Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Peppermint hot chocolate is a creamy, rich drink with a bright peppermint finish. The key is using both cocoa powder and melted chocolate for depth, plus peppermint extract for clean flavor that doesn’t taste medicinal. A small amount of cornstarch thickens it to the right consistency.

Ingredients for Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Whole milk forms the base and carries all the flavors. Heavy cream makes it luxurious and helps it coat your mouth. Unsweetened cocoa powder brings chocolate depth without extra sweetness. Semisweet chocolate, chopped fine, melts smoothly into the liquid and adds richness. Sugar sweetens the drink to balance the cocoa. Cornstarch thickens it slightly so it feels substantial. Peppermint extract gives the bright mint flavor. Salt brings out the chocolate and prevents the drink from tasting flat. Whipped cream is a topping that melts into the hot drink.

Why This Peppermint Hot Chocolate Works

Cocoa powder alone tastes thin and dusty. When you add melted chocolate, the cocoa butter in it makes the drink silky and rounds out the chocolate flavor. The cornstarch keeps everything from separating as it sits and gives the drink body without making it gritty.

Peppermint extract is much stronger than fresh peppermint, so a small amount goes a long way. Salt seems like an odd addition, but it cuts through the richness and makes the chocolate taste deeper. Whisking everything together over medium heat dissolves the cocoa and sugar evenly so you don’t get gritty spots or clumps.

Mistakes To Avoid

Boiling the milk breaks the fat and makes the drink grainy and separated. Keep the heat at medium and watch for steam rising from the surface, not a rolling bubble.

Forgetting to whisk the cocoa powder into a paste with a little milk first means it clumps when it hits the hot liquid. Mix the cocoa, sugar, salt, and cornstarch with a few tablespoons of cold milk to a smooth slurry before adding it to the rest.

Adding peppermint extract all at once can make it taste like toothpaste if you use too much or the flavor turns sharp and harsh. Add it slowly and taste as you go, especially if your extract is particularly strong.

Skipping the salt makes the drink one-note and overly sweet. Even 1/4 teaspoon deepens the chocolate flavor and balances the sugar.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Whipped cream for topping

Step-by-step Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of cold milk to the cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth and lump-free, making a paste.
3. Pour whole milk and heavy cream into a small saucepan and set over medium heat.
4. When small bubbles form around the edge, after about 4 minutes, slowly pour the cocoa paste into the hot milk while whisking constantly.
5. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until fully melted and smooth, about 1 minute.
6. Continue whisking and heat until the drink reaches 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
7. Remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract.
8. Pour into two mugs and top each with a dollop of whipped cream.