Traditional Caribbean Cocoa Tea: Hot Chocolate Recipe

Last Updated on November 18, 2025 by Chef Mireille

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Caribbean Cocoa Tea is unlike the western style hot chocolate or hot cocoa you might have had before like this Cardamom Hot Chocolate. It starts with a silky smooth blend of natural cacao and spices. This decadent treat bursting with pure cocoa flavor and enriched with evaporated milk is as full of health benefits as it is delicious.

Every person that comes back from a trip to the Caribbean always returns enamored with the Cocoa Tea they enjoyed with breakfast while on vacation. This comforting drink is popular on most Caribbean islands from large islands like Trinidad and Jamaica to smaller islands like  Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Waking up to a cup of Cocoa Tea especially on Christmas mornings is one of the  most time honored holiday traditions of any Caribbean person. For us, it’s not a holiday morning until we have had our Caribbean hot chocolate.

History Time📖

This style of making Caribbean Chocolate Tea dates back to the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, most specifically the Arawaks. The Arawaks would boil the natural cocoa with spices and hot water. They drank it as a medicinal elixir because of all of its health benefits.

This traditional drink was later enriched with milk and sugar to make the breakfast drink we all love today.

Please note that there are slight variations in the process of making Cocoa Tea from island to island. The variations usually come in the kind of milk or sweetener used. My Mom always just used evaporated milk and Demarara sugar, but some people may use sweetened condensed milk or even custard powder to thicken it. Even in this most common of traditional Caribbean beverages, there is more than one way to make it. As the saying goes, many roads lead to the same destination.

Health Benefits of Cocoa

There’s a reason the indigenous used cocoa tea as a medicinal elixir. Fresh unprocessed cocoa, what some might call cacao is packed with health benefits. Unlike processed cocoa, fresh cocoa/ cacao retains more of its natural compounds. Fresh, unprocessed cocoa is packed with immune boosting healthful properties that may aid in battling some health conditions.

• Cardiovascular Health – Cocoa is high in flavanoid content, which helps improve blood flow, lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. These antioxidants can also help improve cholesterol levels by raising HDL (the good cholesterol).
• Raw Cacao is one of the highest natural sources of antioxidants – higher than blueberries and acai.
• Mental Health – Cacao contains compounds like phenylthylamine and anandamide (aka the bliss chemical). These can improve your mood. Cocoa also contains tryptophan, a precurson to serotonin.
• Magnesium – High in magnesium, which supports bone health, nerve function and energy production.
• Other minerals – Cacao is also high in iron, potassium, calcium and zinc.
• Brain Function – The flavanoids in cacao may also improve cognitive function, memory and focus by increasing blood flow to the brain.

Why doesn’t processed cocoa retain the same health benefits?

The high heat processing and alkalization reduces the potency of many of the flavanoids and nutrients inherent in raw cocoa.

Specialty Ingredient Notes

• Cocoa Sticks or Cocoa Tea Balls – Raw unprocessed cocoa beans are cold pressed into cocoa sticks or balls. This is unlike most processed cocoa powder, which is heated before it is processed reducing some of its anti oxidant power and other health benefits. Look for this natural cocoa in Caribbean grocery stores like LaBay Caribbean Market in Brooklyn or online here.
• Cinnamon – Most of the cinnamon sticks sold in the United States is actually cassia – not real cinnamon. Look for real cinnamon stick, which is available at Caribbean and Asian markets.

• Milk – My recipe uses evaporated milk, but some people may use sweetened condensed milk. The choice of milk can also include non dairy milk variations like coconut milk or almond milk.
• Sweetener – Most common is Demarara sugar (granulated brown sugar), but you can use any sweetener you prefer like honey or Agave nectar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Required Tools

• Saucepan
• Strainer
• Box Grater

Expert Tips

• For best results, make with good quality Caribbean cocoa sticks or cocoa balls purchased at Caribbean markets. There are also several online stores where you can purchase Caribbean cocoa like at Chokomax.
• Simmer at low heat for best results for a complex and rich depth of flavor.
• Don’t worry about the oil that will develop. This is natural cocoa butter and adds to the rich flavor.

Now let’s take a look at the ingredients you will need.

INGREDIENTS

• cinnamon stick
• star anise
• bay leaf
• a pinch of salt
• cocoa ball or cocoa stick (approximately 2 tablespoons grated cocoa)
• evaporated milk (or other plant based milk as your prefer like coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk)
• Demarara sugar (or preferred sweetener)

How to Make Caribbean Hot Cocoa

• Bring the water to a boil with the spices.
• Add the cocoa balls/sticks or freshly grated cocoa and simmer on medium low heat until it dissolves.

• Add evaporated milk.
• Cover pot and simmer on low heat until the liquid bubbles and rises up.
• Add sugar and simmer until sugar melts.

• Strain and serve with freshly grated nutmeg.

Make it a Meal

In the Caribbean, Cocoa Tea is usually served at breakfast or at tea time. Here are a few Caribbean Breakfast Recipes and Caribbean Snacks you can enjoy with this versatile Caribbean drink.

• Saltfish and Provision Breakfast
• Plantain Porridge
• Cornmeal Porridge
• Jamaican Cornmeal Pudding
• Caribbean Spice Cake
• Haitian Benye
• Panlevi

Now I know you want to try some more Caribbean food! Check out my collection with over 100 Caribbean Recipes from the Caribbean diaspora!