Nutritional and Nutraceutical Properties of Cocoa Shell–Based Herbal Infusion

Growing interest in health‐enhancing herbal infusions with spices drives research into optimizing blends. This study analyses cocoa shell, cinnamon and ginger infusion’s nutritional and nutraceutical properties. Raw materials were pretreated by washing (ginger/cinnamon) and drying: cocoa shells and cinnamon solar‐dried (60°C, 5 h); ginger oven‐dried (50°C, 24 h), followed by milling and sieving (1.25 mm). Nine formulations were created via a 3‐component lattice design. Sixty untrained panellists evaluated their sensory properties to select the most preferred blend. Proximate, mineral, pH, colour, titratable acidity, total phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, sugar and DPPH analyses were conducted on raw materials and the preferred sample, alongside microbial and heavy metal assessments. Higher concentrations of ginger and cinnamon improved taste, aroma and flavour preference, but reducing ginger increased preference for aftertaste, astringency, colour and overall acceptability. Infused F1 formulation, which had 75% cocoa bean shell, 18.75% cinnamon and 6.25% ginger, was the most acceptable. The microbial loads for various raw materials were in the acceptable range, while the heavy metals tested were below the WHO/FAO permissible limits for consumed medicinal herbs. Compared to the raw materials, the infused F1 formulation had the highest concentration of flavonoids (0.18 mg QE/mL), phenolics (0.68 mg GAE/mL) and tannins (0.50 mg/mL). Despite the F1 powder’s lower total phenolics (6.88 mg GAE/g), tannins (23.22 mg/g) and flavonoids (2.80 mg QE/g) contents, its radical scavenging capability was the highest (92.52% DPPH inhibition). The F1 powder has high levels of potassium, calcium and magnesium, while the infused F1 sample had higher carbohydrate and crude fibre contents. The study showed F1, a cocoa shell–based herbal infusion, is sensorially viable and offers a sustainable solution for cocoa by‐products. Its high antioxidants and minerals, with low microbial and heavy metal risks, position it as a functional beverage supporting metabolic health with commercial potential.