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This homemade peppermint mocha recipe is the perfect way to ring in your holiday spirit!
Growing up, peppermint was never my favorite flavor. But now, as an adult, it’s one of the most soothing flavors I can enjoy, particularly on a cold winter day. This healthy, homemade peppermint mocha is the perfect way to enjoy it! Well,… healthy without the toppings. Ha! You don’t need any peppermint syrup, peppermint candies, or even any mint extract. Just some simple, dried mint leaves will get the job done here.
And if you put peppermint and chocolate together, well, that’s a whole new level of deliciousness right there!
What Is A Mocha?
A mocha is any drink that has a combination of coffee and chocolate. You can add other things, but that basic combo turns any coffee drink into a mocha.
Now, you purists out there will probably be tapping your toes right about now.
Technically, it should be espresso and chocolate. So, if you are a true coffee snob, make sure you are brewing up some espresso instead of regular coffee.
But for the rest of us, coffee works just fine!
What Is A Peppermint Mocha?
If you love that chocolate and peppermint combination, just add that to your morning cup of coffee, and you’ve got a homemade peppermint mocha! It’s simply a peppermint and chocolate-flavored latte. What could be better?
How Many Calories Are In A Peppermint Mocha?
“A grande Starbuckspeppermint mochawith 2% milk and whipped cream amounts to 440calories. Not to mention: It also contains 10 grams of saturated fat and a whopping 54 grams of sugar.“
CheatSheet
Holy Moses! Just think, if you make this at home, you’ll not only be saving money, you’ll be saving a ton of fat, calories, and sugar as well.
The Homemade Peppermint Mocha recipe below is only 23 calories per serving with 1 gram of fat (without any toppings). Can’t find that at Starbucks!
And this recipe doesn’t even contain any actual sugar except for whatever little bit of sweetener you add yourself.
Give Starbucks and your budget a break this holiday season, and try making this drink at home!
Frankly, I think it could quite possibly be the perfect coffee drink for sipping around the holiday table with friends and family.
Homemade Peppermint Mocha Ingredients
Boiling water – Use the purest water you can find. Tap water is usually way too flavored with chlorine, which will affect the flavor of your coffee.
Dried peppermint leaves– If you prefer a very strong peppermint flavor, you can add more if you like, but I found this amount is just about right. In a pinch, you could use a good peppermint extract or even cut open a bag of peppermint tea.
Coffee grounds – Again, you can use espresso if you prefer that.
Unsweetened cocoa powder – In a pinch, you could actually use a hot chocolate mix. But that does tend to change the flavor just a bit (it won’t be as rich), and unless you make the hot chocolate mix yourself, it will be filled with all sorts of nasty chemicals you probably want to avoid.
Milk – I used unsweetened almond milk, but regular milk works too. Even cashew or oat milk would work, but I find that almond milk has the mildest flavor out of most dairy-free milk varieties. Simply add enough here to make your coffee enjoyable.
Sweetener – As with the milk, you’ll add sweetener to taste. I have found that pure maple syrup or honey is delicious in this. But you can also use Sucanat or monk fruit. Coconut sugar could work but may change the flavor just slightly.
How To Make A Homemade Peppermint Mocha
French Press Peppermint Mocha
Add the peppermint leaves, coffee, and cocoa powder to the French press, and then add the boiling water. Steep for about 15 to 20 minutes for a good, strong flavor.
Press the handle down to strain the solids and pour the liquid into a mug.
Add milk and sweetener to taste and serve. Adding a fresh peppermint leaf for garnish is a fun way to serve this to guests.
Coffee Maker Peppermint Mocha
Add the coffee and herbs to your pepper coffee pot filter. Do not use coffee makers that don’t use paper filters. The herbs will clog your coffee pot.
Brew as you normally would.
Add milk and sweetener to taste and serve.
Homemade Peppermint Mocha Toppings
It’s really easy to make perfectly healthy whipped cream at home. You can use either full-fat coconut milk or you can use heavy cream. Use a natural sweetener, and you’re good to go.
As for the crushed peppermint candy cane you see in the photos here, I use one little candy a couple of times during the holiday season. I don’t see any reason not to since the rest of my eating plan is so clean. However, if that doesn’t fit your way of eating, simply skip it!
Growing up, peppermint was never my favorite flavor. But now, as an adult, it’s one of the most soothing flavors I can enjoy, particularly on a cold winter day. And this healthy peppermint mocha is the perfect way to enjoy it! Well,… healthy without the toppings. Ha! You don’t need any peppermint syrup, peppermint candies, or even any mint extract. Just some simple, dried mint leaves will get the job done here.
Recipe Supplies For A Homemade Peppermint Mocha
For this recipe, you’ll need either a French press or a coffee maker and some dried peppermint leaves. You can find any of these items on Amazon by clicking on an image here. (Affiliate links)
Homemade Latte Recipes
- Coconut Latte Recipe
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
Homemade Peppermint Mocha
Make this easy coffee drink at home for instant holiday spirit!NOTE: I use a french press. So the directions here reflect that. If you use a regular coffee machine, simply follow the amounts and put the coffee and other items into your filter. Be aware that THIS WILL ONLY WORK IN COFEE MAKERS THAT USE PAPER FILTERS. Other types of coffee makers could get clogged by the herbs.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 23kcal
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups boiling water
- 1 tbsp. dried peppermint leaves
- ¼ cup coffee grounds (or espresso)
- 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- milk to taste (regular or unsweetened, non-dairy milk)
- sweetener (like honey or maple syrup or Sucanat to taste)
Instructions
French Press
Steep the peppermint leaves, coffee and cocoa powder in the boiling water for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Strain the coffee and pour into cup.
Add sweetener and milk to taste and serve.
Coffee Maker
Add the coffee and herbs to your coffee pot filter (the paper ones). Do not use in coffee makers that don't use paper filters.
Brew as usual.
Add milk and sweetener to taste and serve.
Notes
Please note that the nutrition data below is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible. Data does not include any toppings.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5the recipe | Calories: 23kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 2g | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
Recipe from the Gracious Pantry® archives, originally posted on 12/16/11.
