This homemade Chocolate Kombucha made with cacao powder is a thirst quenching pick me up any time of the day!

Chocolate Kombucha in a mason jar and bottle.

The fun part about making your own kombucha is you get to customize the flavors.

Take this Chocolate Kombucha for instance. My favorite brand of kombucha doesn't have a chocolate flavor.

If they did, it might not be as sweet or chocolaty as mine. I can control the amount of sweetener and add in spices if I want. How fun, right!

Some other chocolate kombucha recipes I've made are Chocolate Mojito Kombucha and Chocolate Cherry Kombucha.

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Two Types of Fermentation
What Makes Kombucha Fizzy?
🧾 Ingredients
🥣 Supplies
🔪 Instructions
Should I Burp My Second Ferment Kombucha?
How Long Does It Take To Get Fizzy Kombucha?
💭 Tips
Other Kombucha Recipes
🧂 You May Need
📋 Recipe
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💬 Comments

Two Types of Fermentation

The first fermentation of kombucha is when you combine sweetened tea, a kombucha scoby, and some starter tea. You let it ferment for 7-21 days and the result is uncarbonated unflavored kombucha.

For the second fermentation you remove the scoby and take that kombucha you made in the first fermentation and add flavor. You let it ferment for another 3-5 days in sealed bottles. The result is a fizzy flavored drink.

You can ferment the flavored kombucha up to 14 days. It all depends on the amount of sugar content in the flavor you're adding, and the temperature of the room.

Warmer temperatures will cause faster fermentation, and higher sugar content will also speed up fermentation.

What Makes Kombucha Fizzy?

The second fermentation is when kombucha gets fizzy. By putting it into a sealed container at room temperature and adding a sugar source (fruit and / or sweetener), carbon dioxide builds.

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. To see the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Homemade kombucha: You'll need freshly made kombucha that has not been refrigerated yet.
Cacao powder: You could. also. use cocoa powder.
Maple syrup: Adds sweetness. You could also use agave syrup, simple syrup or your favorite sweetener.

🥣 Supplies

Funnel
4 (25 ounce) bottles with flip top lids
Measuring cup

🔪 Instructions

Pour ¼ cup cacao powder and ¼ cup maple syrup into each bottle. Pour your freshly fermented homemade kombucha into the bottles, leaving 1-2" head space. Let sit 1-5 days.

Pop open the lids at least once a day. For this kombucha recipe, I like to pop the bottles a few times a day.

Adding cacao powder to kombucha makes it carbonate faster than other flavors. Pressure builds, and this allows it to escape.

Should I Burp My Second Ferment Kombucha?

Yes! If you don't you could have a mess. By adding sugar to the homemade kombucha and fermenting a second time in bottles with swing top lids, you're creating an environment for carbonation. If you don't allow it to escape, you'll have kombucha all over your kitchen.

How Long Does It Take To Get Fizzy Kombucha?

It can take anywhere from 1-14 days. It depends on a few things.

It depends how much sugar you have in the kombucha. (Sugar in the form of fruit and / or sweetener.) The more sugar, the faster you'll get carbonation.
It also depends on the weather. Warmer temperature = faster carbonation. I've had bubbly kombucha after a day in summer months and bubbly kombucha after a week in colder months.

💭 Tips

Only use bottles with swing top lids! Mason jars and store-bought kombucha bottles that have the seal broken won't hold carbonation.
Refrigerate after the kombucha is done fermenting.
You can substitute the maple syrup with agave syrup, brown sugar, white sugar, or another sweetener, but if you leave sweetener out altogether you won't get carbonation.
If you use cocoa powder instead of raw cacao powder, make sure it doesn't have any other ingredients added in.
This recipe would be great with added cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, or even pumpkin spice. Play around with it!
Shake bottle before pouring a glassful. The cacao powder will settle to the bottom.

5 Secrets To Making Kombucha