Homemade Peppermint Hot Chocolate Recipe
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Warm up with this homemade peppermint hot chocolate recipe. You aren’t going to believe just how easy it is to make your own peppermint hot cocoa at home!
If you love the peppermint hot chocolate at Starbucks but don’t want to spend money on it every day, then this recipe is for you! It takes just 10 minutes to make and costs just pennies on the dollar!
Making homemade peppermint hot chocolate
My daughter had been asking me repeatedly to make hot chocolate for her. The only hot chocolate she had tasted was the packets of hot cocoa you can buy at the store with the teeny tiny marshmallows. To be honest, I kept putting off making her homemade hot chocolate because she never really finished her cop of hot cocoa and it felt a bit like a waste.
Homemade hot cocoa with crushed peppermint candies
Well, I had purchased these crushed peppermint candies for a different recipe and decided to use them for this peppermint hot chocolate recipe. I am so glad I did! This homemade hot cocoa is so creamy and dreamy. The peppermint gives it that extra flavor that makes it feel extra special.
All three kids inhaled their peppermint hot chocolate. I even added some fun Christmas sprinkles on top (the same ones I used in this cookie recipe) and they absolutely loved it. You may have even caught our littlest Allison, enjoying her first cup of hot cocoa on Instagram stories. She was so cute and excited to drink out of a real porcelain mug.
I plan to make this peppermint hot chocolate recipe again on Christmas Eve when we open our special Christmas Eve box with the kids. I think it will be the perfect addition to a family movie night. We may also make it agin for New Years Eve. It is so good, I need to enjoy it as much as I can while the weather is cool.
Hot Cocoa Bombs
Have you seen the newly popular hot cocoa bombs? I have a few fun hot chocolate bomb recipes on my blog, including: Unicorn Hot Chocolate Bomb Recipe and rainbow sprinkle White Chocolate Hot Cocoa Bombs. Make sure to check them out!
How to make homemade peppermint hot chocolate?
- In a medium sauce pan, bring the water to a boil.
- Whisk in the special dark cocoa powder and granulated sugar.
- Let cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
- Slowly mix in the milk.
- Continue to mix until milk heats up and begins to steam. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat.
- Set out four mugs. Place two tablespoons crushed peppermint candies in the bottom of each mug.
- Pour the hot cocoa over the crushed peppermint candies and let sit for 30 seconds and then mix it up.
- Pour the half and half into each cup of hot cocoa and mix again (this cools it down and makes the peppermint hot chocolate extra creamy.
- Top with whipped cream and additional crushed peppermint candies.
- Enjoy and then share this peppermint hot chocolate recipe with your friends!
You may also like: Christmas Breakfast Casserole and Crock Pot Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Substitution for crushed peppermint candy pieces
If you cannot find the pre-crushed peppermint candy pieces in store, you can make your own. Unwrap a couple of classic candy canes.
Place them in a zip top bag and roll over them with a rolling pin until they are broken into pea-sized pieces. This is also how we make our homemade peppermint bark!
Can you use hot chocolate mix instead of cocoa powder?
Yes. If you don’t have cocoa powder on hand but do have hot chocolate mix, use that! Just omit the sugar as hot chocolate mix already has the sugar mixed in.
I can’t have milk. Can I use nut milk or soy?
Yes, you can use a milk alternative in this recipe. Keep in mind that the flavor will be slightly different. But if you are already used to drinking soy or nut milks, than it will not be an issue.
What toppings can you put on hot chocolate?
The possibilities are endless!
- Sprinkles
- Whipped Cream
- Chocolate Syrup
- Candy Canes
- Ground cinnamon
- Chocolate shavings
- Coconut shavings
- Chocolate Chips
- Hot tomales
Homemade Peppermint Hot Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup special dark hot cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- 8 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies + more for garnish
- 1/4 cup half and half
- Whipped cream for topping
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, bring the water to a boil.
- Whisk in the special dark cocoa powder and granulated sugar.
- Let cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
- Slowly mix in the milk.
- Continue to mix until milk heats up and begins to steam. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat.
- Set out four mugs. Place two tablespoons crushed peppermint candies in the bottom of each mug.
- Pour the hot cocoa over the crushed peppermint candies and let sit for 30 seconds and then mix it up.
- Pour the half and half into each cup of hot cocoa and mix again (this cools it down and makes the peppermint hot chocolate extra creamy.
- Top with whipped cream and additional crushed peppermint candies.
- Enjoy and then share this peppermint hot chocolate recipe with your friends!
Nutrition
This homemade peppermint hot chocolate recipe was the perfect treat for a cold night. We hope you enjoy it!
