Kat's Kitchen

Arguably the two best holiday drinks are the Peppermint Mocha and the Peppermint White Mocha. There’s just something so cozy and wonderful about the peppermint-chocolate-espresso combo that just screams Christmas time and chilly weather. I posted my Peppermint Mocha recipe the other day, and today we’ll be covering the White Mocha version. Let’s dive into the ingredients needed to make a fabulous Peppermint White Mocha at home!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Peppermint Syrup: I love the Torani Peppermint Syrup or the Peppermint Bark Sauce for an easy store-bought version! You could also make your own Homemade Peppermint Syrup with peppermint extract, sugar, and water. Making it at home is super easy and you can have a big batch ready to go for the week in about 10 minutes! Feel free to use a sugar substitue like monk fruit or stevia in your homemade syrup, or use the Torani Sugar Free Peppermint Syrup!

White Chocolate Sauce: My favorite store bought option is the Torani White Chocolate Sauce. It has a delicious rich and sweet white chocolate flavor that compliments the peppermint syrup flavor so perfectly in this recipe. If you prefer making the sauce from scratch, see the “Homemade White Chocolate Sauce” section later in this recipe!

Espresso: All Peppermint White Mochas require espresso as one of the ingredients. See my 5 Ways to Make Espresso at Home blog post for all the different ways you can make espresso at home. It doesn’t matter which method you choose, simply follow the espresso making steps to get your espresso shots, and then use that to make your own hot or iced Peppermint White Mocha at home!

Milk: Starbucks uses 2% milk in this recipe, so if you’re trying to get the most accurate result as Starbucks, I recommend using 2% milk, but feel free to use any milk your heart desires! For an iced Peppermint White Mocha you’ll use cold milk straight from the fridge, and for a hot Peppermint White Mocha, you’ll need to steam your milk before adding to your cup. I’ll share the various ways to steam milk later in this post.

Ice: If you’re wanting an iced Peppermint White Mocha, you will need ice to chill the drink. For a hot version, you do not need any ice.

Whipped cream: Whipped cream is an essential ingredient of any mocha. It’s the perfect creamy topping for an iced or hot drink version. If you’re not a whipped cream fan, you can add cold foam instead, or try a cold foam creamer!

Optional Toppings: My favorite Peppermint White Mocha toppings include: Crushed Candy Cane, Chocolate Shavings, Holiday Sprinkles, Chocolate Sauce Drizzle, or Cocoa Powder. These toppings are totally optional, but they add an extra layer of texture, flavor, and fun to your coffee, making your at home recipes, a little extra special!

How To Make Espresso At Home

Espresso is an essential ingredient in all mochas, and it’s a type of coffee that you cannot buy from the store, but rather, you need to make it yourself at home. There are five ways to make espresso at home:

• Instant Espresso Powder
• Nespresso Machine
• Moka Pot
• Aeropress
• Espresso Machine

See my 5 Ways To Make Espresso At Home blog post for step by step instructions of each espresso making method!

What’s The Best Coffee For Espresso?

If you are using an espresso machine, a Moka Pot, or an Aeropress to make espresso, these are my recommended coffees:

• Laka Java Wahine Blonde Roast Espresso (Use code: katerinafaith for 10% off)
• Press Coffee Spitball Espresso Beans
• Press Coffee Twitch Espresso Beans
• Blue Bottle Coffee Espresso Beans

If you are using a Nespresso machine, these are my recommended espresso pods:

• Double Espresso Dolce
• Double Espresso Chairo
• Orafio
• Peru Organic

If you are using instant espresso powder, these are my recommended espresso powders:

• Nescafe Gold Instant Espresso (light/blonde roast)
• Cafe Bustelo Instant Espresso (dark roast)

Note for instant espresso, I like to follow the following ratios:

• Single shot: 1/4 tablespoon instant espresso + 1.25 ounces warm water
• Double shot: 1/2 tablespoon instant espresso + 2.5 ounces warm water
• Triple shot: 3/4 tablespoon instant espresso + 3.75 ounces warm water
• Quad shot: 1 tablespoon instant espresso + 5 ounces warm water

What is a “Shot” of Espresso?

