Five Ingredient Peppermint Hot Chocolate Recipe

If you were looking for a rich, creamy, decadent, slightly peppermint-y hot chocolate, search no further. This five ingredient peppermint hot chocolate recipe is super easy to make, requires minimal ingredients, and is perfect to enjoy on a cold winter morning. I picture myself bundling up on the couch, watching a Christmas movie, and sipping on this hot chocolate.

Why you will love this peppermint hot chocolate recipe

Trust me this is the only hot chocolate recipe you will ever need. It's perfect for a cold winter morning with a butter pecan cinnamon roll, or to enjoy while decorating Christmas cookies like these peppermint shortbread cookies or cut out gingerbread cookies.

1. It is so easy to make. This recipe only requires 5 ingredients and can be whipped up in less than 5 minutes.
2. It is incredibly rich. I am a chocolate lover at heart, so this creamy, rich, and decadent hot chocolate is right up my alley.
3. It is perfectly peppermint-y. I typically am not a fan of peppermint in my desserts, but in this case, I LOVE it. The hot chocolate only has a little so it's not overwhelming, but you can always leave it out if you don't want it!

Key ingredients

• Milk: any milk really works here! Whole milk is best for a super creamy hot chocolate, but you can also use a nut or oat milk if you want. Both options are delicious!
• Cocoa powder: regular unsweetened cocoa powder is best here. It adds to that incredibly rich chocolate flavor.
• Extracts: we use vanilla extract and peppermint extract in this recipe for some flavor. If you don't want the peppermint, just leave it out!
• Semi-sweet chocolate: make sure to use good quality chocolate! I like to use semi-sweet Ghirardelli chocolate bars because one bar is the exact amount you need for this recipe. The chocolate can be in bar form or chocolate chips, but I prefer bar!
• Optional: granulated sugar: depending on what type of chocolate you use, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of sugar to sweeten. I suggest tasting it after you add the chocolate to see if you need a little more sweetness.

Steps

1. Combine the milk, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract in a sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Whisk the mixture and heat until simmering.
3. Add the chocolate to the hot mixture and stir - the chocolate will melt into the mixture.
4. Once completely melted, pour the hot chocolate into two mugs and top with whipped cream, mini marshmallows, sprinkled cocoa powder, etc.!

Recipe variations

There are a number of things you can do to spice this recipe up!

1. If you don't like peppermint, simply leave it out.
2. If you want to jazz up this recipe even more, add a dash of cinnamon, candy canes, or even some eggnog!
3. This recipe serves two, but you can always scale it down to one by cutting the ingredients in half, or scale it up by adjusting the serving size on the recipe card! Have a house full of hot cocoa drinkers? No problem there!

Baking in grams

While I provide volume measurements for the recipes on my blog, I highly suggest baking these recipes using weight. It is the most standardized and accurate way to bake. I carefully recipe test all of my recipes using a kitchen scale, not by using cups, and therefore I cannot guarantee the success of my recipes when using volume measurements.

What to pair with this peppermint hot chocolate

• Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
• Butter Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
• Peppermint Shortbread Cookies
• Peppermint Mocha Tarts
• Chewy Cut Out Gingerbread Cookies

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Tried this recipe? Make sure to rate and review and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram!