Dosage & preparation
How to make a good cup of ceremonial cacao
Preparing ceremonial cacao does not have to be complicated at all. With cacao, 200 to 300 ml of your favourite liquid and a few minutes of your time, you can make a full, creamy cup. Here we explain step by step how we prepare our cacao ourselves.
In short
- Use 20 grams of cacao for an everyday cacao moment.
- Use 40 grams of cacao as a ceremonial dose.
- One Cacao Bar is one cup.
- Use around 200 to 300 ml of water, regular milk, plant-based milk or tea.
- Heat your liquid to a maximum of around 70 °C.
- Do not let the cacao boil.
- Using honey? Add it only after your cacao has cooled slightly.
- Mix or froth your cacao for a smooth, creamy texture.
First things first
Warm your cacao, never boil it
Keep it at around 70 °C maximum
We heat water, milk or tea for cacao to a maximum of around 70 °C.
Do not let your liquid boil and do not let the cacao itself keep boiling either. Temperatures that are too high can make the flavour of cacao more bitter or flat. Gentle heating helps keep the cacao smooth and full in flavour.
Using honey as a sweetener? Add it only after your cacao has cooled slightly. Strong heating can reduce the aroma, flavour and heat-sensitive components of honey.
No thermometer? Heat your liquid until it is nice and warm, but take it off the heat before it starts to boil.
Remember: warm your cacao, don't boil it. Add honey last.
What do you need?
The basics for your cacao
Cacao
Use a Cacao Bar or cacao from a cacao block .
One Cacao Bar is one full one-cup serving. With a cacao block, you choose how much cacao you use.
Liquid
Use around 200 to 300 ml of water, regular milk, plant-based milk or tea.
Less liquid gives you a fuller, more intense cacao. More liquid makes your cup smoother and lighter.
Besides that, you only need a small pan, a mug and something to stir or mix with. If you are using a cacao block, a kitchen scale and a sharp knife are useful for weighing and cutting your cacao into smaller pieces.
Dosage
How much ceremonial cacao do you use?
We like to keep it simple. For our cacao blocks, we use two amounts as a starting point.
20 grams
We use 20 grams for an everyday cacao moment. For example as your morning cacao, a quiet moment during the day or as an alternative to coffee.
40 grams
We use 40 grams as a ceremonial dose for moments when you consciously want to go a little deeper. Think yoga, meditation, breathwork, journaling or reflection.
Anything between 20 and 40 grams can be adjusted to your taste, experience and the moment. There is no need to turn it into a complicated dosing schedule.
Using a Cacao Bar?
Then there is nothing to weigh. One full Cacao Bar is one cup of cacao.
Step by step
How to make ceremonial cacao
- Choose your cacao and amount
If you are using a cacao block, weigh 20 to 40 grams depending on your moment. If you are using a Cacao Bar, use one full Bar for one cup.
- Break, cut or chop the cacao
Small pieces melt faster and more evenly. You can break or cut a Cacao Bar. If you have nothing to hand, you can also simply let the whole Bar melt.
- Heat 200 to 300 ml of liquid
Use water, regular milk, plant-based milk or tea. Heat gently to a maximum of around 70 °C. Do not let the liquid boil.
- Let the cacao melt gently
Add the cacao and stir until everything has completely melted. Do not let the cacao boil.
- Mix or froth
Use a whisk, milk frother, hand blender or mixer to make your cacao smooth and creamy.
- Add sweetener if you like
If you use honey, let the cacao cool slightly first and stir the honey in afterwards. Maple syrup, date or date syrup can be added to taste.
Our favourite
Make cacao with your favourite tea
One of our favourite ways to make cacao is with tea.
Brew your favourite tea or herbal infusion first, just as you normally would. Then let the tea cool to a maximum of around 70 °C before melting the cacao into it.
This makes it easy to create something different every time without needing a complicated recipe. Think chai, rooibos, ginger, cinnamon tea or simply a herbal tea you feel like drinking at that moment.
You can then add some regular milk or plant-based milk if you want your cacao to be smoother or creamier.
Cacao Bars
One Bar is one cup
Our Cacao Bars are made as an easy one-cup serving of 36 grams. So you use one full Bar per cup.
LOVE, FOCUS, RELAX, HEAL and EMPOWER contain 60% cacao and ingredients including coconut milk powder. This naturally gives these Bars a smooth and creamy texture when mixed or frothed.
CARDAMOM is different. This premium Bar is made from 100% ceremonial cacao from Kerala and cardamom through fermentation.
The same basic rule applies to a Cacao Bar: use around 200 to 300 ml of liquid and keep the temperature at a maximum of around 70 °C.
Want to know which Bar suits which moment and why we use certain herbs and mushrooms? We explain it all in our Cacao Guide .
Make it yours
Play with flavour
Pure cacao has a full flavour and is easy to combine with other flavours. Try adding cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, ginger or a little chilli.
Want to make your cacao a little sweeter? Try honey, maple syrup, date or date syrup.
Using honey?
Add honey only after the cacao has cooled slightly. Strong heating can reduce the aroma, flavour and heat-sensitive components of honey.
There does not have to be one fixed formula. Taste and discover how you like your cacao best.
For more people
Making cacao for a group
If you are making cacao for several people, there is no need to prepare every cup separately.
4 everyday servings
Use 80 grams of ceremonial cacao with around 800 ml to 1 litre of water, milk, tea or homemade almond milk.
4 ceremonial servings
Use 160 grams of ceremonial cacao with around 800 ml to 1 litre of liquid.
For larger amounts, heat the liquid gently to a maximum of around 70 °C as well. Add the finely chopped cacao and use a whisk or hand blender if you like to make the whole pan smooth and creamy.
In our recipes you can also find how we make our own almond milk with a slow juicer as a base for several cups of cacao.
Your moment
When do you drink ceremonial cacao?
Really, there are all kinds of moments. For us, cacao does not always have to be a ceremony.
You can drink 20 grams as a calm start to your morning, during a work moment or simply because you feel like something warm.
A 40 gram dose works beautifully for moments when you consciously want to make a little more space for yoga, breathwork, meditation, journaling or reflection.
Cacao naturally contains theobromine and also caffeine. How you experience this is personal. Keep this in mind if you are sensitive to stimulating substances or drink cacao later in the day.
Want to explore in more detail which cacao suits which moment? In our Cacao Guide you will find our guide to choosing between pure cacao and all our Cacao Bars.
Just received your cacao?
Your cacao, step by step
Scanning the QR code on your packaging or just want a quick look at how to prepare your specific product? On our Start page, you will find the short instructions for Cacao Bars, cacao blocks and Ritual Sets.
Ready to make cacao?
Choose your cacao
Go for an easy one-cup serving with a Cacao Bar or choose ceremonial cacao from India or Peru if you want to decide for yourself how much cacao you use.