Peppermint White Hot Chocolate
Our Peppermint White Hot Chocolate is a cozy winter drink that is perfect for the holiday season. Notes of vanilla and peppermint are combined with milk and white chocolate to form a comforting drink for cold weather months. Top with homemade or store bought whipped cream and sprinkle with a crushed peppermint candy to give it that festive feel! This quick and easy recipe uses only 4 ingredients, making this delectable peppermint hot cocoa recipe a must for the holidays!
We think you will love this simple and delicious Peppermint White Hot Chocolate recipe so much that it might even become a Christmas morning tradition, as it has for us! Interested in making a non-dairy or vegan version of this recipe? Take a look at the Pimp Our Recipe section in our Blog Comments & Tips below.
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PEPPERMINT WHITE HOT CHOCOLATE
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add milk and white chocolate chips to a 2 ½ quart nonstick saucepan. Place on medium heat, and whisk frequently. When the milk is almost heated through, start whisking continuously to prevent a film from forming on top of the milk (see Note #1). Just when it’s starting to come to a simmer, lower heat to low, and continue whisking until chocolate chips are completely melted.
- Once fully combined, turn off heat, measure and add peppermint extract and vanilla extract, and whisk to combine.
- Pour hot chocolate into a large mug, top with real whipped cream (optional), sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy (optional - see Note #3 below), and serve immediately in a mug.
Notes
- To prevent a film from forming on top of the milk, it’s important to whisk frequently from the start, and then whisk continuously when the mixture begins to get hot.
- It takes a little time to melt the white chocolate so it fully combines with the milk, so be patient. Trust us, it’s worth it!
- If you don’t have any peppermint candies on hand, you can use crushed peppermint candy canes instead. Or for a fun presentation, use a candy cane as a stir stick!
- Recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, or more!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
381.84Fat (grams)
19.52Sat. Fat (grams)
11.98Carbs (grams)
39.66Fiber (grams)
0.08Net carbs
39.58Sugar (grams)
40.35Protein (grams)
12.54Sodium (milligrams)
181.25Cholesterol (grams)
33.22Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods. Nutritional calculations do not include optional garnishes (i.e., whipped cream or peppermint candy).
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
STEP 1
Add 10 ounces of 2% milk and ¼ cup white chocolate chips to a 2 ½ quart nonstick saucepan. Place on medium heat, and whisk frequently. When it looks like the milk is almost heated through, start whisking continuously to prevent a film from forming on top of the milk (see Note below). Just when it’s starting to come to a simmer, lower heat to low, and continue whisking until chocolate chips are completely melted.
Note: To prevent a film from forming on top of the milk, it’s important to whisk frequently from the start, and then whisk continuously when the mixture begins to get hot. It takes a little time to melt the white chocolate so it fully combines with the milk, so be patient. Trust us, it’s worth it!
STEP 2
Once fully combined, turn off heat, measure and add ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract, and ⅛ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and whisk to combine.
STEP 3
Pour hot chocolate into a large mug. Smash 1 crushed peppermint candy (optional garnish) with a rolling pin or mallet.
Note: If you don’t have any peppermint candies on hand, you can use crushed peppermint candy canes instead. Or for a fun presentation, use a candy cane as a stir stick!
SERVE
Top with real whipped cream (homemade or store bought - optional garnish), sprinkle crushed peppermint candy, and serve immediately in a mug.
Note: Caution, cocoa will be hot!
VIDEO
How to Make this Delicious Peppermint White Hot Chocolate in 10 Minutes!
Blog Comments & Tips
Festive and Cozy Hot Cocoa!
I have always been a fan of dark chocolate, especially when it comes to rich dark chocolate cocoa. That being said, this Peppermint White Hot Chocolate has become my favorite cozy hot drink to have during the holiday season. In this peppermint hot cocoa, notes of vanilla and peppermint blend beautifully with the rich taste of white chocolate.
Although the whipped cream and peppermint candy sprinkles are optional toppings, they do take this hot chocolate up a notch in both richness and flavor. I originally didn’t think that chewing on little candy sprinkles would be appealing when drinking a hot beverage, but I was absolutely wrong! I love the instant peppermint punch of flavor when it bursts in your mouth as the warm white hot chocolate hits your palate.
This is also a very quick and easy recipe to make with your kids. They will love smashing the peppermint candy and squirting the whipped cream into the chocolate, almost as much as they will love drinking this Peppermint White Hot Chocolate!
The nice thing about this recipe is that it can easily be made keto, dairy-free, and vegan. Take a look at the Pimp Our Recipe section below for details.
How do you ensure the best results from our recipe?
Our 4 tips to making a great Peppermint White Hot Chocolate:
Start with cold, fresh 2% milk. You could certainly use whole milk, and even non-fat milk, but the balance of peppermint flavor might end up being too light, or too strong based on the type of milk you use. For this recipe, 2% milk is best.
Whisk a lot! Not only will it prevent a film from forming on top of your milk, but it will prevent the white chocolate from sticking and burning at the bottom of your pan. Even when you think it’s combined, keep whisking (that’s why we suggest turning the heat to low when it just barely starts to simmer).
If using peppermint candy sprinkles, leave the wrapper on when you smash it, or put it in a plastic bag. Otherwise, the candy dust and sprinkles will fly all over your kitchen! A mallet is perfect for this task, but a rolling pin works well, too.
If using the optional toppings, use real whipped cream. Be sure to work fast, as the whipped cream instantly starts to melt into the hot chocolate!
Have any dietary preferences that won’t quite work with our recipe? It’s time to customize and Pimp Our Recipe.
Pimp Our Recipe:
Make it Vegan & Dairy Free: Replace the milk with your favorite dairy-free milk, such as oat milk, almond milk, or any nut milk that doesn’t have a strong flavor. Then replace the dairy white chocolate chips with an equal amount of dairy-free/vegan white chocolate chips.
Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, rating our recipes, subscribing, following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Santé!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to keep whisking, otherwise an ugly film will form on the top of your milk.
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