This Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha is the perfect latte for Christmas! It's creamy, sweet, comforting, and it tastes like Christmas in a cup. It's made with white chocolate chips and homemade peppermint syrup that takes just 10 minutes to make and requires 3 simple ingredients!
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Why This Recipe Works
The perfect Christmas latte - Peppermint and chocolate are one of the most popular flavor combos for Christmas and for a good reason! Peppermint Hot Chocolate and an Iced Peppermint Mocha are long-time staples in our house during the holidays and this white chocolate peppermint mocha is our latest favorite coffee drink to serve at breakfast or brunch!
Creamy and comforting - Melted white chocolate chips and hot frothy oat milk make this drink extra creamy and comforting, which is especially important on those really cold winter mornings when it's extra hard to get out of bed!
Easy to make - The recipe calls for homemade peppermint syrup but it only takes 10 minutes to make and calls for 3 ingredients. Plus you can use the leftover syrup for lots of other drinks! You don't need any homemade white chocolate sauce, just add chocolate chips to your hot espresso and allow them to melt.
Easy to make vegan - Most white chocolate is made with cow's milk but if you use dairy-free white chocolate chips, dairy-free milk, and whipped cream, you can keep this mocha fully vegan!
Ingredients
- Espresso - I use a Nespresso machine to brew my espresso for any coffee drink. If you don't have an espresso maker, you can use cold brew, strong brewed coffee, or French press. You might have to adjust the quantity based on what you use.
- White chocolate chips - To avoid having to make two separate syrups, the recipe calls for white chocolate chips. You can use vegan chocolate chips to keep the drink dairy-free.
- Peppermint syrup - You can use store-bought peppermint syrup like Monin or Torani but I highly recommend making your own! You'll only need cane sugar, water, and peppermint extract.
- Milk - My go-to milk for coffee is always oat milk but other milks like whole milk or almond milk also work great.
Variations and Substitutions
Sugar-free - If you want to make the drink sugar-free, use sugar-free white chocolate chips made with stevia or erythritol and a sugar-free substitute instead of cane sugar to make the peppermint syrup. Keep in mind that the flavor of the drink might change based on the sweetener you use.
Dark chocolate - If you don't have or don't like white chocolate chips, you can use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. Use sugar-free and dairy-free ones where needed.
Iced mocha - You can easily make the mocha iced instead of hot. Brew your espresso over the chocolate chips, mix the two together, and pour over ice with peppermint syrup, and cold milk.
Store-bought syrup - If you want to avoid making your own syrup, you can use store-bough. My favorites are Monin and Torani.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Peppermint Syrup
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- Add cane sugar and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.
- Simmer the syrup for 10 minutes.
- Take off the heat and stir in the peppermint extract. Start with ¼ tsp, taste it, and add more to taste. Every brand of peppermint extract might have a different strength.
- Pour the syrup into a glass jar and store in the fridge. Wait for it to cool down before closing with a lid.
Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
- Crush one or two candy canes in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin or a meat tenderizer.
- Dip the rim of your mug in agave syrup and roll it in the crushed candy canes to coat. Set aside.
- Add chocolate chips to your mug and brew two shots of espresso over them.
- Allow them to melt for a minute before stirring.
- Add peppermint syrup and stir with a spoon or use a handheld milk frother to mix well.
- Warm-up and froth your milk and pour it over the coffee.
- Top the mocha with whipped cream and crushed candy canes if desired. Enjoy!
Serving and Storing
Serve the mocha topped with whipped cream and crushed candy canes to make it extra fancy for Christmas Day morning. You could also drizzle it with some melted white chocolate or homemade chocolate syrup.
You can store the peppermint syrup in the fridge for 2 weeks in an airtight jar or a glass bottle.
FAQs
Yes, just make sure you're using vegan white chocolate chips without any milk or butter and vegan whipped cream and milk.
Most chocolate sauces are made with corn syrup so I usually try to avoid them but Monin white chocolate sauce is a popular one if you don't want to use chocolate chips.
I recommend using a handheld milk frother to mix the chocolate chips into the coffee more easily.
