As we mentioned in our last post, your spice rack is full of amazing benefits. We’d thought we’d share some simple recipes to put those benefits to work and keep you and the kids toasty this Halloween. While we normally share tips about greening your Halloween, we thought this fun drink-based post could help you put some of our recent spice knowledge to use!

So grab your favorite reusable tumbler and fill ‘er up with one of these tasty beverages this fall.

Organic Mexican Hot Chocolate

If you’ve never had a spiced hot chocolate, you’re in for a treat. This simple recipe makes a delicious, decadent hot chocolate that has the right amount of spice. And if you want to kick it up a notch—you can. This recipe will serve 4 lucky people.

Ingredients:

¾ cup water

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 cups whole milk

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

3 tablespoons sugar

Optional: a pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a simmer. Add cocoa powder and stir until there are no more lumps. Slowly add milk and return the mixture to a simmer.
2. Add in chocolate, spices, and sugar and whisk. Allow chocolate to melt and whisk frequently. This should take about 5 minutes. Taste and add more spices if necessary. Throw in a pinch of cayenne if you’d like it even spicier!
3. Divide into mugs and serve!

Yummy Chai Latte

This chai latte recipe combines tea, honey, and aromatic spices to create a concoction that will keep you warm and content. This recipe will make enough for four people.

Ingredients:

3 cups water

10 whole green cardamom pods, slightly crushed to release flavor

5 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1 two-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and quartered

½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped

⅓ cup organic raw honey

4 organic black tea bags or 4 teaspoons loose leaf organic black tea

1½  cups organic milk

Directions:

1. Pour the water into a small saucepan. Add the spices, including the scraped vanilla bean. Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and let your mixture simmer for 12-15 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat. Stir in honey and add tea. Steep for three minutes, then strain into a teapot or other container.
4. Warm up milk in the same saucepan on low-medium heat for about three minutes, then combine with the tea.
5. Serve, sip, and enjoy!

Mulled Apple Cider

Mulling ciders and wines not only makes a hearty beverage, but it imparts some of the spice benefits into a delicious drink. This mulled cider packs a yummy punch and is a great pick me up after trick-or-treating.

Ingredients:

4 cups organic apple cider

2 strips lemon zest

1 cinnamon stick

1 whole star anise

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

½  teaspoon whole allspice berries

½  teaspoon whole cloves

Directions:

1. Pour cider into a medium saucepan. Add in spices and bring to boil.
2. Turn off heat and cover. Let the mixture steep for 20 minutes or up to four hours.
3. Strain if needed or carefully pour into cups, leaving the solids in the pan.

We hope you enjoy these recipes! Let us know what you decide to make and what you’d like us to write about. We love hearing from you at healthyliving@modernkidsdesign.com. As always, thanks for reading!