Skip the expensive coffee run and make your peppermint mocha right in your own kitchen! Made easily with 6 simple ingredients like steamed milk, strong coffee (or espresso), and more. Top it off with a swirl of whipped cream, chocolate shavings and crushed peppermint candies!
This is one of my Drink recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
Has the blustery cold weather hit you yet? Living in the Midwest, I’m used to it, and actually enjoy the frosty weather, but I certainly like to drink something warm and comforting when I come back inside.
Running to the coffee-shop isn’t always an option, and let’s be honest, they’re pricey!
Homemade mochas, lattes, and other coffee-house drinks are a fave of mine, especially when I realized how easy they are to make at home.
This recipe isn’t meant to be a copycat of Starbucks or McDonald’s peppermint mocha recipes, but it does taste similar to those!
How to make a peppermint mocha?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Steam milk. No fancy tools required here, just add the milk, sugar and cocoa powder to a saucepan and heat on med low.
- Add coffee. You can use espresso if you have it.
- Add flavors. We like to use mint and vanilla.
- Assemble. Pour mocha into a mug, top with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and crushed peppermint.
Helpful Tip!
As tempting as it is to turn up the heat while steaming the milk, sugar, and cocoa powder, make sure to keep it no higher than medium heat. Any hotter and you risk scorching or burning the milk, which won’t taste good at all and you’ll have to start over!
Variations of this recipe
- Decaffeinated – if you love the flavor of a peppermint mocha, but don’t want all the caffeine, feel free to use decaf.
- Skinny – you can use lower fat milk and a sugar substitute to reduce the amount of fat and calories.
- Chocolate – if you’d rather use chocolate instead of cocoa powder, please feel free to replace it with a few squares of milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate.
- Peppermint candy – instead of using mint extract, try adding some peppermint candy (either the discs or peppermint candy canes are great for this), to the milk mixture as it’s steaming.
- Non-dairy – this recipe works well with non-dairy milks like almond or soy.
FAQ’s
Essentially a mocha is a chocolate latte, so this recipe just has the added flavor of peppermint. It’s kind of like a mix of peppermint hot chocolate and a latte.
Absolutely! Feel free to play around with the amount of sugar, amount of chocolate, amount of peppermint, strength and amount of coffee, etc. This recipe is just how we prefer it, but tweak it and make it your own!
Making peppermint mocha ahead of time
I think this is best made fresh, but with as quickly as you can whip up one of these peppermint mochas, you won’t mind a bit!
Storage
This recipe makes enough for 2 drinks (or one big one), so the odds are you won’t have much leftover.
But just in case, peppermint mochas can be cooled, then covered and refrigerated for up to 2-3 days.
Just reheat, add whipped cream and garnishes and enjoy!
My Favorite Hand Grater!
This grater is perfect for getting those chocolate shavings for this recipe, but it’s also great for zesting citrus, grating Parmesan, and more! It comes with a cover and cut resistant glove too!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
Peppermint mocha
- 1 cup brewed strong coffee
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp mint extract
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Toppings
- whipped cream
- shaved chocolate
- crushed peppermint
Instructions
Prepare
- Brew strong coffee and set aside.
- Grate or finely chop some of a chocolate bar (milk, semi-sweet, or dark), and set aside. Crush peppermint candies and set aside.
Steam milk and make mocha
- Add whole milk, granulated sugar, and cocoa powder to a saucepan. Heat over MED LOW heat, whisking very frequently.
- When the edges of the milk mixture begins to foam, add the brewed coffee, mint extract, and vanilla extract.
- Continue whisking and cooking, and once the edges are frothy and steaming, remove from the heat.
Assemble
- Divide the peppermint mocha equally among two mugs. Top with whipped cream, the shaved chocolate and crushed peppermints.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- This recipe makes approximately 16 oz, which I’ve estimated will make 2 (8 oz each) drinks. But feel free to divide this recipe into as many, or as little, servings as you’d like.
- In place of mint extract, add some peppermint candies to the milk mixture in the saucepan. Let it dissolve during the steaming process.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Sandra McCollum says
I love this Peppermint Mocha recipe! Looks so yummy!
Catalina says
What a great idea to add the peppermint flavor! It’s amazing!
Allyson Zea says
I would love to make this boozy! What type of liquor would you recommend?
The Chunky Chef says
You’re a gal after my own heart! I would recommend some Baileys or Kahlua, other chocolate liqueur, or even vodka 🙂
Erin says
Looks absolutely fantastic! Can’t wait to try this!
Beth says
Oh, yes. Now this is how you enjoy the holidays. I can almost taste that holly jolly deliciousness right now!