Red Velvet Hot Cocoa from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

I think it was last year that Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf offered Red Velvet Hot Cocoa for the first time. I fell in love. At the time they also served a red velvet blended drink without the cocoa. I enjoyed it but they aren't serving it this year.

I was looking forward to the hot cocoa this year but I've been eating gluten-free for quite some time now and had a hunch that the drink was full of gluten. I do not have a gluten-sensitivity as far as I know, but I've been living gluten-free for the health benefits. This unfortunately giving up a lot of seasonal treats that come out for the Winter holidays.

I stepped inside a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf a few weeks ago and asked if the Red Velvet Cocoa was gluten-free. I saw that they were actually selling the powder for home use which I couldn't believe! It was delightful yet depressing because I figured I couldn't purchase it. It was wrapped which prevented me from eying the ingredients. I asked the barista if I could read the label. She seemed hesitant. She didn't know if the powder contained gluten and instructed me to wait as she asked someone in the back room. She came out only to inform me that the drink had gluten. I wasn't surprised but disappointed none the less.

I was so disappointed that I decided I wasn't done investigating. I emailed the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf customer service. I was delighted to receive a very friendly response from the department. Not only did she inform me that the drink is gluten free she listed the powder's ingredients.

Red Velvet Powder

 

Ingredients

Sugar, nondairy base [coconut oil, corn syrup solids, sodium caseinate (a milk

derivative), sugar, dipotassium phosphate, silicon dioxide, propylene glycol esters

of fatty acids, mono- and diglycerides, salt, soy lecithin, carrageenan, artificial colorannatto],

maltodextrin, natural flavors, buttermilk, nonfat milk, cocoa processed with

alkali, guar gum, red 40 lake.

 

Allergens:

Contains Milk, Soy, Tree nuts

Hooray!

Photo Credit: Mahina K

The Red Velvet Hot Cocoa is not only yummy but it's pink! It tastes very much like red velvet. In fact it's as if you're drinking a cupcake.

I grabbed a large cup for myself today. I learned that the drink will only be served until the end of December. I was able to purchase a container of powder, and it was the last container they had! In fact it was the last container that they will be selling this year! I feel incredibly lucky.