Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Coffee

What makes our homemade version easier than Starbucks version?

There are just a few things we do to make this an easy recipe to make at home. 

•  We use strong coffee instead of espresso. I don’t have an espresso maker (or room on my counter for one) so we just use our coffee maker and make the coffee twice as strong as we do our morning cup of coffee.
• They use peppermint syrup, we use peppermint extract. Why bother making a batch of peppermint simple syrup if I can accomplish this with an ingredient that is ready to go?
• Instead of mocha sauce, we use unsweetened cocoa powder and sugar. The main ingredients in their sauce is corn syrup, cocoa and preservatives, I use ingredients I always have on hand. 

Can you put peppermint in coffee?

Absolutely! Peppermint flavor and coffee go great together. Add chocolate and you have the perfect drink! 

What is peppermint mocha coffee?

Peppermint Mocha is basically chocolate coffee favored with peppermint. Typically, what you get at coffee shops is made with a couple of shots of espresso. I don’t have an espresso machine so I make mine with strong brewed coffee. 

In case you were wondering, expresso and coffee are made with the same coffee beans, the process is different. I won’t take you down that rabbit hole here, but there is a great article over at the Low-Key Coffee Snobs that breaks it all down. 

Ingredients

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Ingredient Notes

Just a few simple ingredients are all you need to make this delicious peppermint coffee recipe. 

Strong Coffee – we use regular coffee for this recipe. 

Milk – I like full fat regular milk. Non-dairy milk such as almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or soy milk can be used. 

Cocoa Powder – we used unsweetened 100% cacao and it gives our coffee rich dark chocolate flavor. 

Sugar – regular granulated sugar. 

Peppermint Extract – this can be found in any grocery store on the aisle with the spices. 

Vanilla Extract – pure vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla flavor. 

Whipped Topping – we like ReddiWip. You can use any brand you like, or homemade. 

Peppermint Candies – we use this as a garnish, you can use peppermint candy canes if they are available. 

Chocolate – to use as a garnish. I usually use chopped up chocolate chips (that’s what is in these photos), chocolate shavings from a chocolate bar or or even a drizzle of chocolate syrup make a great garnish also.

How to make this Peppermint Coffee Recipe

1. Add the coffee, milk, cocoa powder, sugar, peppermint extract, and vanilla to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot. 
2. Pour into a coffee mug and top with whipped topping, crushed candy pieces and chocolate chips or shaved chocolate. 

Recipe Note – warm over medium heat so everything has time to melt and the milk doesn’t burn.

Make this homemade version just the way you like it

We normally drink our coffee with milk only so we double the amount of coffee we use when we make flavored coffee drinks like this.  

If this isn’t sweet enough, or too sweet, then adjust the amount of sugar to make it as sweet as you like. 

How to make Healthy Peppermint Mocha

Just a few changes to this recipe will make it a little better for you. And, when compared to what you get out, this recipe as written, is better for you because it has a lot less sugar and calories. 

Changes to make this a skinny peppermint mocha are as follows:

• Swap the sugar for a natural sweetener like honey, pure maple syrup or agave. 
• Use skim milk.
• Replace the regular whipped cream with low fat whipped cream. 
• Skip the garnish of peppermint candy and chocolate. 

Our Favorite Coffee Recipes

Brown Sugar Oat Milk Coffee

Maple Syrup Coffee

Caramel Coffee

Vanilla Coffee

Cafe Mocha