What Makes Brewed Cacao Different From Hot Cocoa?

When cooler mornings arrive, there’s nothing quite like wrapping your hands around a warm, chocolatey drink. Hot cocoa might be the traditional choice, but there’s another way to enjoy the rich flavor of cacao: brewed cacao.

While they both start with cacao, brewed cacao and hot cocoa are surprisingly different. Here’s what sets them apart.

It Starts With How They’re Made

Hot cocoa is typically made by mixing cocoa powder with hot water or milk, along with sugar and other ingredients. This creates the sweet, creamy chocolate drink most of us grew up enjoying.

Brewed cacao is prepared differently. Choffy uses roasted cacao beans that are ground and brewed with water, much like you would brew coffee. The result is a smooth, rich drink that lets the natural flavor of cacao take center stage.

A Different Kind of Chocolate Flavor

If you’re expecting brewed cacao to taste exactly like hot chocolate, you may be surprised! Hot cocoa is usually sweet and creamy, while brewed cacao has a deeper, more complex flavor.

Depending on the cacao and how you prepare it, you may notice naturally roasted, nutty, earthy, or chocolatey notes. You can enjoy Choffy on its own or customize your cup with milk, cream, or your favorite sweetener.

You Control the Sweetness

One of the biggest differences is how much control you have over your drink. Hot cocoa mixes often come already sweetened. With brewed cacao, you decide what goes into your cup.

Drink it unsweetened to appreciate the natural cacao flavor, add a splash of cream, or make it sweeter with honey, maple syrup, or your favorite sweetener. You can make each cup exactly the way you like it.

More Than a Hot Cocoa Alternative

Brewed cacao isn't simply hot cocoa without the sugar. It's its own brewing experience.

Just like preparing your favorite morning coffee, brewing Choffy can become part of your daily routine. And when fall brings cooler mornings and cozier evenings, a freshly brewed cup offers all that comforting chocolate aroma in an entirely different way.

So, brewed cacao vs. hot cocoa—which should you choose?

You don't necessarily have to choose! Save hot cocoa for those extra-sweet occasions, and reach for Choffy when you want to experience cacao in a rich, brewable cup you can customize to make your own.

This fall, brew something different. Brew Choffy.