Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Tricia Manzanero, Prop Stylist: Keoshia McGhee

Why It Works

• Homemade chocolate sauce made with real chocolate, butter, and brown sugar adds deep, balanced flavor and a velvety texture you’ll never get from bottled syrup.
• A precise 1/8 teaspoon of peppermint extract brightens the mocha without overpowering it.

At this point in American culture, the day after Halloween might as well be December 25th. By early November, I’m out walking my dog past fully lit Christmas trees, and Starbucks has already rolled out its winter drink lineup. Front and center, as always, is the peppermint mocha—a drink that signals the official start of the winter festive season.

In years past, I’d scoffed at the severely premature cheer. But lately, with the world feeling a little heavier, I get it. Sometimes you need something unabashedly joyful to cut through the gloom, and a mug of warm, chocolate-mint comfort does the job nicely. Let’s not lie to ourselves, though: This isn’t really a coffee drink as much as it is a dessert with a splash of caffeine, and that’s OK. You deserve it.

But if you’re going to do it, do it well. That means skipping the bottled syrup and making your own chocolate sauce instead. In our peppermint mocha recipe, our colleague Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman from our Birmingham, Alabama, test kitchen has developed a foolproof recipe. The chocolate sauce comes together in minutes, but the payoff is a glossy, bittersweet sauce made with real chocolate, butter, and brown sugar that delivers big flavor, not just sweetness. You’ll even have extra for drizzling over ice cream later (consider that a bonus).

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Tricia Manzanero, Prop Stylist: Keoshia McGhee

A little peppermint extract goes a long way in this recipe. Too much, and your mocha suddenly tastes like mouthwash. Through testing, Tricia found the sweet spot to be 1/8 teaspoon divided between two mugs. It’s just enough for a clean, brisk note without bulldozing the rich mocha flavor.

Frothing the milk is key to the full mocha effect. If you have an espresso-grade milk steamer at home, by all means use it here, but a handheld frother is cheap and works surprisingly well in creating that café-style layer of silky foam that turns each sip into something a little luxurious.

Drizzled with more chocolate and dusted with crushed peppermint, this homemade peppermint mocha is less about chasing Starbucks and more about one-upping it. Because if we’re going to drink dessert, it might as well be great.

This recipe was developed by Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman; The headnote was written by Leah Colins.

Keep Screen Awake

For the Chocolate Sauce:

2 1/2 tablespoons (38 ml) water

2 1/2 tablespoons (38 ml) light corn syrup

2 tablespoons light brown sugar (1 ounce; 28 g)

1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter

2 ounces (57 g) (70% cacao) dark chocolate, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup chopped)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Peppermint Mocha:

1/2 cup (120 ml) espresso or strong coffee

1/4 cup (60 ml) Chocolate Sauce from above, plus more for drizzling

1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 cups (480 ml) whole milk

Finely crushed peppermint candies, for garnish, optional

For the Chocolate Sauce: In a small saucepan, cook water, light corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until simmering, about 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in chocolate until melted, then return the mixture to a simmer over medium-low, whisking constantly, and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, whisk in vanilla and transfer to a small, heat-safe bowl. Set aside until ready to use. (If chocolate sauce gets \too thick while sitting, microwave it in 5- to 10-second intervals until loosened to the desired consistency.)

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Tricia Manzanero, Prop Stylist: Keoshia McGhee 1.

For the Peppermint Mochas: In a 2-cup heat-safe liquid measuring cup or bowl, whisk together espresso, chocolate sauce, and peppermint extract. Evenly divide between 2 (12-ounce) mugs.

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Tricia Manzanero, Prop Stylist: Keoshia McGhee 1.

Place milk in a (4-cup) heat-safe liquid measuring cup or large bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 15- to 30-second intervals until milk is hot (an instant-read thermometer should register 140°F to 150°F), 2 to 3 minutes. Use a handheld milk frother to whip milk until it is almost doubled in volume.

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Tricia Manzanero, Prop Stylist: Keoshia McGhee 1.

Evenly divide and pour frothed milk into prepared mugs. Drizzle tops with more chocolate sauce and garnish with crushed peppermints, if using. (Reserve any extra chocolate sauce for another use.

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Tricia Manzanero, Prop Stylist: Keoshia McGhee

Special Equipment

Small saucepan, 2-cup heat-safe liquid measuring cup or bowl, (4-cup) heat-safe liquid measuring cup

Notes

The chocolate sauce in this recipe can be doubled and cooked as one larger batch.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Chocolate sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead. Gently reheat in microwave, whisking in 30-second intervals until heated through.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
650	Calories
26g	Fat
95g	Carbs
11g	Protein

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Nutrition Facts Servings: 2 Amount per serving Calories 650 % Daily Value* 26g 33% Saturated Fat 15g 77% 43mg 14% 173mg 8% 95g 35% Dietary Fiber 4g 13% Total Sugars 84g 11g Vitamin C 1mg 4% Calcium 328mg 25% Iron 4mg 23% Potassium 719mg 15% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)