping new mamas feel refreshed and energized! There have been variations on this drink for centuries – Switchel, Haymaker’s Punch, and Shrub to name a few. The idea is to combine the right healing properties in one delicious spritzer. Who said postpartum healing can’t be a little glamorous?

A pitcher and glass of hydrating postpartum lemon gingerade next to a recipe book and lemon

The First Forty Days

I first learned about this natural remedy from a brilliant book by Heng Ou, “The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother.” This lemon gingerade is full of some of nature’s best gifts – lemons, ginger, apple cider vinegar and honey. When you pull these ingredients together, you’re gifted a powerhouse of electrolytes, antioxidants and energy. It doesn’t hurt that it offers a refreshing gentle sweetness, mild lemon tang, punchy ginger and a little bubbly to make it fun.

An up close picture of a jar of honey surrounded by ginger and cut lemon

How to make postpartum lemon gingerade

Okay, let’s get hydrated! As I mentioned, I started with the base from Heng Ou’s recipe but decided to play with it a bit to fit my personal tastes. For me, it’s all about the ginger! It is really such a simple little drink that you can easily make adjustments to fit your palate too!

Swap honey for cane sugar, monk fruit extract, or agave.

Boil some of the lemon rind in the water (before adding honey) to really infuse the lemon and give it a deeper flavor.

If you could use some help getting your digestive system moving, macerate some prunes, blueberries or watermelon in the bottom of the pitcher.

You probably know by now that one of the postpartum doula musts is warmth! Warm food, warm clothes, warm everything. This is one of the few areas that I’ll give you a pass. If drinking this lemon gingerade cold helps you get more hydrating fluids in, then by all means, drop some ice in that glass! Another selling point for drinking it on the rocks is that it has honey in it. If you follow the recipe, you will have already warmed it a bit to dissolve it in water. You want to avoid heating it too much and killing off all of the natural health benefits. If you can go middle of the road with it and have it at room temperature, that’s probably even better!

pitcher of lemon gingerade with the recipe book glass of gingerade and a lemon