Description

This sweet kombucha rendition perfectly balances bitter and sweet flavors. Because the cacao powder is high in caffeine, I don’t recommend enjoying this beverage at night.

Ingredients

Scale

1 gallon of homemade kombucha, after the first fermentation
1 cup raw cacao powder, divided
1 cup maple syrup (or your favorite sweetener), divided

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Instructions

Pour 2 tbsp of raw cacao powder and 2 tbsp of maple syrup into each glass flip-top bottle using a funnel (assuming you are using 16oz bottles).
Pour your homemade kombucha into each bottle, leaving 1-inch headspace at the top.
Let your bottles ferment at room temperature for 3-7 days.
Burp the bottles at least once per day—open the flip-top and let the air escape. Then re-seal the bottle. Note: cacao powder and sugar make kombucha carbonate faster than usual. Burp the bottles so none explode.
After 3 days, taste test one bottle. If you like the flavor, refrigerate all the bottles to stop fermentation. If you’d like a more robust flavor, let them ferment for another few days, making sure to continue burping the bottles.
Strain before serving, if desired.
Garnish with optional lemon wheels, shaved chocolate or coconut, or a peppermint stick.

Notes

Make sure to use glass flip-top bottles with a good seal. Mason jars won’t hold in the carbonation, and your chocolate kombucha won’t fizz.

In place of maple syrup, use white, cane, or brown sugar, or agave or stevia. Adding sugar ensures your chocolate kombucha will get fizzy!

Black tea kombucha works best in this recipe, but you can also use green or white tea.

Use cocoa powder instead of raw cacao—ensure it contains no extra ingredients.

For an even richer chocolate kombucha, use special dark chocolate powder. Find this at your local grocery store or on Amazon.

Change up the flavors in each bottle by adding one of the following: 2 fresh peppermint leaves, 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, a few fresh raspberries or strawberries, a pinch of cloves, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, or 1/4 cup of coconut milk.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Fermenting Time: 96 hours