Make a holiday classic and favorite, the Starbucks Peppermint Mocha at home this season!
Even before the Pumpkin Spice Latte craze, there was the Starbucks Peppermint Mocha.
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Starbucks’ line of holiday drinks has a history dating back to 1986, when the Eggnog Latte was first served. Following the espresso and eggnog coffee drink, came the Peppermint Mocha in 2002.
It’s still available today during the holidays.
If you’re curious to know, one of the main differences between the original and the one you’ll find in Starbucks locations today (and also in our copycat recipe!) is the addition of dark chocolate curls (we used mini chocolate chips) instead of red sprinkles (though we wouldn’t be opposed to using red sprinkles too from time to time!)
Other than this small topping change, our peppermint mocha does it’s best to copy a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha – plus, we use fresh mint!
What is in Starbucks Peppermint Mocha?
Starbucks makes their Peppermint Mocha with their signature espresso roast. They add steamed milk, mocha sauce and peppermint flavored syrup and top it with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls.
We’ll do something similar in our peppermint mocha recipe, except we’ll be using fresh mint.
Starbucks lists the ingredients of their peppermint syrup as Sugar, Water, Natural Flavor, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid. I didn’t see mint anywhere. So I decided I’d make mine using a mint simple syrup made with fresh mint leaves.
The best part about making a Starbucks inspired drink at home is how customizable it is.
Prefer your peppermint mocha a little mintier? You can add more peppermint syrup / mint simple syrup.
Or prefer a chocolatey taste with a more subtle peppermint aftertaste? You can adjust that too when you make our Starbucks inspired peppermint mocha.
Here’s how.
Peppermint Mocha Ingredients
For Mint Simple Syrup:
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves
For Peppermint Mocha:
- ¼ cup espresso (I used illy Intenso whole beans)
- 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
- 1 ½ tablespoons mint simple syrup (or Torani Mint Syrup)
- 1 cup milk or milk alternative
- Whipped cream
- Chocolate curls / mini chocolate chips
Tips for Making Peppermint Mocha
How to Make Mint Simple Syrup
We’re making our own version of the peppermint syrup that Starbucks uses for their peppermint mochas. However, if you do not want to make it yourself and prefer to purchase one, you can buy one like Torani Mint Syrup.
But if you prefer using fresh mint, you can make simple syrup. Simple syrup is well, simple. It just requires water, sugar and whatever flavor you’re wanting to make it. So in this case, we’ll use fresh mint leaves.
Here’s how to make mint simple syrup:
- Place equal amounts of sugar, water and mint leaves in a pot.
- Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
- Turn off heat and leave on the stovetop until the syrup cools completely.
- Take out the mint leaves and store your syrup in a mason jar.
- You can leave it in the fridge and use for multiple peppermint mochas or other coffee drink recipes (and cocktails too!)
If you want to make a cinnamon flavored simple syrup, follow the same steps but add cinnamon sticks instead of mint. Or for a vanilla flavored simple syrup, add vanilla beans or vanilla extract.
How to Make Espresso
I used illy Intenso whole beans and brewed it in a moka pot.
If you don’t have an espresso machine at home, a moka pot is what I find to be the next best option to make espresso at home. It creates a concentrated coffee similar to what an espresso machine makes. (Read our guide to making espresso without an espresso machine.)
Whichever method you choose to make the coffee, just make sure it’s as concentrated as possible so you can still taste coffee through all the flavors.
Toppings
As mentioned before, when the Starbucks peppermint mocha was first introduced, they topped the whipped cream with festive red sprinkles.
You can do the same. Or use what they top the peppermint mocha with today – chocolate curls. And alternatively, if you don’t have chocolate curls, you can use mini chocolate chips.
Iced Peppermint Mocha
Craving something cold and want to make this recipe into an iced peppermint mocha instead?
All you need to do is follow the same steps to making the mint simple syrup and espresso. But mix in mint syrup and chocolate sauce to the espresso while it’s hot, then set aside to cool.
Once the flavored espresso is cooled, add it to a glass filled with ice, cold milk and top with whipped cream and chocolate curls.
Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino
Feeling like having a Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino instead?
Make coffee ice cubes by freezing coffee in ice cube trays. Using a blender, blend the coffee ice cubes with mint syrup and chocolate sauce. Then top it with whipped cream and chocolate curls.
How to Make Peppermint Mocha
- Brew espresso. I brewed illy Intenso coffee beans in a moka pot.
- Make mint simple syrup by placing sugar, water and mint leaves over the stovetop on medium heat until sugar dissolves. Steep mint leaves until syrup cools completely. Store in a mason jar.
- Mix espresso with mint simple syrup (or Torani Mint Syrup) and chocolate sauce.
- Steam the milk. You can do this with a milk frother, over the stove top or just put it in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Combine flavored espresso and steamed milk.
- Top with whipped cream and chocolate curls or red sprinkles.
In pictures…
Step 1
Brew espresso. I used a moka pot.
Step 2
Mix mint syrup and chocolate sauce with warm espresso.
Step 3
Steam the milk (use a milk frother, over the stove top or microwave), then add the milk to the mint and chocolate flavored espresso.
Step 4
Top with whipped cream and chocolate curls or chocolate chips. And fresh mint too.
Taste and add more mint syrup and or chocolate sauce if desired.
More Starbucks Inspired Recipes
Peppermint Mocha Recipe
Peppermint Mocha
Make a holiday classic and favorite, the Starbucks Peppermint Mocha at home this season!
Materials
For Mint Simple Syrup
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves
For Peppermint Mocha
- ¼ cup espresso (I used illy Intenso whole beans)
- 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
- 1 ½ tablespoons mint simple syrup (or Torani Mint Syrup)
- 1 cup milk or milk alternative
- Whipped cream
- Chocolate curls / mini chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Brew espresso. I brewed illy Intenso coffee beans in a moka pot.
2. Make mint simple syrup by placing sugar, water and mint leaves over the stovetop on medium heat until sugar dissolves. Steep mint leaves until syrup cools completely. Store in a mason jar.
3. Mix espresso with mint simple syrup (or Torani Mint Syrup) and chocolate sauce.
4. Steam the milk. You can do this with a milk frother, over the stove top or just put it in the microwave for a few seconds.
5. Combine flavored espresso and steamed milk.
6. Top with whipped cream and chocolate curls or red sprinkles.
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