The “Party Elixir” is an incredibly delicious and decadent drink, the one to make when you want to generously share the gift of cacao with friends at a festive gathering. A full recipe makes a big jar to share, and accolades will no doubt be bestowed upon you by those who partake because not only is this drink delicious, it’s likely more delicious than any healthy cacao concoction they’ve ever had before. Consuming this ambrosial, heart-opening drink together will have everyone feeling connected, joyful, and bright!

The recipe is for approximately 32 ounces, which will fill the largest-size, heat-proof half gallon Mason jar. If you don’t have one of these on hand already, it is worth procuring so you can easily transport a large enough quantity to serve a group if you want to take it with you somewhere. I like to put the jar in a strong cloth bag for easy transport; just be sure to secure the bag safely in your vehicle so it doesn't roll around the car and break if you’re driving over!

The recipe uses cacao paste, and as written, the amount specified for the entire recipe is enough to provide 8 friends each with a one cup (8 ounce) serving containing 25-30 grams of cacao paste each. This could be considered a mild ceremonial dose, yet its pure potency will be tempered by the inclusion of cashews and coconut, so you could certainly add even more if you wish.

Lastly, you have many choices to sweeten this beverage. If you aren’t committed to a low sugar content, honey or coconut sugar would both work well, either on their own or in combination. Dates blended in would be delightful as well. If you are conscious of sugars, stevia or monkfruit powder added to taste do a really great job sweetening this beverage. As I’ve mentioned before, the bitterness of the cacao will temper any odd flavors from these concentrated sweeteners.

Personally, in this recipe I prefer a combination of both stevia and the monkfruit, with at least a heaping tablespoon of coconut sugar added as well. I find that even this small amount of the coconut sugar adds a flavor depth impossible to achieve without it, though obviously, you could add more of it if you like. I do not specify exact amounts of any sweeteners here as everyone’s preferences are different, and I am hoping that you'll sweeten it to taste as your own palate desires. I personally prefer to keep it just sweet enough, but not overly so, which people seem to really enjoy!

Party Elixir Ingredients

• 1 cup cashews, soaked for 30 - 60 minutes

• 1 can full-fat organic coconut milk

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil

• 200 - 240 grams cacao paste or ceremonial discs

• 1 - 2 tablespoons gelatinized maca

• 1 - 2 teaspoons vanilla bean powder, or good vanilla extract

• sweetener as desired

• a few pinches of Himalayan or other sea salt

• other tonic herbs + spices as desired, optional

• about 16-18 ounces hot water or brewed herbal tea (rose and damiana are particularly nice for groups)

Add everything to the pitcher of a high speed blender, being mindful to not fill the blender all the way to the top as need to leave a few inches at the top of the pitcher for the inevitable froth and for the liquid to have room to blend. Set aside any tea that won’t fit in the blender. Seal the lid tightly and blend thoroughly on high speed for at least a minute and a half.

Taste, and adjust the sweetness and other flavoring add-ins if using. Blend thoroughly again, and keep tasting until it is perfectly balanced and sweet enough for your taste. Pour into your large Mason jar and add any additional tea or water, as desired.

notes, because this recipe is dynamic and has multiple uses:

TO MAKE A PUDDING: If you have any of this drink left over and refrigerate it, it becomes a sort of pudding with an ethereal, light, almost melt-in-your mouth texture. I highly recommend trying this out – people are crazy about it! Pour any leftovers into small jars or dishes, store in the refrigerator where they will set up within a few hours. You can eat them cold as delicious little "pudding" cups. Obviously, you can also make the recipe solely to make these little puddings too; make individual servings, or make one large dish and scoop servings from that.

Also, if you’d like to store leftovers to later have as a liquid elixir again, you can keep it in a heatproof glass Mason jar in the fridge. When ready to reheat, place the jar in a pot of water halfway up the side of the jar and warm on very, very low heat to liquify before serving.

TO MAKE A CHIA PUDDING TO ROCK YOUR WORLD: Thinned out with maybe a bit less than half the amount of water, this rich elixir can be used to soak chia seeds to make an incredible and nourishing chia pudding/dessert. Ratio is 1/4 cup chia per cup of liquid. Just combine liquid and seeds, and stir often for ten minutes or so until chia is hydrated. This is especially divine with cacao nibs both stirred in and sprinkled generously on top. So good!