A common espresso term you’ll see a lot is a “shot” of espresso. When you brew espresso using an espresso machine, the liquid that comes out of the machine is considered a shot, since the machine pushes out the liquid at high pressure.

• A single shot or one shot of espresso is roughly 1.25 ounces of liquid.
• A double shot is roughly 2.5 ounces of liquid.
• A tripe shot is roughly 3.75 ounces of liquid.
• A quad shot is roughly 5 ounces of liquid.

How To Steam Milk For a Hot Peppermint White Mocha

Hot Peppermint White Mochas require steamed milk as one of the ingredients. To steam milk at home, you have a few options:

1. Steam Wand: If you have an espresso machine with a steam wand attached to it, watch this Milk Steaming Video Tutorial for how to steam milk! You simply add milk to a milk frothing pitcher, insert the tip of the steam wand into the milk, and create air bubbles, heat and texture to create perfect, velvety steamed milk at home!
2. Electric Milk Frother: Add your milk to an electric milk frother, and select the hot setting. The milk frother will heat the milk as well as create a thick and foamy texture. The texture will be a little different than a typical steam wand, but it’s very similar and pleasant, and a great option if you don’t have an espresso machine with a steam wand.
3. Handheld Milk Frother: Add cold milk to a large coffee mug and place the mug in the microwave for 60 seconds. Alternatively, you can heat up milk in a pot on the stove until warm, just make sure to constantly stir it so it doesn’t burn. Once your milk is warm, insert a handheld milk frother into the warm milk. Froth the mixture until the milk doubles in size and becomes bubbly and frothy, and you have steamed milk for your hot Peppermint Mocha!

Note, for an iced peppermint white mocha, you do not need to warm or steam the milk. Simply skip this step, and use cold milk straight from the fridge.

Do You Have a Homemade Peppermint Syrup Recipe?

Yes I do! See my 3-ingredient Homemade Peppermint Syrup recipe to make your own syrup from scratch in only 10 minutes!

Homemade White Chocolate Sauce:

Note, you can completely skip this section if you are using a store bought sauce like the Torani White Chocolate Sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup half & half
• 8 ounces white chocolate chips/bark
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Instructions:

1. Start by heating up 1/2 cup half and half in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the half and half to a slight boil and remove the pan from the heat.
2. Once the half and half is off the heat, add your 8 ounces of white chocolate chips or bark to the half and half, and stir vigorously until the chocolate is fully melted, and the mixture is smooth.
3. Once the half and half and white chocolate is fully combined, add in your 2 teaspoons of butter. Stir until the butter is fully melted and incorporated into the mixture. This step is crucial for creating that luxurious and indulgent white mocha texture.
4. Pour your white chocolate sauce into a mason jar or an airtight container to be used in your homemade white mochas. This homemade white chocolate sauce will stay good in the fridge for up to two weeks. Note, the sauce will thicken in the fridge.

How To Make An Iced Peppermint White Mocha

1. Add Peppermint Syrup and White Chocolate Sauce to a cup, and brew 2 shots of espresso over the top. See my 5 Ways To Make Espresso blog post for various espresso making methods.
2. Stir together the espresso and sweeteners until fully combined.
3. Next, pour in the milk, and fill the cup up with ice. Stir everything together to combine the flavors and chill the entire drink.
4. Top with whipped cream and your desired toppings: Crushed Candy Cane, Chocolate Shavings, Holiday Sprinkles, Chocolate Sauce Drizzle, or Cocoa Powder, and enjoy your homemade Iced Peppermint White Mocha!

