Peppermint Hot Chocolate from Scratch (No Syrup Needed)
Peppermint hot chocolate is one of the most searched drinks in America every December, and most homemade versions have the same problem: they taste like toothpaste.
That is a dosing problem and a timing problem, not a recipe problem.
How do you make it?
Makes: 2 cups · Prep: 2m · Total: 7m
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp (15 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp (36 g) sugar, or to taste
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) just-boiled water
- 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
- ⅛ tsp pure peppermint extract — start here
- Whipped cream and crushed candy cane, to serve
Method
- Make a paste. Whisk the cocoa, sugar and salt with the just-boiled water in the pan until glossy and completely smooth. This step is what separates real hot chocolate from grainy cocoa in milk.
- Warm the milk. Add the milk and heat gently, whisking, until steaming — do not boil it.
- Add peppermint off the heat. Take the pan off the heat before adding the extract. Heat drives off the volatile mint oils and you will end up adding more and more to compensate.
- Taste before you add more. An eighth of a teaspoon is enough for two cups. Add more a drop at a time if you want it stronger.
- Serve. Pour into warm mugs, top with whipped cream and crushed candy cane.
How much peppermint extract should you use?
An eighth of a teaspoon for two cups. Peppermint extract is roughly ten times stronger than most people expect, and it keeps developing in the cup for a minute or two after you pour it.
Add it off the heat, taste, and only then decide whether to add more. You cannot take it back out.
Why does homemade peppermint hot chocolate taste like toothpaste?
Three things cause it: too much extract, adding it while the pan is still on the heat, and using peppermint flavouring rather than pure peppermint extract. Artificial flavouring carries a sharper, more medicinal note that reads instantly as toothpaste.
Can you use candy canes instead of extract?
Yes, and it is more forgiving. Melt two crushed candy canes into the hot milk and cut the sugar to 1 tbsp, since the canes bring their own. The mint is softer and rounder this way — a good option if you have overdone extract before.
Which cocoa powder makes the best peppermint hot chocolate?
Mint is a loud flavour, so a weak cocoa disappears underneath it. Use unsweetened cocoa with real depth and let the sugar be adjustable — starting with a pre-sweetened mix means the mint always wins. More on choosing in choosing cocoa for hot chocolate.
Can you make it dairy-free?
Oat milk is the best substitute here; its natural sweetness suits mint. Almond milk works but is thinner, so drop the water to 2 tbsp to keep the body.
The cocoa matters more than anything else here. Ours is single-origin Vietnamese Trinitario — unsweetened, non-alkalized, with heavy-metal and flavanol reports published in full on our Lab Results & Awards page. Shop on Amazon →
Common questions
How much peppermint extract goes in hot chocolate?
About one eighth of a teaspoon for two cups. Add it off the heat and taste before adding more, because peppermint keeps developing in the cup.
Why does my peppermint hot chocolate taste like toothpaste?
Usually too much extract, adding it while still on the heat, or using artificial peppermint flavouring instead of pure extract.
Can I use candy canes instead of peppermint extract?
Yes. Melt two crushed candy canes into the hot milk and reduce the added sugar to one tablespoon.
Can peppermint hot chocolate be made dairy-free?
Yes. Oat milk works best because its natural sweetness suits mint; almond milk is thinner so use less water in the cocoa paste.
Where to go next
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.