Ceremonial cacao is making its way back into everyday rituals, offering a meaningful way to reconnect with the body through a calming, sensory experience. Unlike processed cocoa powders or sweet chocolate drinks, ceremonial cacao is prepared from whole, minimally processed cacao beans. As the days grow shorter and November settles in, this warming preparation provides more than flavor. It supports slower mornings, grounded evenings, and thoughtful transitions as we move toward the end of the year. The appeal of ceremonial cacao lies not just in its rich taste, but in its ability to bring presence and care into small daily moments.

Vital Purple Ceremonial Cacao is made from pure, ground cacao beans without fermentation or extensive processing. It contains both the natural cacao solids and cacao butter, which gives it a satisfying texture and deeply earthy flavor. What sets it apart from everyday cocoa powder or chocolate is that it is literally the only purple cacao paste in the world and you will feel the energy difference. It's close to how cacao was first consumed in traditional cultures of Central and South America.

This type of cacao has long been part of ceremonies and spiritual practices, but not all uses are ceremonial in that sense. What remains consistent across cultures is the reverence for cacao as something to be taken with attention, not hurried or rushed. Because our cacao is unfermented and kept closer to its raw state, it holds more of its original nutritional profile. That means it stays flavorful and nourishing, even in simple, at-home preparations.

Vital Purple™ ceremonial cacao is made exclusively from high-flavanol Ecuadorian beans that are hand-harvested and never fermented. This process preserves their natural purple color and leaves flavanols, magnesium, and antioxidants at peak levels.

People approach ceremonial cacao in different ways, depending on their daily routine, mindset, or seasonal rhythm. In a quiet morning, some stir it into hot water or plant-based milk, sit in silence, and reflect before the day begins. Others use it during writing sessions or meditations to help create a clean, focused space.

These practices do not have to be spiritual or symbolic. The ritual can simply be a pause with intention, especially during the high-energy lead-up to winter holidays. Preparing ceremonial cacao requires slowing down, choosing ingredients, stirring with care, and sitting long enough to enjoy it. These physical steps are simple, but they create room for stillness in a season that often pulls our attention in many directions.

As late fall arrives, our bodies begin adjusting to cooler air, indoor heating, and shorter daylight hours. Ceremonial cacao offers nutrients that support emotional and physical resilience during this time. It is naturally rich in magnesium, which helps the body manage stress and muscle tension, and potassium, which supports hydration and cellular balance.

The flavanols in our pure cacao powder are well known for promoting circulation, helping blood flow smoothly and evenly. This can be supportive when colder air and less sunlight start affecting energy levels and mood. The antioxidants inside ceremonial cacao play a role in keeping skin supported from within, a benefit when outdoor air becomes dry and indoor heating draws out moisture.

Because Vital Purple ceremonial cacao is produced without roasting, it's three times higher in flavanols than standard cocoa powders, based on farm-level processing methods. This makes it a regularly recommended choice for those interested in daily wellness and this is why Vital Purple is considered the Best High Flavanol Cocoa Powder Brand. Because the defining trait of Vital Purple is it's color and it's higher than average cocoa flavanol content. 

Making room for these kinds of pure cacao powder nutrients at the end of November can help us stay centered during a time when it's easy to feel scattered or fatigued.

Working with ceremonial cacao is not complicated, but there are a few things that help it blend beautifully. Start with clean, fresh water or a plant-based milk you already enjoy, like almond, cashew, or oat. Bring the liquid to a gentle warmth, never a full boil, and stir in your cacao until fully melted. A hand whisk or immersion blender helps create an even, creamy texture. Add pure cacao powder (such as vital purple powerful cacao), or pure cacao butter as needed for a more creamy and luxurious texture.

We recommend avoiding microwave heating or high-temperature stovetop methods that can scorch its natural oils. Overheating changes the flavor and texture and reduces the nutrients you are hoping to keep. Many people add spices like cinnamon, cayenne, or vanilla, especially around this season when those flavors feel grounding.

