This post may contain affiliate links, which means we’ll receive a commission if you purchase through our link, at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure here.
This post is all about how to recreate a coffee shop favorite. Today we are sharing our one of our favorite holiday drinks, a healthy peppermint mocha!!
The days of pumpkin spiced lattes are gone! So queue the holiday drinks! The weather started to get cooler here a couple weeks ago, and with the first cold snap, we started craving all things Christmas. We put up our Christmas tree, turned on the Micheal Bublé Christmas album and started brewing our favorite holiday drink, a healthy peppermint mocha. Our healthy peppermint mocha is a diary-free, decadent drink, filled with the flavors of holiday cheer. During the holidays we wake up every morning craving this cozy warm drink.
Healthy Peppermint Mocha Recipe
Recreating our popular coffee shop drinks has become one of our favorite things to do, since we got our espresso machine several years ago. Our excitement for experimenting with new drinks is very heightened during the holidays because there are so many different flavors to work with.
This healthy peppermint mocha has a prefect balance of chocolate flavor and peppermint. This recipe has been our go-to every morning before we start our day. Most mornings we opt out of the whipped cream but on those days we’re feeling we need a little extra special coffee, we’ll add our favorite non-dairy whipped cream!
The Inspiration Behind the Recipe
There’s a cherished story behind this peppermint mocha recipe that makes every sip reminiscent of Christmases passed. A peppermint mocha has been a tradition since we were probably nine years old.
Drinking coffee at nine seems crazy, but it wasn’t much and this tradition only happened one time a year (until we got older). We were running errands with our dad on a cold day and we decided to make a pit stop at our neighborhood Starbucks. Our dad ordered us two tall peppermint mochas to tide us over on the errand runs. Somehow this outing became a holiday tradition for us and our dad!
Every year Christmas rolls around we stop by Starbucks and grab a peppermint mocha to-go. There’s something so nostalgic about the flavors. This drink holds a special place in our hearts so we had to do it justice when recreating the recipe!!
What’s in this recipe?
Peppermint Mocha Almond Milk Creamer: This is what gives the peppermint mocha the classic minty flavor. It’s chocolatey and filled with peppermint flavor, and so dreamy and creamy.
Almond milk: This alternative milk gives this drink a creamy and delicious flavor.
Chocolate chips: To add a little bit more sweetness and chocolate flavor, we added a few chocolate chips to the bottom of our mug. It seriously takes this drink to another level.
Non-dairy Whipped cream: This non-dairy whipped cream is the cherry on top. It adds a rich, creamy flavor to the peppermint mocha, and is so delicious you could eat it by itself.
How to Make the Healthy Peppermint Mocha
Start off by brewing your espresso. We did two shots of espresso for this recipe, because we like our espresso in the mornings very strong! He he! If you don’t have an espresso machine, you can brew one small 6 oz cup of coffee for this recipe.
The key to this healthy peppermint mocha flavor is the creamer. We have tried adding other brands of creamer in the peppermint mocha flavor, and it just doesn’t give you the right flavor that you crave so much this time of year. We found that Califia Farms peppermint mocha creamer works the best for this recipe.
Mocha’s are known for their dark chocolate flavor. Sprinkle in some mini chocolate chips, pour over the hot espresso and stir to make sure all the chocolate chips are melted.
Steam some dairy-free milk of your choice. We chose almond milk, because we prefer it. Sometimes we’ll swap with oat milk because it adds a creamy consistency similar to regular milk.
We love that people are making dairy free whipped cream! We used the Reddi Whip Almond Milk Whipped Cream and it was delightful on top of the peppermint mocha!
Sprinkle some crushed peppermint and additional mini chocolate chips on top and enjoy! This makes it look pretty but can also make the peppermint flavor pop!
Print
Healthy Peppermint Mocha
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
Description
This dairy free mocha is rich in chocolate with notes of peppermint. The flavors of this holiday drink hold all the special memories we have around the holidays.
Ingredients
- 2 shots espresso
- 2 tbsp Califia Farms peppermint mocha creamer
- 1/2 tbsp mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup almond milk (steamed)
Toppings
- 1 candy cane (crushed)
- mini chocolate chips
- Reddi Whip dairy free creamer
Instructions
- In a mug, pour the peppermint mocha creamer, chocolate chips into bottom of mug.
- Using your espresso machine, brew two shots of espresso over the creamer and chocolate chips. Give the espresso creamer mixture a stir to help melt the chocolate and blend the flavors. See notes below for making without an espresso machine.
- Steam your milk and pour over espresso mixture in mug.
- Option to top with whipped cream, extra chocolate chips and crushed candy cane. Enjoy the goodness.
Notes
If you do not have an espresso machine, you can brew 6-8 oz of strong brewed coffee to swap for the double shot of espresso.
- Category: Breakfast, Drinks
- Cuisine: American
Other Posts You May Like:
The Absolute Best Neutral Christmas Decor to Make a Cozy Holiday Home
