• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Contact
  • Recipes
    • Recipes Visual Index
    • How to Make Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker
    • Kitchen Cheat Sheet
    • Kitchen & Pantry Essentials
  • Services
    • Contact
  • eBook Store

A Cookie Named Desire

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Services
  • eBook Store
  • Store
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home - Drinks - Hot Chocolate Recipes

    Published: Nov 26, 2019 · Modified: Dec 21, 2022 by Amanda Powell · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Peppermint Hot Chocolate

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    There is nothing better than keeping warm and cozy with a mug of peppermint hot chocolate.

    peppermint hot chocolate in a mug with peppermint sticks

    Why you'll love it

    This is a thick, velvety drink with the wintry kiss of peppermint throughout. It gives you a delicious balance of chocolate and mint for an utterly delightful mug of hot cocoa.

    It celebrates one of the best winter flavor combinations while keeping you cozy and warm.

    The best part is that it is so easy to make and only takes a few ingredients to put together.

    ingredients for making drink, some in saucepan

    Ingredient overview

    • Chocolate - I recommend using semisweet chocolate for this drink. Milk chocolate can be too sweet, while dark chocolate can taste too bitter. Semisweet gives you a nice balance that works well to complement the peppermint.
    • Sugar - You can use granulated or brown sugar in this recipe. I tend to reach for brown sugar.
    • Cornstarch - This is my secret ingredient for super thick and luscious hot cocoa. You can omit it if you want.
    • Peppermint - This is a very important ingredient for this hot chocolate, and there are many great ways to incorporate it. My original recipe calls for peppermint filled chocolate chips which gives the beverage the perfect balance of mint and chocolate flavor, but it can be difficult to find. My next recommendation is to use a high quality peppermint extract. It is important to make sure you are using the best quality extract you can find..
    • Milk - Any kind of dairy works well, but I am a fan of using a higher fat milk like heavy cream or whole milk.
    overhead of hot chocolate ingredients and hot chocolate with whipped cream

    How to make

    Making this hot chocolate recipe is pretty fast and simple to do. It is ready to drink in just a few short minutes

    1. Mix dry ingredients together in your saucepan. 
    2. Add in some of the milk and stir. 
    3. Add in the rest of the milk and heat. 
    4. Pour in the chocolate and vanilla (and the peppermint extract, if using). 
    5. Stir until the chocolate is melted.
    6. Enjoy hot! 
    hot chocolate being made in saucepan

    How to top your hot cocoa

    There are so many ways to finish off your hot chocolate—I always recommend people let their imaginations go wild! 

    For the rim, I wanted something like peppermint bark. I brushed melted semi-sweet chocolate on the rim, followed by white chocolate. I then sprinkled on a dusting of peppermint. Be warned that if you try to do this at home, you need a mug that keeps insulated well, otherwise the chocolate will just end up melting all down the side of your mug and be a huge mess! 

    My favorite toppings for peppermint hot chocolate also include:

    • Whipped cream
    • Toasted marshmallows
    • Peppermint sticks or crushed peppermint
    • Marshmallow fluff with more NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE Peppermint morsels
    • A dusting of cocoa powder or cinnamon
    • Biscotti 

    You can also try adding other things to your hot chocolate like coffee for a peppermint mocha hot chocolate or replace the peppermint extract with peppermint schnapps to make it an adult hot chocolate! 

    close up of drink  being poured into mug

    Batch making for a crowd

    You can easily multiply the recipe as needed to serve a crowd! Follow the recipe, multiplying the recipe by the number of people you plan on serving. The only change you should make is the amount of peppermint extract.

    Peppermint extract can be very potent, so I recommend adding it at the very end and tasting as you add so you don't end up with a mug of peppermint hot chocolate that is overwhelming.

    hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and mini candy cane

    Recipe FAQs

    How can I make my peppermint hot chocolate better?

    I love adding a candy cane as a garnish as well as topping it with whipped cream.

    Can I make this in a slow cooker?

    Yes! For ease, I recommend making at least 5 servings at once in the slow cooker. Make sure the sugar, corn starch, and cocoa powder dissolve in the milk before adding everything else. Stir the mixture occasionally until the chocolate you add in melts fully.

    If you are looking for more hot chocolate, try this white hot chocolate or this delicious spiked hot chocolate.

    mug of peppermint hot chocolate

    Peppermint Hot Chocolate

    Amanda Powell
    A thick, velvety peppermint hot chocolate
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 4 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Total Time 9 mins
    Course Hot Chocolate Recipes
    Cuisine American
    Servings 1 mug
    Calories 452 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • 1 teaspoon cornstarch optional
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ cups milk
    • 2 ½ ounces semi-sweet chocolate or Tollhouse peppermint baking truffles
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract more or less depending on strength

    Instructions
     

    • Mix together the cocoa powder, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. 
    • Add in a few tablespoons of the milk to the dry ingredients until it forms a smooth paste. 
    • Put the saucepan over heat and slowly add in the rest of the milk, stirring constantly. 
    • Allow the mixture to heat until it is almost boiling. 
    • Turn off the heat and add the chocolate. Allow it to sit for a minute or two, then stir until the chocolate is fully melted and stir well. 
    • Stir in the vanilla and the peppermint.

    Notes

    Use the peppermint extract if you aren't using the Tollhouse peppermint baking truffles. If you are using the truffles, you can skip the extract. 
    Serve hot with your favorite toppings

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 452kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 18gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 602mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9g
    Keyword hot chocolate, peppermint
    Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram! @acookienameddesire #acookienameddesire

    More Hot Chocolate Recipes

    • White Hot Chocolate
    • Hot Chocolate Bombs
    • Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
    • Homemade Hot Chocolate

    About Amanda Powell

    Baker, photographer, and sometimes world traveler behind A Cookie Named Desire. Obsessed with helping people live life sweetly with delicious food to share with the special people in your life and creating lasting memories.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Connect With Me!

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    headshot of author with a cow

    Hi, I'm Amanda! I am the baker and photographer behind A Cookie Named Desire. I'm a world traveler (sometimes) with a major weakness for cookies and cheese. While I'm mostly self-taught, I recently received a degree in Food Science!

    More about me →

    Reader Favorites

    • S'mores Cookies Recipe
    • Milano Cookies Recipe
    • Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Avocado Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
    • How to Make Salt Water Taffy
    • Jelly Donut Shot

    Winter Favorites

    • Homemade Hot Chocolate
    • Gingerbread Cake
    • 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
    • Edible Brownie Batter

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • About Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.