Cacao tea (which is also known as chocolate tea or cocoa tea) is a 100% natural tea which is brewed from cacao husks (also known as cacao shells). The tea is a loose-leaf style tea which, when steeped in boiling water, results in a delicious tea which tastes like chocolate.

Cacao husks have been used to brew cacao tea for thousands of years, starting with the ancient Mayan and Atzec civilizations and through to recent times. In fact, as discussed in our article regarding the history of cacao, tea made from cacao husks was a particular favorite of Martha Washington, who was the first First Lady of the United States hundreds of years ago.

In short, cacao husks come from cacao beans, which are used to make chocolate.

During the chocolate making process cacao beans are harvested, fermented, sun-dried and then roasted. Once the roasting process is complete, the cacao husks are lovingly removed from the cacao beans in a process known as “winnowing”. This separates the cacao husks from the cacao nibs, which are used to make chocolate. The cacao husks are then carefully packaged in eco-friendly packaging and shipped fresh to our customers’ doors.

Our cacao tea has a tantalizing dark chocolate flavour and aroma with delicate notes of caramel and toffee. In addition, our cacao tea has a delicate natural sweetness making it a perfect alternative to sugar-filled chocolate or bitter coffee.

Cacao tea has a delicious chocolate flavor and a natural sweetness despite containing no sugar or calories. Cacao tea is also gluten and dairy free. As a result, cacao tea is an excellent replacement for caffeinated tea and coffee and a great way to satisfy your chocolate cravings.

As described in detail in our article about the health benefits of cacao, cacao husks are rich in antioxidants and flavonoids, which studies have shown have a number of health benefits. In addition, cacao husks are rich in the compound theobromine, which is a mild, naturally occurring stimulant similar to caffeine with a gentle, slow-release effect.

Our cacao tea is comprised of the highest quality ethically-sourced cacao husks which are organically, sustainably and environmentally grown on plantations of heirloom cacao trees in Central and South America. Our tea is grown, harvested, and roasted with love using traditional methods, similar to those used thousands of years ago by the ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations.

We ensure that all of our cacao tea is ethically sourced from suppliers trading directly with cacao farmers to ensure the highest quality cacao. Dealing directly with farmers also avoids the middleman and ensures that farmers are paid beyond fair trade prices. This helps support the livelihood of farmers and their families while ensuring that they have the resources to continue to produce the highest quality cacao using traditional methods.

Our tea is 100% pure and organic and is completely sugar-free, caffeine-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and GMO-free with no artificial flavouring, additives or preservatives.

Our cacao tea does not contain gluten nor is it prepared alongside anything containing gluten. However, it is not labeled as "certified gluten-free" as the tea is not prepared in a facility that is guaranteed to be 100% gluten-free. We do our best to ensure there is no cross contamination, but we cannot guarantee it.

Cacao tea can be made in a variety of ways depending on your preferences!

To ensure that the full flavor of the cacao husks is released into your tea, we recommend using boiling water and a longer steep time. We recommend using a french press to brew 2 teaspoons of cacao tea per 250ml of boiling water. Allow the tea to steep for 6 to 8 minutes, or longer if you prefer a stronger brew.

Alternatively, if you do not have a french press, we recommend using a tea ball strainer or infuser. If you take this approach, please ensure that the top of your cup is covered with a lid or other cover during the steeping process. For best results, the water needs to stay as hot as possible during the steeping in order to extract the best flavour from the cacao husks.

For those who enjoy very strong brews, you can boil 2 teaspoons of cacao tea per 250ml of boiling water on a stove for 7 to 10 minutes, or longer if you prefer an even stronger brew.

While our cacao has a natural delicate sweetness, you can increase the sweetness by adding your preferred sweetener to further enhance the chocolate flavours of the tea. Coconut sugar provides an excellent complement to the flavours of cacao tea.

Our cacao tea can be enjoyed either black or with any milk of your choice. We find that almond milk is a delicious addition to cacao tea.

For alternative methods to brew cacao tea as well as a full guide to making the best cup of tea, check out our Complete Guide to Brewing Tea.

Our cacao tea is caffeine free. However, cacao husks contain theobromine, which is a naturally occurring stimulant similar to caffeine. Theobromine has a gentle slow-release effect, which provides a delicate stimulating effect over a longer period of time.

Each bag of cacao tea provides enough cacao husks to brew approximately 20 servings of cacao tea.

Absolutely! Cacao tea is delicious whether you enjoy it hot, chilled or iced. We recommend brewing the tea with boiling water first and adding ice or refrigerating the tea to create a chilled version. You can even make cacao tea ice cubes, which are a great addition to iced coffee and other chilled drinks.

Not only is cacao tea perfect brewed as a hot or cold beverage, but you can also use cacao tea in creative ways with your favourite healthy recipes. Cacao tea is very versatile in the kitchen. For example, you could try adding cacao tea to your smoothies, desserts, and baking. Cacao tea also makes for delicious popsicles! You could even use cacao tea for natural skincare recipes.

We ship all orders from the USA.

We ship to every country, worldwide!

Enter your mailing address at checkout and the shipping fees to your destination will display.

We offer free shipping in the USA on all orders over $25.

We know how excited our customers are to receive their cacao tea, so all orders are packaged and shipped within 1 business day. Estimated delivery time and carrier varies by destination:

Shipping within the USA: 2-5 business days with tracking.
Shipping outside the USA: 9-22 business days with tracking.

We ship all orders from the USA using a network of carriers including FedEx, USPS, UPS, DHL, and more. The carrier used to ship each order depends on a variety of factors and unfortunately we are unable to advise customers which carrier will be used in advance.

Learn more about our shipping policy.

All of our products are safely sealed and packaged in a heat sealed bag that is then shipped and sealed in a bubble mailer or shipping carton. Because our products are individually sealed, none of our products are ever touched by shipping or delivery staff. Items are shipped from our warehouse in the USA that is cleaned and sanitized daily.

As noted in our shipping policy, all international orders (outside of the USA) may be subject to customs fees and inspection in the destination country which may result in a charge beyond our control. Please check with your local customs office before ordering to determine if there are any additional costs.

Please email hello@cacaoteaco.com as soon as possible if you would like to cancel or change your order. We ship orders quickly, but we’ll do our best to process your request.

We are very proud of the fact that Cacao Tea Co. is a social enterprise.

What does that mean? Well, in short, it means that our goal is to do our part to make the world a better place. We achieve that goal by donating 15% of our profit to help provide healthy meals to malnourished families in impoverished communities in developing countries.

As a result, your purchase of our cacao tea will help create significant positive impact for some of the most vulnerable communities in the world.

Enjoy the good cacao karma!

Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Learn more about our return policy!