Wake Up and Warm Up With This Healthier Peppermint Mocha Drink
Few things say winter quite like a hot Starbucks drink warming your hand on a crisp day. But while their peppermint mocha may capture something you love about the season, it’s still a sizable chunk of your daily calorie or macro allotment, depending on what you track. In fact, it has nearly identical macros to Starbucks’ peppermint hot chocolate, despite having (almost) calorie-free coffee as the base.
In reality, there’s no need for sacrifice here. You can cut down on calories and added sugar without giving up this sweet seasonal beverage. Striking the perfect balance between macros and flavor is possible when you make your own peppermint mocha at home with a few simple ingredients.
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Peppermint Mocha Drink
Enjoy a warm, festive drink with only 88 calories and 3 grams of sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup water
- 1 Tbsp. espresso powder
- 2 tsp. cacao powder
- 1 tsp. coconut sugar
- ¼ tsp. pure peppermint extract
Instructions
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Add almond milk and water to a small pot over medium-high heat; bring to a boil.
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Add espresso powder, cacao powder, coconut sugar, and extract; whisk to combine. Remove from heat.
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Pour espresso mixture into a serving mug. Enjoy.
Recipe Notes
The Nutrition Facts box below provides estimated nutritional information for this recipe.
Photography by Alex Sewald
Peppermint Mocha Drink Ingredients
Real cacao gives this drink a rich, chocolatey flavor without all the sugar that comes along with a syrup. If possible, look for a natural cacao powder to use in your drinks. Most cocoa and mocha syrups on the market, and those used at big-name coffee chains, go through alkalization, a process that makes the chocolate less bitter but also strips it of its natural health-boosting antioxidants.
This recipe also uses espresso powder instead of brewed coffee to pack a powerful punch of coffee flavor. This ratio of espresso powder to water creates a strong base that stands up to the cacao and peppermint oil so that you can taste each element.
Switch to this recipe instead of your seasonal coffee shop order and you’ll trade overwhelming sweetness for uncompromising flavor. Using these quality ingredients instead of syrups gets you a drink with just 88 calories and only 3 grams of added sugar.