Creamy, chocolatey, and perfectly minty, Peppermint Hot Chocolate is a 10-minute, holiday drink you'll love cozying up to all winter long. It comes together with a quick, foolproof method that delivers festive flavors with simple ingredients.
It's a treat our guests look forward to year after year, and one of our family's all-time favorite Christmas snacks. A mug of this creamy, rich hot chocolate and a peppermint brownie is all you really need for a little holiday magic.
Love hot chocolate with a twist? Add my Mexican hot chocolate and white hot chocolate to your holiday must-make list!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love It
Hosting is my love language, and hot chocolate is the easiest way to please a crowd come the holidays. From my make-ahead cocoa mix to full-blown hot chocolate parties, I've served more steaming mugs than I can count. Peppermint and chocolate? A Christmastime match made in heaven. I've poured peppermint hot chocolate at our Christmas parties for 15 years, and tested it every which way so you don't have to.
- Double Chocolate = More Flavor | This peppermint hot chocolate comes together with both cocoa powder and chopped chocolate. This combination delivers nostalgic hot cocoa flavor, with an extra chocolatey touch.
- Peppermint, Perfectly Dosed | Peppermint extract is a powerful ingredient and it should be used sparingly. Capping it to a ¼ teaspoon per 4-cup batch of peppermint hot chocolate keeps the mint flavor crisp without overpowering your beverage.
- Foolproof Method | Heating the milk with sugar and cocoa on the stovetop, then melting in the chocolate off-heat creates a silky smooth hot chocolate in which everything incorporates smoothly.
What You'll Need
- Dairy | Whole milk in combination with a higher fat dairy option like half-and-half or cream will make for a luxurious sip. Use cream for a dessert-like rich-sipping hot chocolate, half-and-half for coffee shop vibes, and milk for a lighter, classic-style cocoa.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder | Cocoa powder adds cocoa flavor to hot chocolate without adding additional fat. Use Dutch-process cocoa for a deeper, smoother chocolate flavor. We use it for our homemade hot cocoa mix — it's the best.
- Semisweet Chocolate | Use a semisweet chocolate bar (55-70%) over chocolate chips, since certain brands of chips contain stabilizers and don't melt smoothly. Finely chop for the silkiest texture.
- Sugar | Use granulated sugar to sweeten peppermint hot chocolate.
- Pure Peppermint Extract | This ingredient is potent and it's important to measure carefully, start small, and adjust to taste.
- Vanilla Extract | Vanilla is well-known for rounding out the flavors in chocolate. It'll take your peppermint hot chocolate from good to gourmet instantly.
- Salt | Another ingredient for bringing out the best in flavors. A pinch is all you need to brighten up both the chocolate and peppermint.
Pro Tip: Avoid substituting peppermint oil in place of peppermint extract. I've tested peppermint hot chocolate both ways, and the extract is the clear winner. Oil is far too potent an ingredient, and it's nearly impossible to measure such a scant amount without overpowering it.
Smart Ratio (Per Cup)
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup half-and-half
- 1 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa
- 2 tbsp sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- Drop of peppermint extract
How to Make Peppermint Hot Chocolate (Step-by-Step)
Warm the Milk (Don't Boil)
Add the milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and salt to a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Whisk often, and allow to heat until smooth and steamy. Do not let the mixture come to a boil.
Pro Tip: Stay with the milk — it'll likely heat faster than you think and you don't want the pot to scald. Whisk often and as soon as you start to see steam or bubbles forming along the edges of the pot, remove it from the heat.
Melt in the Chocolate (Off Heat)
Turn off the heat. Add the chopped, semisweet chocolate and stir until smooth.
Add Peppermint and Serve
Add the peppermint and vanilla extract, and stir. Pour into mugs and serve warm
Toppings + Add-Ins
Make your peppermint hot chocolate extra festive with sweet toppings! One of our favorite ways to serve hot chocolate is alongside our hot chocolate charcuterie board, full of festive Christmas cookies and hot cocoa toppings.
- Marshmallows
- Whipped Cream
- Candy Canes
- Crushed Peppermint
- Chocolate Shavings
- Chocolate Syrup
- Christmas Sprinkles
- Chopped Andes Mints
Serving grown-ups only? Grab some vanilla vodka and Kahlua and make my spiked hot chocolate!
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating
Make-Ahead | Peppermint hot chocolate can be made up to 3 days in advance. Prepare the hot chocolate, allow it to cool, and pour into a pitcher. Secure with a tight-fitting lid or cover tightly with plastic wrap. Wait to add peppermint and vanilla extract to hot chocolate until it's warmed, just before serving.
Storage | Store up to 3 days refrigerated in a pitcher secured with a lid or covered tightly with plastic wrap.
Reheat | Warm on the stovetop in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often. For a quicker reheat, place peppermint hot chocolate in individual microwave-safe mugs and microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring after each, until hot. If the hot chocolate has thickened slightly, add a splash of warmed milk and stir.
Pro Tip: Making this in advance for a party? Make the peppermint hot chocolate ahead, keep it refrigerated, and reheat on low in the slow cooker. Once reheated, transfer to the warm setting and allow guests to serve themselves all night long.
FAQ
Peppermint extract is extremely potent and a little goes a very long way. It's best to begin small and add more to taste. We recommend starting with an ⅛ teaspoon per 4 cups and working your way up to a ¼ teaspoon. It is very unlikely you will need more.
Yes; crush 3-5 candy canes per 4 cups (about ½-1 candy cane per cup). Crush the candy canes, warm the milk over low heat, add the candy canes, and whisk until fully dissolved.
If chocolate gets too hot, it can separate and become grainy. Turning off the heat before adding the chopped chocolate to milk ensures it melts gently and properly emulsifies.
Yes! You can use oat milk or almond milk in place of regular milk, and be sure to check the chocolate bar for allergens and buy accordingly.
More Peppermint Treats
- Homemade Peppermint Bark
- Peppermint Ice Cream
- Peppermint Bark Brownies
- Andes Mint Cookies
- Frosted Peppermint Cookies
Easy Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup half-and-half
- ¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate bar, finely chopped
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛-1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
Instructions
- Add the milk, half-and-half, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt to a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir often. As soon as the milk is steaming and tiny bubbles appear along the edges of the saucepan, remove from the heat — about 5-8 minutes.
- Add the chopped chocolate and stir until smooth and completely melted. Add the vanilla and ⅛ teaspoon of peppermint extract. Stir and taste. For a mintier flavor profile, stir in the remaining ⅛ teaspoon of peppermint extract.
- Pour into mugs and add any desired toppings. Serve and enjoy!
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