Peppermint White Hot Chocolate

Dec 12, 2022

With an intense white chocolate flavor, this Peppermint White Hot Chocolate is the perfect drink for the Holidays!

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With the weather getting cold, it is time for some hot chocolate. This Peppermint White Hot Chocolate has an intense white chocolate flavor with a touch of peppermint. Served with homemade whipped cream and crushed candy canes, this is the perfect drink for the holidays!

white hot chocolate dripping from the sides of the mug and topped with crushed candy cane

Right now, every coffee chain has some peppermint drink on the menu. I will be honest, I am not the biggest fan of peppermint or peppermint flavored drinks. It’s not that I don’t like it at all. I do enjoy peppermint flavored treats in small quantities especially over the holidays (like these Peppermint Macarons are a favorite)! Sometimes the flavor gets too overpowering and that’s when I don’t like them.

So, during the holidays if I want to enjoy something peppermint, I make this Peppermint White Chocolate at home. I add just enough peppermint to give it that subtle flavor without going overboard. Peppermint flavor is really strong, and a bit too much of the extract and your drink can taste like toothpaste (been there, done that).

Sarvesh loves white hot chocolate so this definitely makes a wonderful treat for him to enjoy as well. This white hot chocolate is seriously easy to make. All you need is milk (and cream if you wish to make it creamier), some white chocolate, peppermint extract and vanilla extract. Adding vanilla extract is optional but I do like adding it since it kind of balances the whole peppermint flavor in the drink.

Step by Step Instructions

1- To a pan on medium heat, add 1 & 1/2 cups of whole milk. You can also use skim milk if you like.

2- Then add 1/2 cup of heavy cream. You can also use just 2 cups of whole milk as well. The addition of heavy cream just makes it richer and creamier.

3- Chop 4 oz of white chocolate into small pieces and then add it to the milk and cream mixture.

4- Add 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract. You can skip the vanilla extract if you want and even double the peppermint extract. I like only subtle peppermint flavor so this amount works well for me.

step by step picture collage of making peppermint white hot chocolate

5- Stir using a wire whisk until the chocolate melts and everything is well combined and the hot chocolate is heated through. There’s no need to boil the mixture but heat it up well and then remove the pan from heat.

6- Take your serving glass and apply a little honey on the rim of the serving mug/glass. Dip the rim into a plate of crushed candy cane, since we applied honey, the crushed candy cane will stick to the rim. You can skip this step if you wish, it is for presentation only.

7- Pour the peppermint white hot chocolate into a serving mug.

8- Top with whipped cream and some more of the crushed candy cane. Serve immediately.

Serving Suggestion

To make the drink look festive, I like to decorate the mug in which I serve the drink with some crushed candy cane. This is of course optional but does make it look Christmas-y.

Crush some candy canes using a mortar and pestle. Then coat the rim of the mug with some honey or corn syrup. Dip that rim in a plate of crushed candy cane. The crushed candy canes will stick to the rim. Now, pour your hot chocolate in the mug, top with some fresh whipped cream and some more crushed candy cane.

You can even place a candy cane on the side of the mug before serving. Now that does make it look so festive, doesn’t it?

Notes

Using vanilla extract is optional. I like to add it since it balances out the peppermint extract but you can skip it.
For a stronger peppermint flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract. For me that’s a bit too much, so I use 1/4 teaspoon only.
You can use just whole milk here, adding cream makes it richer and creamer but just like also works fine. You can even use half & half.
If you are not a fan of white chocolate and want to make a peppermint hot chocolate, you can definitely use regular or dark chocolate here.

white hot chocolate served in a blue mug topped with whipped cream and crushed candy cane

This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in December 2015.

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