The peppermint mocha is the drink that signals the holidays have started. Starbucks introduced it as a holiday special more than two decades ago, and it went on to become the most popular holiday drink the company has ever sold. The good news is that it is one of the easiest coffee-shop drinks to copy at home, and the homemade version can taste better.
The secret is balance. A peppermint mocha is chocolate first, coffee second and mint as the bright finish. Too much mint and it tastes like toothpaste; too little chocolate and it tastes like a minty latte. Below you will find the recipe, a five-minute homemade peppermint mocha sauce that keeps for weeks, plus iced, lighter, dairy-free and no-machine versions.
Peppermint mocha recipe
Peppermint mocha (one 12 oz drink)
A peppermint mocha is a double shot of espresso mixed with chocolate sauce and peppermint syrup, topped up with steamed milk and finished with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. With the sauce made ahead, it takes about five minutes.
- Spoon 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of homemade peppermint mocha sauce into a warmed 12 oz mug. (Or use 1½ tablespoons of chocolate sauce plus 1–2 teaspoons of peppermint syrup.)
- Pull a double shot of espresso, about 2 oz (60 ml), straight onto the sauce and stir until smooth.
- Steam or heat 8 oz (240 ml) of milk to 140–150°F (60–65°C) with a thin layer of foam.
- Pour the milk into the mug and give it a final stir from the bottom.
- Top with whipped cream, a few dark chocolate shavings and a pinch of crushed candy cane. Serve right away.
Mixing the sauce into the hot espresso first is the step people skip, and it matters. Chocolate sauce dropped into milk sinks and sits at the bottom, so you drink a plain latte and then hit a sludge of chocolate at the end. Hot espresso thins the sauce so the chocolate and mint spread evenly through the whole cup.
What is in a peppermint mocha?
A mocha is a latte with chocolate in it: espresso, chocolate sauce and steamed milk. A peppermint mocha simply adds peppermint syrup. The Starbucks version is espresso, mocha sauce, peppermint syrup and steamed 2% milk, topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls. (The original topping was red sugar sprinkles; the curls came later.) Built from the bottom of the mug up, it looks like this:
Mostly for looks and aroma, but the crushed candy cane gives a cool hit of mint with the first sip.
Cool and soft against the hot drink, and it rounds off the sharpness of the mint.
A double shot and about 8 oz of milk. The coffee keeps the chocolate from tasting like hot cocoa.
Bittersweet chocolate sauce with peppermint stirred in. This one layer decides whether the drink tastes balanced.
Homemade peppermint mocha sauce
You could keep chocolate sauce and peppermint syrup in two separate bottles, the way coffee shops do. At home it is easier to make one combined sauce: one jar, one spoon, the same balance every time. This makes about 1 cup, enough for eight lattes.
Ingredients: ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (45 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup (120 ml) water, a pinch of fine salt, 1 oz (28 g) chopped dark chocolate, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and ½ to ¾ teaspoon pure peppermint extract.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. Combine the sugar, cocoa and salt in a small saucepan so the cocoa does not clump when the water goes in.
- Add the water and simmer. Whisk in the water and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat, whisking, for 2 to 3 minutes until glossy and slightly thickened.
- Melt in the chocolate. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chopped dark chocolate until smooth. Real chocolate adds body and a rounder flavor than cocoa alone.
- Add the flavorings off the heat. Stir in the vanilla and ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract. Let it cool for a minute, taste, and add the last ¼ teaspoon only if you want it mintier.
- Jar it. Pour into a clean jar and refrigerate once cool. It keeps for about two weeks.
The sauce firms up in the fridge, so warm the jar in a bowl of hot water or give it 10 seconds in the microwave before you measure. Add the peppermint off the heat because its aroma is volatile: boil it and much of the fresh, cool smell goes into your kitchen instead of your mug.
Too much peppermint. Extract is potent, and a quarter teaspoon too much takes over the whole batch. Rescue it by stirring in more cocoa, sugar and water in equal parts.
Food-grade peppermint oil is several times stronger than extract. If that is all you have, add it a drop at a time and taste after each one. Never use oil sold for aromatherapy.
The coffee is too weak. Drip coffee gets lost under chocolate and milk; use espresso or one of the concentrated methods below.
The cocoa was not fully dissolved. Simmer a little longer while whisking, and sift the cocoa next time if yours is lumpy.
Prefer store-bought? A thick chocolate sauce plus a bottle of peppermint syrup works well, and you can adjust the two separately. Our guide to the best coffee syrups compares the main brands and explains the difference between thin syrups and thick sauces. Start with 1½ tablespoons of chocolate sauce and 1 teaspoon of peppermint syrup per 12 oz drink, then adjust.
