Kava Recipes
Here we explore kava recipes from around the world. WHY?
Well, one reason is that we want as many people as possible to enjoy the benefits that come with drinking kava. Understandably, some folks don’t like the taste of kava on its own and prepared in the traditional manner. Sure, we accept the fact that for many it’s an acquired taste.
There is also a growing trend of people seeking alternatives to alcohol and psychoactive drugs such as marijuana. As such, there are a host of reasons for them doing so however, that’s a discussion for another time or place (though you might find this article interesting).
Either way, these kava recipes are designed to open up a whole new world for you when it comes to relaxation.
But before we get onto the actual recipes, are you aware of the benefits of kava? Here are a few:
- It’s 100% organic and grown without the need for the use of pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers
- Unlike alcohol, it's not physically addictive nor do you suffer from hangovers after drinking kava
- Kava has been shown to ease anxiety, reduce stress and help with sleeping
- Because of its “keeping the mind sharp but relaxed” qualities, it makes for a terrific social tonic when shared with others.
For nearly 20 years, I have been drinking kava and have come to be a firm believer in its benefits. That’s partly because my own experiences have proven its ability to help me wind down when stressed. What’s more, it’s also a blessing to me when I’m writing or being creative.
Finally, two elements that are absolutely vital to being able to enjoy our kava recipes:
As many of the recipes entail using instant kava, make sure that you only use TRUE instant kava. That is, instant kava made from green kava juice and not just micronised root powder.
Also, always use the best kava available. Noble variety kava strains should always be used. Borogu, Melo Melo, Kelai and Waka are good examples of the “right” kava strains.
Before we get started, you will see that that, at the bottom of this page, we have a series of kava recipes for kava smoothies. These kava drinks are great for all occasions, especially when socialising with friends.
Anyway, here we go. Time for you to become a Kavarista in your own right. Let’s start with one of my personal favourites…..
KAVA RECIPE WARNING:
This is not the low-fat version! 😁😋
Ingredients
- 2 cup-size serves of vanilla ice cream
- 120ml Full Cream Milk
- 60ml of your favourite chocolate syrup
- 10gms of Instant Kava
- Whipped Cream
- Shaved Chocolate (optional)
Directions
- Separate the 120ml Full Cream milk into 2 x 60ml
- Blend 1 x 60ml of Full Cream milk with the 10gm of Instant kava for 20 seconds.
- Then mix into the blender:
- 1 x 60ml unblended Milk
- 1 x 60ml Milk with Instant kava blend
- 2 x cups of Vanilla Ice Cream
- 1 x 60ml of your favourite chocolate sauce.
- Blend for 30 seconds
Finally – pour into your serving glass and add whipped cream on top.
There you have it – a delicious and relaxing Kava Chocolate Milk Shake!
Ingredients & Directions
Pour about an inch of water into the bottom of your drinking glass
Ingredients
Directions
- Combine kava, coconut milk, coconut cream and orange juice in a blender.
- Blend for 4 minutes
- Add pineapple ice cubes and 6 ice cubes made from water to the blender.
- Pulse just enough to crush the ice.
- Pour into a glass or for a tropical feel, use a coconut shell.
- Sprinkle with cacao powder and garnish with a pineapple wedge.
Ingredients & Directions
It’s super simple!
Place a level teaspoon of instant kava into a good size glass.
Add a slash (say – 50ml) of water and blend.
Slowly add soft drink of your choice eg Sprite, Cola, Lime Cooler etc.
Top it off with crushed ice/ice cubes
The perfect quick and easy summer-time Kava Spritzer!
Ingredients & Directions
First, make your kava brew using either 6-8 tablespoons of kava powder OR 2 heaped teaspoons instant kava.
Whichever you choose, mix with 500ml coconut water. If you’re using kava powder, ensure that it is well- strained with a quality straining bag or fine stainless steel strainer.
TIP: The fats in the coconut water extract the lactones in kava more effectively resulting in a stronger and more potent brew
Put the following into a blender:
- The Kava / coconut brew
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean extract
- 200ml coconut cream
Blend until smooth then serve chilled or at room temperature
Go BANANAS with this one!
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons instant kava
- 1 cup of water
- 2 cups of carrot juice
- 2 ice cubes
- 1/2 a lime
Directions
- Put all ingredients into a blender
- Blend the kava on high speed with water for 2 mins
- Blend ice for 30 secs
- Add the carrot juice
- Squeeze in half a lime
- Pour in a glass, stir, drink & chill!!
“Ehhh, What’s up Doc?”
Ingredients
- 1 cup of kava powder (follow the instructions on the package)
- 4 cups of water
- 4 cups of milk or almond milk
- Sugar or honey, to taste
Directions
- First, prepare your kava. Add one cup of water to your mix and stir until blended. Then add another cup of water and stir again. Repeat this process until all four cups of water have been added. Leave it to sit for ten minutes before straining it through a cheesecloth so you can remove any excess sediment that may be left behind.
- Next, bring 4 cups of milk or almond milk (your preference) to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat
- Add 1/2 cup sugar or honey (again, your choice) to sweeten it up if you like!
- Then add in your prepared kava mixture and stir until combined.
You’re ready to drink and enjoy!
