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Ditch the Starbucks peppermint hot chocolate and make this homemade vegan peppermint hot cocoa instead. It’s creamy, frothy, and packed with peppermint flavor.
Plus, this healthy peppermint hot chocolate is refined sugar-free, dairy-free, vegan, and actually good for you!
Whether you’re vegan or not, you’ll love this peppermint hot cocoa recipe. It’s the perfect cozy holiday drink to enjoy every day or serve as a fun drink to guests.
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Vegan Peppermint Hot Cocoa
Here’s everything you’ll need to make the best peppermint hot cocoa, plus a few ingredient recommendations. Because the simpler the recipe, the more quality ingredients matter!
- Cashew milk: Highly recommend using homemade nut milk like my cashew milk or almond milk recipe. The store-bought stuff is super watery and will ultimately make this hot cocoa taste bland. If you’re not dairy-free, regular milk would work great.
- Cocoa powder: My favorite cocoa powder is Rodelle’s organic unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder. And surprisingly, Whole Foods 365 brand cocoa powder is also wonderful.
- Date syrup
- Fresh mint leaves & peppermint extract: I like to use both fresh mint leaves and peppermint extract for all the minty flavor. The mint and peppermint flavor combined tastes phenomenal!
- Kosher salt: You knew this was going to be on the ingredient list. Because no dessert is complete without a pinch of salt. It helps amplify the flavors!
A Few Quick Notes
- Feel free to use regular milk if you’re not dairy-free. It’s a 1:1 swap!
- If you’re using dairy-free milk, I highly recommend using super creamy milk like my homemade cashew milk or almond milk.
- I like to dump the finished hot cocoa into my frother and let it froth in the warm setting. It’s an extra step, but it tastes so good with an extra layer of foam on top.
XO, Yasmeen
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Vegan Peppermint Hot Cocoa
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Cuisine: American
Description
Ditch the Starbucks peppermint hot chocolate and make this vegan peppermint hot cocoa instead. It’s refined sugar-free and dairy-free!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cashew milk
- 2 tbsp date syrup
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 sprigs fresh mint (optional)
- 1–2 drops peppermint extract*
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, pour in the cashew milk, date syrup, cocoa powder, mint sprigs, peppermint extract, and salt.
- Heat the pot on medium-high, whisking occasionally. Once the hot cocoa begins to gently bubble, whisk the cocoa constantly, otherwise, it’ll burn on the bottom of the pot. Continue to whisk vigorously until the hot cocoa is frothy, smooth, and hot.
- From here, you can strain it directly into a mug and serve. But, I like to strain it and dump it into my frother and let it froth on the warm setting. It’s an extra step, but it tastes so good with an extra layer of foam on top.
- Serve this hot cocoa with a sprinkle of chocolate shavings and marshmallows (both optional as it tastes amazing without any extra toppings).
Notes
*If you want a strong peppermint flavor, go with 2 drops of peppermint extract.
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