Kava is a plant native to the South Pacific area that has become very popular in the US in recent times. Traditionally, people of this area have used the root of the plant to prepare a beverage that was used in ceremonies and social gatherings. Additionally, the plant has relaxing and soothing properties, which makes it a great option to relieve stress and ease anxiety.
Although there are kava bars where you can try this beverage, they are not yet so common. So, if you want to try this fashionable drink at home, in this article we’ll give you some kava recipes ideas to try.
Kava Recipes
The typical way to prepare kava is by mixing kava root or kava powder with water in a strainer bag. After letting it sit for a few minutes (or even hours), you must knead the bag to extract all the remaining water that you’ll finally drink. The taste of this drink has been described as earthy and bitter. Some even say that kava tastes like dirt.
But although there are many people who find kava’s flavor awful, they still want to enjoy its effects. So, we have compiled some recipes from kava users that you can try to mask its taste. If you can’t handle kava’s taste or just want to try something different, keep reading below.
Coconut Kava
Ingredients:
- ½ cup warm water
- 1 cup coconut water
- 1-2 tsp coconut milk
- 3 tbs kava powder
- 1 tsp honey
Directions:
- Pour all the ingredients together in a saucepan and heat at high temperature for 10-15 minutes
- Strain and pour into a glass or cup
- Add the honey and mix
Cinnamon Kava
Ingredients:
- Your desired kava powder dose
- Water
- Cinnamon powder
- Sugar
- ½ cup milk
Directions:
- First, you must prepare your kava drink, by mixing water with kava powder inside a strainer bag. The water must be warm, but not boiling.
- Then, place the strainer bag in a bowl, and let it sit for a few minutes.
- After that, you must squeeze the bag to extract any remaining water and knead a few times to extract all the water inside. This water is that you’ll use to prepare this recipe.
- Add cinnamon to the kava beverage. The amount of cinnamon will depend on your preferences. It is recommended to start small and start increasing until you find the flavor that you like.
- Then, add sugar. Again, the amount will depend on how sweet you like it.
- Finally, pour the milk and whisk well until all the ingredients are blended together.
- Serve cold and enjoy.
Nutella Kava
Ingredients:
- Your desired kava powder dose
- ½ cup of Nutella
- Milk (you can use whole milk or almond milk)
Directions:
- Mix the kava powder and Nutella together until is perfectly infused and reserve.
- Pour cold milk in a cup and add a tablespoon of the kava-Nutella mix and stir until it dissolves.
- Serve cold!
Kava Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup kava
- 1 cup almond milk
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 1 frozen banana
- A scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 tbsp almond butter (you can also use peanut butter)
- ½ tsp almond extract (you can use vanilla extract instead)
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder (preferably unsweetened)
- 3 crushed cloves
- 2 cardamom pods (we’ll only use the seeds and discard the rest)
- 5 tsp cinnamon
- A dash of nutmeg
- Your favorite sweetener (you can combine sugar and maple syrup or honey)
Directions:
- Prepare the kava drink by soaking the kava powder and the almond and coconut milk in a strainer bag for a couple of hours.
- Secondly, knead the bag for a few minutes to extract the liquid. That liquid will be the base for the recipe.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
- Serve in a cup or glass and enjoy!
Coconut Chocolate Kava
Ingredients:
- Your desired kava powder dose
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- ½ cup chocolate flavored almond milk
- 3 tbsp sugar
Directions:
- Prepare the kava drink by soaking the kava powder in warm water in a strainer bag for a few minutes (or hours). The longer it is on the strainer bag, the more kavalactones will be extracted.
- Knead the bag for a few minutes to extract the water as usual.
- Use the water that you’ve previously extracted as a base for this recipe.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and serve.
Chocolate Vanilla Kava
Ingredients:
- Your desired kava powder dose
- 1 cup chocolate almond milk
- A few drops vanilla extract
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- Coffee Creamer
- Sugar
Directions:
- Mix all the ingredients together on a strainer bag and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Knead as usual to extract all the liquid and pour it into a cup.
- Add coffee creamer and sugar until you find the flavor that you like.
- Enjoy!
We’d like to thank Reddit users who shared all these and other kava recipes.
