For a lighter, healthier alternative to sugary hot chocolate, try Crio Bru! When you pressurize these ground cocoa beans in the pressure cooker, the flavors are intensified and delicious! Enjoy this seasonal recipe today – Pumpkin Spice Crio Bru!
The most wonderful time of the year is upon us! And what makes it so wonderful? Family, music, lights, the joy in my children’s eyes, and of course – Crio Bru in Pumpkin and Peppermint flavors! I promise you, it’s right up there with your twinkling children’s eyes. This delicious post is sponsored by Crio Bru and contains affiliate links. (Our favorite pumpkin spice recipe today, but be sure to check back Friday for Peppermint!)
Crio Bru has been in my life at least daily for nearly 7 years. Crio Bru is roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be brewed the same way coffee is, but is absolutely nothing like coffee. Crio Bru contains little to no caffeine so you will not experience jittery side effects and sleeplessness. What it does contain is theobromine which works with your body to provide a gentle boost that won’t lead to a crash later in the day.
Crio Bru is also free of gluten, dairy, cholesterol, soy, sodium and sugar. On the Crio Bru website you can read about other benefits such as immune system support, weight loss, and much more!
But even with all that, the reason I’m still drinking it after all these years, is that it tastes like heaven and makes me smile with joy every single time I drink it. It’s warm, it’s cozy, and it smells divine! I prefer to drink it unsweetened with a splash of almond milk, but for anyone who has ever tried to enjoy a bite of unsweetened chocolate and was devastated at the bitterness of it, you may like a little sweetener and cream to go along with it 🙂 My kids will forever more be weary of the pantry chocolate bars…
Crio Bru has been so wonderful to work with and and we are so proud to have them as one of our sponsors in our Master the Electric Pressure Cooker ecookbook.
They also provided me with bags of pumpkin and peppermint flavored Crio Bru so I could share this amazing product and recipes with all of you! I’m happy to report, these recipes were approved from all 3 of my children (who are definitely not on the unsweetened chocolate train with me). Crio Bru brews amazingly well in a pressure cooker. It’s deep, dark, and oh so smooth. More so than I could ever get from my french press. Plus, I can brew up big batches of it and store it in my fridge so that my Bru is never more than 2 minutes from warming my hands and soothing my soul.
Crio Bru may be available at your local grocery store, but can easily be ordered online at Crio Bru or with Amazon HERE, and be shipped straight to your door. With a nice hot cup of Crio Bru in hand, winter is about to become your favorite season ever!
Stay tuned for Friday’s recipe for Peppermint Crio Bru – it’s what Christmas dreams are made of 🙂
For easy straining of the grounds, I like this fine mesh sieve or this nut milk bag.
Also, if you have leftover whipped cream, freeze it in dollops for another time!
- ½ cup Crio Bru Ground Cocoa Beans, pumpkin spice flavor
- 6 cups water
- 2 cups milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
- ⅓-½ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Spiced Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Add Crio Bru, water, milk, syrup, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and vanilla to the pressure cooker pot. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes.
- While Crio Bru is brewing, whip all of the whipped cream ingredients with a high speed blender or hand mixer until thick. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- When cooking is complete, use a natural pressure release for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and pour Crio Bru through the sieve to filter out the grounds (this also works well in a nut milk bag).
- Serve immediately with a dollop of spiced whipped cream. Can also be stored in the refrigerator in a mason jar. Enjoy cold or pour into a microwave safe mug and warm for 1-2 minutes.
Thanks for reading!
-Marci
Such a healthy drink free from cholesterol.Thanks for sharing healthy recipe.
Yes, it’s pretty incredible how healthy it is 🙂