Does toasting bread lower its GI (Glycemic Index)?

This week's recipe - Orange Hot Cocoa for Christmas

Karla Jones Seidita

Dec 22, 2025

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The Healing Power of Food

Eat Better – Feel Better – Live Better

by Karla Jones Seidita, Home Economist

CheesecakeFarms.com

Ask the Home Economist

Q. Does toasting bread lower its GI (Glycemic Index)?

A. Yes!

If you’re aiming for blood sugar control and preventing spikes, toasting your bread is the way to go.

Toasting generally lowers the GI (Glycemic Index) because the heat changes starch molecules to slow its digestion. The darker the toast, the lower the GI but don’t overdo it. Very dark or burned toast can form unhealthy compounds such as acrylamide - a suspected carcinogen.

Toasting does not, however, change the amount of carbs or calorie count. The GI is a scale that measures how quickly the carbohydrates contained in foods raise blood sugar. The lower the GI they less the food will cause blood glucose spikes.

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And now for something completely different…..

Orange Hot Cocoa for Christmas

The Citrus-Choco Sip You Didn’t Know You Needed

The Backstory - Kitchen Oops = Flavor Win!

Sometimes the best recipes aren’t born from cookbooks—they’re born from accidents. Like my distracted fridge grab of orange juice instead of milk to make myself a cup of hot cocoa and my stubborn refusal to waste a mis-matched cocoa creation.

So there I was, pouring orange juice over the cocoa powder I had already spooned into my cup. Yikes! What to do? I thought for a second. Couldn’t waste orange juice and cocoa – too expensive. But then it dawned on me that orange and chocolate is a classic combination so, why not? I added milk. Almond milk which is what I was going to use anyway. I popped it into the microwave to heat and voila!

Orange juice met hot cocoa! The result? A citrus-kissed cup that felt was warm as a holiday hug. Mistakes and accidents in the kitchen aren’t failures—they’re experiments waiting to be discovered.

The orange gave it a tang that collided with deep chocolate warmth. The OJ thickened the cocoa giving it a velvety feel without adding cornstarch or extra carbs. Add honey, sugar or any sweetener you like but I like it without any extra sweetener. Chocolate + orange = timeless duo. This drink is proof of that. Pair It with a slice of pound cake, Christmas cookies or biscotti for dunking. Try This Cocoa at Your Next Holiday Party. Guests may raise their eyebrows but then raise their mugs for seconds.

Karla’s Tips

Heat gently—this cocoa loves to bubble over if you’re not watching.
Make it fancy…Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream, marshmallows, orange peel curls or a dusting of cocoa powder for café vibes that are dessert in a cup!

The Recipe…….

Orange Juice Hot Cocoa

Can you use other milks?

Don’t know. Haven’t tried any others.

But my guess is that dairy milk will curdle when heated with the orange juice so stick with any non-dairy you like.

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Makes 1 mug

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Ingredients

½ cup orange juice (I used unsweetened, no pulp, bottled juice)

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

1 Tablespoon cocoa (unsweetened or to taste)

Optional – sweetener of your choice to taste

Directions

1. Put orange juice, almond milk and cocoa into a 2 cup, microwave safe measuring cup (I used a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup). Don’t bother stirring because the cocoa won’t mix in until heated.

2. Microwave 1 minute to heat very slightly.

3. Remove from microwave and stir to mix in cocoa.

4. Return to microwave and continuing heating until the mixture begins to bubble and rises to almost fill the cup – 1 or 2 minutes more. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t overflow the cup. (It will make a horrible mess!). Immediately remove from microwave and add sweetener, if desired.

5. Pour into serving cup or mug. Garnish or not as desired.

Hungry for more?

CheesecakeFarms.com

About the Author

Home Economist Karla Jones Seidita has cooked up a very tasty life. She has been a restaurant and a bakery owner, award-winning food writer, lifestyle radio host, cookbook author, country inn proprietor, and farm-to-table teacher. Currently she spends her days at her laptop and in the kitchen whipping up yummy things. Join her at cheesecakefarms.com.

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But wait….. there’s more!