How To Make A Hot Peppermint Mocha

1. Add Peppermint Syrup and White Chocolate Sauce to a cup, and brew 2 shots of espresso over the top. See my 5 Ways To Make Espresso blog post for various espresso making methods.
2. Stir together the espresso and sweeteners until fully combined.
3. Next, steam your milk using a steam wand, aerroccino, or warm milk in a pot or in the microwave, and froth with a handheld milk frother until foamy. Pour the steamed/frothed milk over the peppermint-white chocolate-espresso mixture.
4. Top with whipped cream and your desired toppings: Crushed Candy Cane, Chocolate Shavings, Holiday Sprinkles, Chocolate Sauce Drizzle, or Cocoa Powder, and enjoy your homemade Hot Peppermint White Mocha!

What Ratios Does Starbucks Use?

I like my white mochas to be a bit more coffee tasting than milky tasting, so my ratios are a slightly different from Starbucks. If you want to most accurately replicate the Starbucks ratios for a Peppermint White Mocha, follow these ratios:

ICED PEPPERMINT WHITE MOCHA

	TALL	GRANDE	VENTI
PEPPERMINT SYRUP	1.5 PUMPS (3/4 TBSP)	2 PUMPS (1 TBSP)	3 PUMPS (1.5 TBSP)
WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE	1.5 PUMPS (3/4 TBSP)	2 PUMPS (1 TBSP)	3 PUMPS (1.5 TBSP)
ESPRESSO SHOTS	1	2	3
MILK	8 OUNCES	10 OUNCES	12 OUNCES
ICE	TO TOP OF CUP	TO TOP OF CUP	TO TOP OF CUP

HOT PEPPERMINT WHITE MOCHA

	SHORT	TALL	GRANDE	VENTI
PEPPERMINT SYRUP	1 PUMP (1/2 TBSP)	1.5 PUMPS (3/4 TBSP)	2 PUMPS (1 TBSP)	3 PUMPS (1.5 TBSP)
WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE	1 PUMP (1/2 TBSP)	1.5 PUMPS (3/4 TBSP)	2 PUMPS (1 TBSP)	3 PUMPS (1.5 TBSP)
ESPRESSO SHOTS	1	1	2	2
MILK	6 OUNCES	8 OUNCES	10 OUNCES	12 OUNCES

How Can I Make This Dairy Free?

To make a dairy free peppermint white mocha:

• For a dairy free white chocolate sauce, simply use a dairy free sweetened condensed milk like sweetened condensed coconut milk or sweetened condensed oat milk!
• Make your own Homemade White Chocolate Sauce using a dairy free half & half and and dairy free white chocolate chips/bark.
• Use any dairy free milk instead of 2% milk: oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, etc
• Use a dairy free whipped topping! Most grocery stores sell oat milk or coconut milk whipped topping options! You can also make your own homemade dairy free whipped cream using a whipped cream dispenser, an N20 charger, vanilla syrup, and dairy free heavy whipping cream!
• Use dairy free toppings like sprinkles, crushed candy cane, Chocolate Sauce Drizzle, or cocoa powder.

How Can I Make This Lower Sugar/Lower Calories?

To make a lower sugar/lower calorie Peppermint White Mocha at home, make as many of the modifications below as you would like:

1. Use the Sugar Free White Chocolate Sauce
2. Use the Torani Sugar Free Peppermint Syrup
3. Make your own Homemade Peppermint Syrup using a sugar free substitue like monk fruit or stevia
4. Make your own Homemade White Chocolate Sauce using sugar free white chocolate chips
5. Use unsweetened almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk or soy milk instead of 2% milk
6. Use a sugar free whipped topping or skip the whipped cream altogether

More Holiday Recipes to Try

• Starbucks Sugar Cookie Cold Foam
• Starbucks Sugar Cookie Latte
• Homemade Starbucks Sugar Cookie Syrup
• Homemade Starbucks Caramel Brûlée Sauce
• Homemade Gingerbread Syrup