I don’t know about you, but post pumpkin-flavored-everything I swiftly move on to all of the delicious flavors of winter, including my favorite, peppermint mocha. I’ll risk sounding like every other girl during the Christmas season, but I love a Starbucks (or any other fancy version) flavored coffee when the seasons change. It just gets way too expensive to buy a drink like that on a regular basis, so I decided to take the idea to the kitchen and come up with my own recipe for my favorite drinks. First up: peppermint mocha!
To kick the craving for Christmasy flavored drinks, you could go to the grocery store and just purchase your favorite flavor coffee creamer. They have all of the sweets you can think of: eggnog, peppermint mocha, sugar cookie, gingerbread, white chocolate raspberry, and I’m sure even more! But then you turn the bottle to look at the nutrition, or you actually take the minute it takes to scan the ingredients list… it’s not pretty people! Who uses one serving of delicious and sugary coffee creamer? Not me. So I’m creating a lighter and slightly cleaner version for you, incase you’re feeling health conscious this holiday season.
Now lets keep in mind with this recipe that everyone likes their coffee different. Some like it extra bold, some go for a lighter version. Some like to completely change the color of their drink and forget it’s even coffee, and some like the deep flavors. I personally enjoy the largest coffee ever in the morning, there’s no better feeling than wrapping your hands around a huge hot cup of coffee in the AM, so this recipe will make one large cup of joe (it can be split in to two servings though).
Keep on reading for the full recipe…
Almond Milk Peppermint Mocha
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tbsp Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp Pure peppermint extract
- 1/2 tbsp Stevia
- 1 & 1/2 cups Coffee of choice
Instructions
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In a small saucepan, warm up almond milk.
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Stir in cocoa powder, peppermint extract, and stevia. Mix until cocoa is dissolved in.
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Add mixture to hot coffee in a large mug, stir to combine all the flavors, and enjoy!
Nutrition info (without coffee):
- Calories 45cal | Total Carbs 10g | Net Carbs 2g | Total Fat 2.5g | Protein 2g | Sugar 0g
Notes:
- Stevia can be a tricky thing, it is really sweet. Try adding a little bit to the cocoa at a time, and see where your preference is. This recipe makes a pretty sweet peppermint mocha!
- This recipe is so simple, but you can dress it up and make your own fancy drink by adding whipped cream and crushed peppermint, sugar crystals, or chocolate pieces.
- I have tried this recipe with various types of dairy free milk, and they’ve all turned out great! My favorites are the unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and unsweetened vanilla cashew almond milk.
- If your pressed for time, add all the ingredients to your mug before you pour your coffee in, stir really well, and then taste for warmth… you may have to throw it in the microwave for a few seconds due to the cold almond milk.
- If you have little ones, or friends who don’t like coffee, this makes a delicious base for a peppermint hot chocolate! Just don’t add the coffee, and consider adding additional almond milk to taste.
I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as I do. It saves both my waistline and my wallet when I think of grabbing fancy drinks during the Christmas season! Let me know if you try this out, I’d love to hear what you think!
Until next time,
Paige
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