Serve chilled as a cocktail, or slightly warmed as a pre-sleep potion. Either way, your taste buds are in for a treat!
You’ll want to know about this one because of its unique flavor profile.
In a similar fashion to the “Bakavanana” kava cocktail, the fats in the coconut water and cream extract the lactones in kava more effectively. Result – a stronger and more potent brew!
Ingredients & Directions
First, make your kava brew using either 6-8 tablespoons of kava powder OR 2 heaped teaspoons instant kava.
Whichever you choose, mix with 500ml coconut water. If you’re using kava powder, ensure that it is well- strained with a quality straining bag or fine stainless steel strainer.
Put 200ml coconut cream and 50g Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 60 seconds.
Whisk until the chocolate has full dissolved.
Add the kava / coconut water and whisk so it’s bubbly.
Divide into 2 mugs and top with grated coconut and chocolate.
SIP & Enjoy our winter warmer favourite – the Cadbury Coconut Kava!
A real winner when you want a quick and easy summer drink with a “buzz”.
Ingredients & Directions
- Add 1 heaped teaspoon of Instant kava powder to the bottom of a 500ml glass jar
- Fill the jar with ice
- Pour in 250ml of cola over the kava powder until it’s completely covered
- Add another 250ml of cola on top of your previous layer of cola/kava mixture
- Stir vigorously until combined (about 30 seconds)
VOILA! You’re ready to enjoy your Kava Kola!
It’s that time of year when Australian mangoes are at their best. What better way to enjoy them but by way of a Kava Mango Cocktail. YUM!
Serve chilled as a cocktail.
You’ll want to know about this one because of its unique and delicious flavor profile.
In a similar fashion to the “Bakavanana” kava cocktail, the fats in almond milk extract the lactones in kava more effectively. Result – a stronger and more potent brew!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of Instant Kava Powder
- 200 ml (about 1/2 cup) of water
- 1 small mango (sliced/diced) or 1/2 large mango
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 cup of either full-cream milk or almond milk, depending on your personal preference
- 1 cup of ice
Preparation instructions
- Blend the kava first with the water (takes about 10-15 seconds by just mixing in a glass)
- Crush the mango, add ice, honey, milk and add to the blended kava. Then blend this mix at high speed for 1 min
- Pour in a tall glass. Stir & drink this amazing fusion of flavours!
The Mango Kava Cocktail – definitely one of our Christmas and New Year favourites!
IDEAS & TIPS FOR YOUR NEXT KAVA SMOOTHIE
Let’s get the ball rolling with a few handy tips first.
Firstly, be sure to use only high-quality noble kava. Your body will react better to noble kava. NEVER, EVER, use tudei kava or unreputable kava. This is the most important tip for making a kava smoothie.
If you have ever whipped up a smoothie, plopped your straw in it and taken a nice long sip only to discover that it’s room temperature, you’ll recognise the importance of frozen ingredients for smoothies! Therefore, try to include frozen fruit and possibly ice, as well. A cold smoothie is a better smoothie!
As for your fruit choice, bananas will make it creamy and add a bit of sweetness. If you want to mask the taste, then pineapple is going to be your best bet. As it is, pineapple is known for covering up strong flavors.
Lastly, it’s important to add the liquid or ice first. Never add the dry ingredients or nut butter first. They will cling to the bottom of the blender if they go in before the liquid. You would have to scrape them out of the bottom and blend them again. It’s just smarter to always put the liquid and ice in first.
Moving on, now let’s have a look at some kava smoothie recipes:
Kava Smoothie Recipe #1
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Kava Powder or 2 heaped teaspoons of Instant Kava. If using instant kava, make certain that it’s made from green kava juice and not just micronised powder.
- 1 cup (250ml) almond milk
- ¼ cup (60ml) of coconut milk
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 tablespoon almond butter or peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 level teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 2 cardamom pods (seeds only)
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- Dash nutmeg
- Ice
Directions
- First, prepare your kava using lukewarm coconut milk rather than water
- Pour the kava into your blender
- Add your ice and the frozen banana
- Now you can add in the remaining ingredients, blend, and enjoy!
The spices and sweetness of the banana help to mask the flavor, but remember, it’s still kava. So you should feel the telltale numbness in your mouth and the hint of bitterness on the back of your tongue.
Kava Smoothie #2
Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 ½ cup (375ml) orange juice
- ¼ cup (60ml) of milk
- 2 ice cubes
- ¼ cup (60ml) canned or fresh pineapple
- 1-2 tablespoons powdered kava (Preferably a finer grind such as Waka Premium Fine Grind)
Directions
Add your liquid ingredients to the blender first. Then add the remaining ingredients. Now blend for a few minutes. That’s it! Pour into your cups and drink up.
Noiiice!
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Kava Smoothie Recipe #3
Ingredients
½ cup room-temperature water
¼ cup kava powder
- ¼ cup(125ml) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 can coconut milk (14 oz)
- 1 cup ice
Directions
Prepare your kava in the water. Add to the blender with coconut milk. Next add ice, followed by the rest of the ingredients. Blend for a few minutes, pour into your cup, and drink!
Well folks – there you have it!
We recommend that you try at least one of these kava recipes.