Making it without an espresso machine
You need about 2 oz of coffee strong enough to stand up to chocolate and 8 oz of milk. Pick whichever fits your kitchen:
- Coffee
- About 2 oz of strong stovetop coffee
- Result
- Closest to espresso; rich and slightly bitter, which suits dark chocolate
- Milk
- 8 oz, as in the main recipe
- Coffee
- A heavy dose of fine coffee, pressed to about 2 oz
- Result
- Smooth and concentrated, with less bitterness
- Milk
- 8 oz, as in the main recipe
- Coffee
- Brewed at roughly double strength, 3–4 oz
- Result
- Milder; more volume, so cut the milk
- Milk
- About 6 oz so the coffee still shows
For the milk, a handheld frother, a French press pumped a dozen times or a lidded jar shaken hard all work. Our guide on how to froth milk walks through each one. A mocha only needs a thin layer of foam, and the whipped cream does the rest.
Iced peppermint mocha
Stir 2 tablespoons of sauce into a fresh double shot while it is still hot. Fill a 16 oz glass with ice, pour in 6 oz of cold milk, then pour the sweetened espresso over the top and stir. Cold milk will not dissolve a thick chocolate sauce, so mixing it with the hot espresso first is not optional here.
For a peppermint cold foam topping, froth 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, 1 tablespoon of milk and ½ teaspoon of the sauce (or a few drops of peppermint syrup) with a handheld frother for 20 to 30 seconds, until thick but still pourable. Spoon it over the iced mocha or over a glass of cold brew.
How the homemade version compares to Starbucks
At Starbucks the Peppermint Mocha is a seasonal drink that arrives with the holiday menu and is sold hot or iced. A grande is a 16 oz drink with two shots of espresso; our guide to Starbucks cup sizes explains how many shots come in each size. With whipped cream it is one of the richer drinks on the holiday menu, and our Starbucks nutrition calculator shows how the size, milk and toppings change the calories.
Our 12 oz version uses the same double shot as a grande, so it tastes more of coffee in a smaller cup. Because you make the sauce, you control both the sugar and the strength of the mint. Most people find two tablespoons of sauce plenty; if you like it as sweet as the café version, go to three.
Variations: white chocolate, lighter, dairy-free
- White chocolate peppermint mocha. Melt 1½ tablespoons of chopped white chocolate into the hot espresso with 1 to 2 teaspoons of peppermint syrup. White chocolate is sweeter, so you need less of it, and it makes a pale, creamy drink that looks great with crushed candy cane on top.
- Lighter. Use 1 tablespoon of sauce, skip the whipped cream and use a darker chocolate in the sauce. Bittersweet chocolate gives more chocolate flavor per spoonful, so the drink still tastes indulgent.
- Dairy-free. The sauce is already dairy-free if your dark chocolate is. Oat milk is the best match for the latte: it steams well and its natural sweetness suits chocolate. Coconut whipped cream works on top.
- Caffeine-free. Leave out the espresso and you have peppermint hot chocolate. Or use decaf shots and keep the coffee flavor for an evening drink.
- Grown-up version. A splash of coffee liqueur or peppermint schnapps in the finished mocha makes an easy after-dinner holiday drink.
For the coffee itself, a medium-dark or dark roast with chocolate and nutty notes works best. Bright, fruity light roasts tend to clash with mint. Making a round of holiday drinks? Our caramel brûlée latte and pumpkin spice latte use the same build: a homemade sauce, a double shot and steamed milk. One batch of each and you have a holiday coffee bar.
As an Amazon Associate, Craft Coffee Guru earns from qualifying purchases.
A few things make this easier: a bottle of pure peppermint extract (check the label says pure, not imitation), a good Dutch-process cocoa powder for a darker, smoother sauce, and a handheld milk frother for latte foam and cold foam without an espresso machine. If you would rather keep the flavors separate, look at peppermint coffee syrups.
Peppermint mocha FAQ
What does a peppermint mocha taste like?
Like a chocolate-mint candy melted into a latte. The chocolate leads, the coffee adds depth and a little bitterness, and the peppermint leaves a cool, clean finish that keeps the drink from feeling heavy.
Can I use candy canes instead of peppermint extract?
Yes. Crush two or three small candy canes and stir them into the hot sauce until they dissolve, then taste. They add sugar as well as mint, so cut the sugar in the sauce slightly. The flavor is milder than extract.
Is a peppermint mocha the same as a peppermint latte?
No. A peppermint latte is espresso, milk and peppermint syrup with no chocolate. The mocha adds chocolate sauce, which makes it richer and sweeter.
How long does homemade peppermint mocha sauce keep?
About two weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge. Warm it briefly before measuring, since it thickens when cold. It also makes a nice small gift in a labeled jar.
Can I make a peppermint mocha with a Keurig or pods?
Yes, though it will be milder. Brew the smallest, strongest cup your machine allows with a dark roast, stir in the sauce while it is hot, then add about 6 oz of frothed milk so the coffee is not drowned out.
Former roastery owner and coffee tour operator. Steve spent five years roasting coffee for his own shop and wholesale customers. More about Steve