Dairy Free Peppermint Hot Chocolate

This velvety peppermint hot chocolate is just the thing to warm you up on a frosty evening. Made with cacao and no added sugar, it feels indulgent but doubles as a healthy paleo dessert!

The combination of chocolate and peppermint always makes me think of snowy Christmas mornings, which is why peppermint hot chocolate is one of my favorite holiday drinks! It’s super quick and easy to make, perfect for entertaining during the festive season.

If you’re looking to make your holiday peppermint hot chocolate into an event, you could set up a hot chocolate bar and let your guests add their toppings. We’ve been drinking it this week with coconut milk, whipped cream and crushed candy canes, and you could put out other toppings like gourmet marshmallows or dairy-free chocolate shavings.

Hot Chocolate For Special Occasions

Peppermint hot chocolate is a tasty non-alcoholic drink for kids and adults alike, but if you feel like it, you can easily turn it into a peppermint schnapps hot chocolate for some extra warmth!

This peppermint hot chocolate is free from dairy and processed sugar, making it the perfect paleo dessert. If you’re looking for other yummy paleo dessert ideas, try these chocolate hearts with macadamia nuts – you could even serve them with your peppermint hot chocolate for an extra treat!

Ingredients You Need

• Oat Milk (or nut milk) – Oat milk has a natural sweetness that we love. Be sure to look for unsweetened Oat milk with no added sugar.
• Cacao Powder
• Maple Syrup – Honey will also work, but it won’t be as sweet and it will change the flavor slightly.
• Peppermint Extract – You can make your own peppermint extract by putting a handful of mint leaves in a container and covering them with Vodka. Let it sit for several months until the vodka is infused.
• Coconut milk whipped cream (optional)

Step by step process:

How To Make Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Begin by warming the milk in a non-stick pan over medium heat, occasionally stirring to avoid sticking. Heat the milk until you can see steam coming off of the top of it, but don’t allow it to boil.

Turn off the heat, and then whisk in the cacao powder, maple syrup and peppermint extract. 

Add the coconut milk whipped cream if you’re using it, plus any other toppings you like, and serve!

Important Teaching Tips

Oat milk. I like to use oat milk because it’s sweeter than other kinds of dairy-free milk, but if you prefer, you can use nut milk instead. If you find it’s not sweet enough, then add a little extra maple syrup.

Peppermint schnapps hot chocolate. If you’d like to make your drink alcoholic, you can replace the peppermint extract with peppermint schnapps. If you’re going to do this, it’s a good idea to decrease the amount of maple syrup as schnapps can be pretty sweet.

Peppermint extract. If you don’t have peppermint extract, you can use a drop of peppermint oil instead.

Coconut milk whipped cream. Adding whipped cream is optional, but I would highly recommend trying it! It adds a little extra sweetness and an extra depth of flavor. Have you even had a hot chocolate if you don’t have a whipped cream mustache?

Frequently Asked Questions about Peppermint Hot Chocolate

More Holiday Drink Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Golden Milk Latte
• Chai Tea Latte
• Pumpkin Spice Latte
• Other Non Alcoholic Drinks