The Best Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Ever

Starbucks peppermint mocha uses real chocolate, crushed peppermint candies, and strong coffee to create a delicious, luscious holiday drink. It wouldn’t be the holiday season without this perfect drink that belongs in a classic red cup.

Serves: 1 Time: 10 minutes Cookbook: Starbucks Online

As soon as the holiday season arrives, we look forward to the arrival of red cups and creamy chocolate and peppermint espresso beverages. In short, we can’t wait for the first sip of a grande peppermint mocha. It’s one of those seasonal favorites that puts a smile on our faces, no matter what the day may bring.

Today, we’re making a peppermint mocha Starbucks-style. And we’re not just talking copycat recipes here. The base recipe comes straight from the Starbucks website! You can’t get much better than that.

Move over mocha sauce! This recipe takes real chocolate and crushed peppermint candies to create their oh-so-delicious peppermint mocha. Let’s get to it!

Jump Ahead:

• ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• 🎄 Ingredients Needed to Make Starbucks Peppermint Mocha
• 🍴 Equipment You’ll Need in the Kitchen
• 🥄 How to Make Starbucks Peppermint Mocha
• ♾️ Variations on Starbucks Peppermint Mocha
• ❓ Starbucks Peppermint Mocha: Tips, Tricks, and FAQs

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Seasonal: Seasonal beverages are the perfect way to spread some holiday cheer. Whip up this delicious drink with its festive flavor and treat yourself, your friends, and your family while ushering in the holidays!

Perfect: Starbucks fans will love this favorite drink. Of all coffee drinks, this one pairs perfectly with the festive food served around the holidays. It’s a perfect mix of chocolate, peppermint, and coffee flavors that you can’t get anywhere else.

Crowd-Favorite: Of all the holiday beverages, the classic peppermint mocha remains one of Starbucks’ all-time all-star sellers. What’s not to love when you combine luscious chocolate, strong coffee, pure minty joy, and red and green sprinkles in one cup of happiness?

DIY: Say goodbye to long lines or that annoying delivery fee when you make this espresso drink at home! Get ready for rich chocolaty notes and a delightful peppermint flavor from your first festive sip to the very bottom of the cup.

Ingredients Needed to Make Starbucks Peppermint Mocha

• Dark Chocolate: Real dark chocolate is what makes this recipe. Can you use chocolate sauce or chocolate syrup in a pinch? You can. But we highly recommend using real chocolate if at all possible.
• Peppermint Candies: This recipe uses real peppermint candies or candy canes instead of peppermint-flavored syrup. The reason is two-fold. First, the peppermint flavor that candy provides is absolutely perfect. Second, you probably have peppermints or candy canes in the house during the holidays, making it the perfect food for this DIY drink.
• Espresso: You want one shot of espresso or 2-3 ounces of very strong coffee.
• Milk: Choose your favorite milk. Starbucks recommends whole milk since it will give you an exceptionally creamy drink, but 2% or plant-based options will also work.
• Whipped Cream: This is optional, but if you’re going to enjoy a holiday drink, you might as well make it as good as it gets!
• Toppings: Add extra crushed peppermint, dark chocolate curls, or holiday sprinkles to the top to make it extra festive.

Equipment Needed In the Kitchen

Multi-Function Coffee Maker

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Mixing Bowls

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Frother

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• Espresso Maker, French Press, or Multi-Function Coffee maker: Starbucks calls for a shot of espresso, so you’ll need an espresso machine for that. However, we’ve found that this recipe is fantastic with 2-3 ounces of very strong coffee, as well.
• Mixing Bowls: A small heat-proof bowl is needed to melt the chocolate.
• Frother: If you have a multi-function coffee maker, it might come with a frother. If not, get a handheld frother to froth up the warm milk needed in this drink.
• Coffee Mug: What’s a peppermint mocha without the perfect mug to put it in? It should be large enough to hold one shot of espresso (or 2-3 ounces of strong coffee), 1 cup of milk plus froth, 4 tablespoons of chocolate, and whipped cream on top.

How to Make Starbucks Peppermint Mocha

Get ready for the best peppermint mocha of the season! It only takes a few minutes, and a few steps, and the end result will blow you away.

Make the coffee

First up, time to make your coffee. You want either one shot of espresso or 2-3 ounces of very strong coffee.

If you have an espresso maker, do your thing!

If you have a french press or a multi-function coffee maker, use 2 tablespoons of your favorite coffee for 2-3 ounces of water and brew the coffee.

As the coffee brews, microwave the milk or heat it on the stove until steaming. Pour it into a mug and use a frother to get it all foamy. The milk should look like it doubles in size and you’ll have one cup of milk with about 1 cup of foam.

Make the peppermint chocolate

When the coffee and milk are ready, set them to the side.

Place the chocolate chunks and peppermint candy pieces in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 15-second intervals, string with a spoon or mini spatula as you go. As soon as the chocolate is melted, remove it from the microwave.

Assemble the drink

Pour the chocolate/peppermint mix directly into the coffee or shot of espresso and stir until the chocolate and peppermint candy is fully dissolved. If the coffee cooled down too much, pop it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds, and stir some more.

Next up, the milk. Pour the milk into the coffee and finish off by scooping all the foam out and placing it directly on top.

You can stop here, or you can add a nice layer of whipped cream (with sprinkles, of course!).

Variations on Starbucks Peppermint Mocha

We love a good peppermint mocha, but there are many ways to change this up to reflect your mood and the season. Here are some of our favorites.

Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha: Starbucks has the recipe for their white chocolate mocha available, as well, and we made it. It. Is. Delicious!

Make it Keto Friendly: Think keto-friendly is impossible with this drink? Think again! All you need to do is: Use keto-friendly chocolate, sugar-free peppermints, and unsweetened, plain creamy almondmilk and you’re good to go!

Make it Skinny: To make a skinny peppermint mocha, use several pumps of peppermint syrup of the sugar-free variety or sugar-free peppermint candy. Instead of chocolate, use sugar-free hot chocolate or sugar-free sweet ground chocolate powder. Swap out whole milk for 2% or unsweetened vanilla almond milk. If you really want whole milk, use less milk than the recipe calls for.

Starbucks Peppermint Mocha: Tips, Tricks, and FAQs

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