Homemade Healthy Peppermint Mocha Recipe (Only 5 Grams Sugar!) (2024)

Homemade healthy peppermint mocha that tastes just like the Starbucks version with only 5 grams of sugar (1/11th of the sugar of the traditional!) yet is full of rich and sweet holiday flavor. Entirely dairy free, vegan, low sugar, and full of holiday flavor!

What are the ingredients in a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha?

According to Starbucks, their classic peppermint mocha contains milk, a mocha sauce, espresso, peppermint syrup, and whipped cream.

While you can veganize the Starbucks peppermint mocha, unfortunately you’d have to skip out on the fun toppings, like whipped cream and chocolate curls.

However, this homemade copycat peppermint mocha recipe tastes identical to the Starbucks version, and with literally 1/11th of the sugar.

Yep, this homemade peppermint mocha latte only contains 5 grams of sugar in it, versus the Starbucks version, which contains 55 grams.

Plus, it’s entirely dairy free, and SO easy to make! You can make it in your pajamas without having to leave the house!

This is the perfect cozy holiday drink for this chilly winter season.

Skinny vegan peppermint mocha ingredients

For this homemade peppermint mocha, you’ll need:

• Espresso: I give some recommendations on espresso machines below. You can use coffee, but I would strongly urge using espresso. It will taste most like the Starbucks peppermint mocha.
• Maple syrup: just a touch here for sweetness
• Sweetened condensed coconut milk: again, just a little goes a long way. If you can’t find sweetened condensed coconut milk (I use Nature’s Charm), then you can just use the same amount in maple syrup!
• Stevia-sweetened or 100% cacao chocolate chips: this helps keep this peppermint mocha low in sugar and keto friendly.
• Dairy free milk: you can use any dairy-free milk here. I recommend oat milk or coconut milk for thickness, but almond, soy, or cashew milk also work wonderfully.
• Toppings: my favorite part! I recommend using coconut whipped cream, making some chocolate shavings, or crushing up some vegan peppermint candies!

How to make a homemade copycat Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Latte

You are just 5 minutes away from the creamiest dreamiest peppermint mocha latte all within the comfort of your own home (no waiting in lines of cars in the Starbucks drive thru!).

The full recipe for this peppermint mocha is found down below in the recipe card, but here are some homemade latte tips:

• Brew the espresso over the chocolate: the reason why this homemade peppermint mocha recipe is honestly richer than others is because we’re using chocolate chips and not cacao powder. cacao powder can sometimes just make the latte taste like a very very weak version of a peppermint mocha. I wanted the real deal, which does use mocha sauce. In my mind, melted chocolate is just like mocha sauce ha!
• You don’t need to steam the milk: the lovely part about this latte is that there’s no need to steam the milk, which is just one less thing for you to do! Simply blend and serve.
• This is already a naturally skinny peppermint mocha, but: you can reduce the sugar content even more (I know, 5 grams is already low!) by using 100% dark chocolate chips. This is just straight up cacao butter and cacao powder, and it’s lovely for the ultra dark chocolate fanatics. Trader Joe’s has a really inexpensive organic version, but there is also Pascha Organics and Eating Evolved that sell 100%.
• Toppings: for coconut whipped cream, you can make your own, or I purchase So Delicious! coconut whip. It tastes just like Cool Whip to me, yet is entirely dairy free! You can create homemade chocolate shavings. If you’re making this peppermint mocha for a holiday morning breakfast drink or brunch offering, I recommend creating a little toppings section with crushed vegan peppermint candies, chocolate shavings, vegan chocolate syrup, coconut whipped cream, and the like to allow people to create DIY peppermint mochas!

What espresso machine to use

I have the Calphalon iQ Espresso Machine- it is more of an investment than the Nespresso, but honestly, I haven’t bought store bought coffee since I got it over a year ago.

You can also use a Nespresso machine or the Breville espresso machine.

If you want to create a latte that tastes identical to the Starbucks peppermint mocha, then I would highly recommend using espresso over coffee. You can use coffee, but it’s just not going to taste the same.

The reason being is that espresso is more concentrated than coffee, which gives lattes that bold coffee flavor, even when it contains a dairy-free milk.

Top with coconut whipped cream, chocolate shavings, crushed peppermint, vegan marshmallows, or whatever your heart desires!

I hope that you love this vegan peppermint mocha recipe as much as I do! If you make this latte, let me know down below in the comments section, and give it a rating so that others may find it.

As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there!

Happy peppermint mocha brewing!

More cozy vegan winter drinks:

Copycat Vegan Starbucks Gingerbread Latte

The Best Healthy Hot Chocolate Recipe

Homemade Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte

Healthy Mocha Latte

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

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