Lighter Homemade Peppermint Mocha
A peppermint mocha tastes like the holidays, but coffee shop versions lean heavily on sauce, syrup and whipped cream. This homemade version gets its chocolate from unsweetened cocoa and its sweetness from one tablespoon of maple syrup, so you control every gram.
The nutrition below is calculated from the exact ingredient amounts, so it changes honestly if you change them. Compare it with a Grande Caffè Mocha from Starbucks, which has 370 calories with 2% milk and whipped cream.
Recipe card
- 15 minutes or less
Ingredients
- 2 shots espresso (about 60 ml), or 120 ml strong brewed coffee
- 300 ml (1¼ cups) nonfat milk
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) pure peppermint extract
Method
- Whisk the cocoa powder and maple syrup into the hot espresso in your mug until smooth, with no dry lumps.
- Stir in the peppermint extract. Start with a little; it's strong.
- Heat the milk until steaming, about 60–65°C (140–150°F), and froth it with a frother or by shaking it in a sealed jar before heating.
- Pour the milk into the mug, holding back the foam with a spoon, then spoon the foam on top. Dust with a pinch of cocoa if you like.
Nutrition
Approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the exact ingredients listed. Peppermint extract is approximated with vanilla extract values; at 1 g it adds about 3 calories. Brands vary; check your labels.
For comparison, a Starbucks Grande Caffè Mocha is listed at 370 calories and 35 g sugar in our dataset. Open it in the calculator.
Tips for a better peppermint mocha
Dissolve the cocoa first. Cocoa clumps in cold milk. Whisking it into hot espresso with the syrup makes a smooth chocolate base.
Go easy on peppermint. Pure extract is concentrated. A quarter teaspoon is plenty for one drink; add a drop more after tasting.
Want it sweeter? Each extra teaspoon of maple syrup (about 5 g) adds roughly 13 calories and 3 g of sugar.
Make it richer. Using 2% milk instead of nonfat adds creaminess and some calories; check the label on your milk.
Planning a Starbucks run instead? See our seasonal Starbucks drinks and the Starbucks holiday drinks calories guide.
