You don’t need milk to make a cozy cup of hot chocolate. Instead simply grab one of your beloved avocados. While certainly the most unexpected ingredient in any hot chocolate recipe, avocado is one you’ll never leave out again after taking your first sip.⁣“This recipe doesn’t even need nut milk—just water!—but it makes the thickest, most delicious hot chocolate you’ve ever had,” says Liz Moody, a healthy living expert and the author of Healthier Together, who created the recipe. “⁣The avocado, in addition to creating the best texture ever, also adds healthy fats that makes this way more blood sugar-friendly than a traditional hot chocolate.”

Aside from having all the qualities you could ever want in a cup of hot chocolate, Moody’s avocado hot chocolate recipe also has a bit of protein thanks to the almond butter and anti-inflammatory perks from the cinnamon. All you need to do to make it yourself is add everything into a blender and mix it up until it’s perfectly smooth. Easy, healthy, and delicious.

Avocado hot chocolate

Serves 2

Ingredients⁣3 tablespoons raw cacao powder⁣1 teaspoon vanilla extract ⁣pinch of fine grain sea salt ⁣1/4 cup maple syrup ⁣2 tablespoons almond butter ⁣generous shake of cinnamon (optional but so good! I’ll often add the tiniest bit of cayenne, too) ⁣1 avocado ⁣2 to 3 cups boiling water ⁣

⁣1. Blend together all ingredients until smooth, starting with 2 cups of water and adding more until you reach desired creaminess.2. If desired, warm it up a little more on the stove or in the microwave.3. Top with whipped cream or marshmallows (vegan or traditional).

Here’s how eating—or, in this case, drinking—avocados can benefit your health:

For more healthy recipes and cooking ideas from our community, join Well+Good’s Cook With Us Facebook group.