You Really Don’t Need To Put Bone Broth in Your Hot Chocolate
TikTok creators tout the drink’s health benefits, but here’s what two experts had to say about the mind-boggling trend.
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Peanut butter and jelly. Ham and cheese. Chocolate and … bone broth? It may sound like an unnatural combination, but plenty of TikTok creators swear by the health benefits of the unusual beverage. And, when made correctly, they say it tastes surprisingly delicious.
Bone broth hot chocolate is pretty much what it sounds like. You simmer hot cocoa ingredients like milk or cream, chocolate, sweetener, a little vanilla and salt together on the stovetop until warm, then serve in a mug with marshmallows. The difference is that you also sneak in some unflavored chicken bone broth. The recipe also calls for a few other modifications: cacao powder instead of cocoa powder, maple syrup instead of granulated sugar and an optional scoop of collagen powder.
A lifestyle influencer named Fallon Danae Lee takes credit for the trend. She developed and posted the recipe on Instagram on July 21, 2020, which she says was an original idea. In the past four years, others have tried the drink and spread the recipe online.
“Has anyone ever in the history of the entire universe organically thought to put bone broth in hot chocolate before me? Obviously it’s possible,” she clarified in an Instagram post last December. “But my specific recipe is what is constantly circulating and is what has made it a household drink name! It definitely did not exist as an Internet sensation.”
Today, TikTok creators tout the protein content and “gut healing” capabilities of the unconventional drink. Others aren’t so sure the benefits are worthwhile; creators and commenters are split on whether bone broth hot chocolate tastes like the beloved holiday treat or… well … chocolatey chicken soup. Proponents say it all comes down to the broth you use.
“Of course bone broth hot chocolate is going to taste vile if you’re using a storebought bone broth that is seasoned and has salt in it. It’s gonna taste like chicken soup with chocolate in it!” says TikTok creator Ebby Moyer, who uses homemade unflavored bone broth in her recipe.
Even so, our food experts are skeptical. And, they say there are other, tastier ways to achieve similar health benefits with your hot cocoa.
“Yes, bone broth does provide eight to ten grams of additional protein per cup compared to water, but making hot chocolate with milk alone is also a great way to get protein in hot chocolate. Bone broth will also provide some additional minerals but could equate to an excessive amount of sodium for some,” Says registered dietitian Dana Angelo White.
Lead recipe developer Amanda Neal hasn’t tried the drink either, nor does she have any desire to.
“I feel like this could easily go wrong — too much seasoning or too much meat flavor could take away from the delicate chocolate flavor,” she says. “If you want to enjoy hot cocoa with more health benefits, use a protein-packed milk or shake in place of milk or water. Or even add a scoop of protein powder or collagen powder and stir well to combine.”
But at the end of the day, it’s also perfectly fine to leave your hot chocolate alone.
“I vote to keep them separate but if you enjoy a warm mug of bone broth hot chocolate I don’t see any harm in it,” White says.
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