You might think that this vegan protein ‘Nutella’ mocha is rich and decadent, but in reality, it’s a healthy drink to enjoy before a morning workout.
At least three days of the week, I do my daily workout before breakfast, and for the past couple of years, I’ve been in the habit of making an energy-boosting coffee beforehand.
I add all sorts of powders, nut butters, and coconut oil to my energy-boosting coffees. They run the gamut from healthy pumpkin spice lattes to Mayan mochas to dirty chai lattes. These aren’t your typical Starbucks-style specialty drinks, folks. They’re free of refined sugar and are packed with goodness.
Not only do they provide a boost of nutrients that plain coffee doesn’t provide, they are also easier on the digestion than black coffee first thing in the morning. What’s more, I find that taking in some healthy fat and protein with my coffee gives me the energy that I need to perform well without filling me up too much.
One morning around Christmas time, a couple of days after making my Dairy-Free ‘Nutella’ French Toast Bake, I found myself craving more vegan ‘Nutella.’ This playful spin on my morning superfood coffee was the delicious result.
It’s time for you to meet the Vegan ‘Nutella’ Mocha! It’s one of my favourite pre-workout drinks of late, so I hope that you enjoy it and find it as energizing as I do. It’s a simple combination of strong coffee, non-dairy milk, coconut oil, vegan ‘Nutella,’ cocoa, a pitted date, and a little bit of vegan protein powder. This mocha comes in at over 10 grams of protein… not too shabby for your morning cup of joe!
A note on ingredients:
You want to make sure that you are using quality ingredients in this recipe.
- Vegan chocolate hazelnut spreads are easy to find at most health food stores. I use La Vida Vegan brand, which I buy at my local Whole Foods Market. I love it because it is palm oil-free and certified fair trade and organic. If you are unable to find any, you can certainly try making your own. (This is a fabulous recipe!) Or, simply use your favourite nut or seed butter and add a square or two of dark chocolate for some added deliciousness.
- My favourite unrefined coconut oil is Garden of Life brand.
- My recommendation for vegan protein powder is Genuine Health Fermented Organic Vegan Protein in the vanilla flavour.
I do apologize for the lack of photos accompanying this post–I always struggle to come up with creative ways to photograph drinks! Still, I hope that you get a chance to make this mocha soon.
If you make it, leave a comment and rating below, and share this post on social media like Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram (tag me @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen on Instagram)!
I’ll return in a few days with an entirely cozy bean and biscuit skillet bake. Until then…
Enjoy!
PrintVegan 'Nutella' Mocha
Description
You might think that this is a recipe for a decadent treat, but it’s actually a healthy morning pre-workout drink with a boost from coconut oil and vegan protein powder! It boasts over 10 grams of good quality protein!
Ingredients
- 1 cup strong brewed hot coffee
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp unrefined coconut oil
- 1 tsp natural cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vegan chocolate hazelnut spread (I use La Vida Vegan brand)
- 1 pitted Medjool date
- ½ scoop vegan vanilla protein powder (I recommend Genuine Health Fermented Vegan Protein)
Instructions
- Brew 1 cup of coffee using your desired method.
- In a small saucepan, warm together the milk, coconut oil, cocoa powder, vegan Nutella, date, and protein powder over medium heat.
- Add the coffee and milk mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. A layer of foam will develop on top as it settles.
- Pour into a mug and enjoy.
P.S. Pin this to your boards for later!
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Angie
This is so silky, creamy, and comforting. Yum!
★★★★★