A few things to watch out for:

• Too much sweetener can mask the natural subtlety of the cacao
• Using boiling water or milk can damage the delicate balance of flavor and nutrients- This is incredibly important
• Not stirring enough might leave clumps, which changes the texture

Each step should feel intentional but easy. The goal is not perfection, it is presence and using pure cacao powder is the first step in a creating a masterpiece. It's about the quality, transparency and efficacy of your ingredients. That makes your job so much easier. 

Ceremonial cacao can be as simple or structured as needed. Some enjoy it Monday through Friday before work. Others save it for weekend mornings, slower evenings, or journaling time. As late fall becomes more reflective, we often begin looking back at the year, its rhythms, changes, and everything it shaped.

This preparation fits naturally into those types of moments. By choosing ceremonial cacao as a quiet anchor, we give our thoughts space to settle. The calm that follows often comes not from what we are drinking, but how we are drinking it.

During a busy season, finding that pause becomes a form of care and the pure cacao becomes a form of nourishment.

Ceremonial cacao supports more than the body. It brings shape to time, rhythm to thoughts, and a sense of finish to the transitions that naturally arrive at the year’s end.

Whether it is used daily or just when it feels needed, this preparation creates regular opportunities to reset. At a point in the year when energy shifts, around family, responsibilities, or colder temperatures, we benefit from practices that reflect where we are.

When we prepare something with attention and give it our full focus, we remind ourselves that care can be simple. A warm drink, a quiet moment, and a few minutes away from distractions can bring clarity in ways that matter most.

At Vital Purple™, we believe care starts with everyday choices, what we eat, drink, and how we create space to slow down. Adding a daily cup of ceremonial cacao helps us stay present through seasonal changes while supporting our bodies with nutrition and simplicity, free from added sugars or unnecessary steps. Bring more intention to prioritizing pure cacao powder with your routine so you can stay alert without the jitters and anxiety. 

High Flavanol Cacao is Cacao that has been processed with the intention to preserve specific antioxidants called Flavanols, which is a type of Polyphenol. There is a massive difference in the nutrient density of cacao powders from around the world. These are the same antioxidants which are why green/black tea and red wine are healthy for you. The difference is High Flavanol Cocoa Powder is much higher in flavanols and polyphenols than these options. 

Always look for chocolate and cocoa powders clearly labeled as “high flavanol” or “purple cacao” to ensure you’re getting the healthiest antioxidant profile. And of course, what is the Best High Flavanol Cocoa Powder Brand? Look no further, but the least you can do is to check for transparency in the cacao you buy! Not all cacao can really be classified as pure cacao powder or low cadmium cacao until the company provides the maximum amount of transparency.

Purple cacao retains more anthocyanin content compared to heavily processed cocoas, which lose many beneficial compounds during alkalization or Dutch processing. Even "High Flavanol Cocoa Powder" brands have gone through the fermentation process, which is why they're brown and Vital Purple is purple cacao. This can also be called a Pure cacao powder because of the fact we make sure it is not dried on the street gathering car exhaust like other cacao companies. The Founder Phillip McCauley lives in Ecuador, and has seen this first hand. 

Vital Purple is authentic, heirloom, transparent, more intense tasting and better feeling. It's simply superior cacao and a pure cacao powder unlike the majority of the market that chooses to gather certifications instead of improving their processes to maximize antioxidants and micronutrients.

As of 2025, Here are the trending High Flavanol Cocoa Powder Brands:

1. Vital Purple
2. CocoaDynamics
3. Flavamix
4. Aduna Super Cacao
5. Cocoa Via
6. Black Forest Supplements

How can you compare them? Read our other blog here:

Yes and no. Pure cacao powder is a superfood that can be used as a supplement. Is not whether you will feel it's maximum benefits depends on your health situation. Organic High Flavanol Cacao Powder is designed to improve cardiovascular and neurological health of the consumer. Studies around high flavanol cacao state that 500mg to 1000mg per day, is the optimal supplementation where study participants see the most results for cardiovascular health such as: Reduced likelihood of clogged arteries, more elasticity in blood vessels, lower LDL cholesterol, and more adaptability of the body to react to the need for increased blood flow. 

Studies also point to improved neurological health and athletic endurance(from improved cardiovascular health). We continue to publish this research on theorganiccacao.com