Similar Christmas Drinks
Below are four delicious Christmas drinks similar to this mocha you should try! To see all the latest warm drinks, head over to Hot Drinks. I highly recommend trying the chestnut praline latte, it's my all-time favorite Christmas drink!
- Christmas Spiced Hot Chocolate
- Iced Peppermint Mocha
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate
- Chestnut Praline Latte
📖 Recipe
Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Hot drinks
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha is the perfect latte for Christmas! It's creamy, sweet, comforting, and it tastes like Christmas in a cup!
Ingredients
Peppermint Syrup
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 cup water
- ¼-½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
- 1-2 candy canes (optional, for garnishing the mug)
- 1 tbsp agave syrup (optional, for garnishing the mug)
- 1-2 tablespoon white chocolate chips (or 1-2 squares of white chocolate)
- 2 shots espresso
- 1 tbsp peppermint syrup (or to taste)
- ½ cup warm milk (I used oat milk frothed in a milk frother)
- For serving: whipped cream and crushed candy canes (optional)
Instructions
Peppermint Syrup
- Add cane sugar and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.
- Simmer the syrup for 10 minutes.
- Take off the heat and stir in the peppermint extract. Start with ¼ tsp, taste it, and add more to taste. Every brand of peppermint extract might have a different strength.
- Pour the syrup into a glass jar and store it in the fridge. Wait for it to cool down before closing with a lid.
Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
- Crush one or two candy canes in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin or a meat tenderizer.
- Dip the rim of your mug in agave syrup and roll it in the crushed candy canes to coat. Set aside.
- Add chocolate chips to your mug and brew two shots of espresso over them.
- Add peppermint syrup and stir with a spoon or a handheld milk frother to mix well.
- Warm-up and froth your milk and pour it over the coffee.
- Top with whipped cream and more crushed candy canes if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Store the syrup in an airtight jar in the fridge for 2 weeks. You can freeze any leftovers in an ice cube tray and defrost and use as needed.
The syrup makes about 1 ⅓ cups which is about 10 servings when you use 2 tablespoon per serving.
Iced mocha: Brew your coffee into a cup over chocolate chips and mix. Pour the mocha over ice into a tall glass. Add peppermint syrup and cold milk. Enjoy!
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Gloria says
Loving all the holiday drinks. Perfect for tree trimming and warming up from the cold. Great to have on hand for parties too.
Lauren Vavala Harris says
Oh this is going to be perfect for my husband I! We've been making more coffee beverages at home and will be trying ALL the Christmasy ones after Thanksgiving. This peppermint mocha is top of the list!
Yu says
I LOVE the combination of the sweetness and the peppermint syrup taste. What a perfect drink for the holiday! Delicious in every sip! Thank you for sharing.
Marta says
I'm usually not a fan of peppermint, but my son asked me to make something to warm him up after coming home from classes late at night. It was so soothing and creamy!
Bernice says
Love this extra special holiday drink that isn't alcohol based... and it's so easy to make the peppermint syrup too. This is the perfect sip for after we come back from sledding and I can't wait. Come on snow!!
MS says
Made this on a cozy Fall day after Thanksgiving and it totally hit the spot! YUM!
Loreto and Nicoletta says
You gotta love these wonderful festive hot drinks. I love how the mocha and peppermint work so well together. It also looks beautiful! ❤️ 😍 Thanjs for sharing!
Kathryn says
My all-time favorite holiday drink and the only time I love peppermint! This is even better than the kind I buy :)
Hayley Dhanecha says
We enjoyed every blissful sip of this peppermint white chocolate mocha! The rich creaminess of the white chocolate, perfectly complemented by the refreshing burst of peppermint, was a heavenly delight.
Moop Brown says
I love how festive this recipe is and the fact that it can easily be made vegan as well. Thank you for sharing.
Jessica says
It's not cold where I am, so I tried the iced version of this recipe and boy was it perfect. Refreshing and still fun for the holidays all in one. I'll be drinking this all through the new year ;)
Shannan says
Hi! Can I use coconut palm sugar instead??
Veronika Sykorova says
Hi Shannan, yes definitely, in a 1:1 ratio. Keep in mind this will make the syrup darker in color and might change the flavor.