Cocoa Mint Almond Milk (plant based peppermint patty milk)

If there was one herb the most common or well-known, mint could claim it. Although several different kinds exist, it's fresh scent can be recognized anywhere. Because mint is everywhere! This Cocoa Mint Almond Milk is a great way to enjoy this fresh herb plus the milk tastes kind of like a peppermint patty in a delicious drink.

When was your first encounter with mint? Or your last?

Maybe it started as sticks of gum in your mom's leather purse or fragrant leaves picked fresh from Granny's green garden.

But it is also... in the rug district of Morocco, offered hot in dainty little glass jars etched with intricate gold patterns as you stroll through brilliant woven wares. Then there it is again, ice cold partnered with cucumber as you step glistening from a sauna at a high-end spa. And there again, made crushed over ice and served in a frosted silver cup with bourbon. And it's always here, in the comfort of home, a warm mug offering gentle sips to calm a nervous belly.

And it grows everywhere, in the cultivated bed in the back, in the abandoned tomato pot from the previous year, in the nooks and crannies tucked against the house. Dare we call it pervasive?

It's obstinance to grow is a reflection of it's taste. Pungent but enjoyable. People may balk at licorice or sneer at ginger but rarely does mint offend anyone. 

And here it is today, in a cooling cup of almond milk paired with cacao and carob. This is like a natural version of a peppermint patty drink with fresh herbs from the garden and lots of fuel from carob and cacao. 

You are welcome to change the recipe as needed. Omit the carob if you haven't any. Or use only carob for children if raw cacao is too much of a stimulant. You can also add a scoop of collagen. 

Roasted carob is naturally sweet and non-bitter (cacao, however is considered bitter). It's considered diabetic friendly and contains fiber, antioxidants, and calcium along with other vitamins and minerals. Opera singers used to take it to help strengthen and soothe vocal cords. It has also been used to treat diarrhea by binding loose stool. Consuming carob can also help prevent bad bacteria from lining your gut. If you have a sensitivity to chocolate, carob is a great alternative. I like to combine cacao and carob together - they make a nice pair. 

I love this brand from Australia: The Australian Carob Co. They are cultivating carob the right way! You can order their roasted carob here.

This is quite minty - us herbalists like our herbs. Feel free to use half mint tea and half water for a less minty version. I had one kid who preferred less minty, the other preferred this one. So decide whichever way!

To make this, you will need a nut milk bag and a high-speed blender. I use my trusty old vita-mix.

Cocoa Mint Almond Milk

6 sprigs fresh mint

3.5 cups boiling water

Heaping cup almonds, soaked overnight (or 8 hours)

¼ cup raw cacao powder

2 TB carob powder (optional *see notes)

¼ cup honey

1/4-1/2 cup ice

1 Soak the almonds overnight (if not done already).

2 Pour boiling water over 6 sprigs fresh mint. Let cool.

3 Grind almonds and mint water in a high speed blender.

4 Using a nut milk bag (like this one), press the milk out into a large bowl or pitcher.

5 Using the high speed blender (or immersion blender), combine the remaining ingredients and blend. The ice helps to blend it together.

This made for a lovely breakfast drink with two hardboiled eggs and some raspberries. In fact, I’m going to go soak some almonds so I can have some more tomorrow!

This post contains affiliate links. Buying through those links may help support this blog. Thank you.