Peppermint Iced Mocha Latte Recipe (Starbucks!)
Today we are making a copycat of Starbucks Peppermint Iced Mocha Latte Recipe! The peppermint hot mocha is probably one of the most popular coffee drinks for coffee lovers around the holidays. I swear it can convert even a non-coffee drinker! This iced latte version uses Starbucks Espresso Roast with steamed milk, mocha and peppermint syrup, topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls. You can check out the actual drink at Starbucks website here for the full ingredients list.
Although the hot mocha is an ever-popular drink during the holidays, you can now buy it year round due to the demand! Because I do enjoy the taste of chocolate & coffee, but I also love a good mint & chocolate combo. This is the exact same drink – but the milk is not steamed, and it’s all poured over ice.
The Starbucks version of this drink is a combination of chocolate coffee syrup (mocha) and peppermint syrup, which we will make at home. This is then mixed with/poured over cold coffee and milk, which is all poured over a cup of ice in a tall glass (it has to be a tall, clear glass for aesthetic purposes, right?!)
Why You’ll Love This Peppermint Iced Mocha Latte Recipe
Homemade Copycat Recipe: This easy recipe for iced coffee is one that I would rather make at home than go out of my way to buy at a coffee shop on those hot summer days when you’re lounging in your backyard, wondering what to do on a lazy August afternoon.
It’s so satisfying to see all the ingredients come together to make a beautiful coffee drink! Adding the whipped cream, topping it with a drizzle and sprinkling on the mint leaves is what I look forward to the most – putting the finishing touches on!
Personally, I find that buying this out on the regular makes for an expensive mocha with quite a lot of calories (especially getting it from Starbucks). Having the option to make a copycat version at home is a great way to save yourself an extra trip!
Substitutions: Coffee & Syrup
Instant Coffee: You can use instant powdered coffee mixed with water OR some espresso. I explain this in the ingredients below. Or, replace the 2 teaspoons of powdered coffee and quarter cup of water with just a quarter cup of cold espresso or cold brew coffee. Strong coffee tastes better than a watered down coffee here.
If using freshly brewed espresso from an espresso machine, make sure to cool down the hot coffee before using.
Milk: Oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, maybe soy milk if you like the taste, or other plant-based milk of choice can work for the one cup milk. I prefer oat milk because of the neutral but sweet taste. Even without sugar, oat milk tastes sweeter to me than cashew milk.
Cacao powder: This is the raw, unprocessed version of regular cocoa powder that’s commonly used in baked goods. Cocoa powder adds the chocolate flavor, so don’t skimp on this!
You can buy natural cacao powder in health food stores or online, or use regular cocoa powder instead (the unsweetened powder found in the baking aisle that you would use in brownies).
Sweetener: I used coconut sugar as sweetener throughout the entire recipe. You can try to use a liquid sweetener such as 100% pure maple syrup or agave syrup.
Even other dry sweeteners like xylitol or cane sugar are sweeter than coconut sugar and can be used. I’ve noticed that coconut sugar is one of the sugars with less of a sweet taste (as in, I have to use more of it to get the same sweetness as I would with say, cane sugar).
Because these other substitutions are sweeter options, the drink will taste more sugary.
Substitutions: Topping
Vegan Whipped Cream: I use Gay Lea’s brand of vegan coconut whipped cream. It comes out of a can like regular whipped cream, and that’s the one you see in the photos here. It has a bit of a coconut aftertaste, but I don’t mind it.
I haven’t seen any other vegan whipped creams in a can around local grocery stores anyways, so this is my go to! You might be able to find this (or maybe another brand) if you check any grocery store chain (or vegan speciality grocery store) in your town.
Chocolate Curls: Starbucks tops their peppermint mochas with chocolate curls. To make these, you can either take a large hole grater and a chocolate bar, or a small knife. Start shaving the sides of the chocolate if using a grater – this makes more of a chocolate sprinkle on top.
If using a knife, carefully make small, thin ribbons of chocolate by shaving the sides of the bar with the knife. This creates more of a “curl” effect. I just used a grater for the chocolate topping you see in the picture.
Fresh Mint: I used dried mint leaves on top of the drink, for aesthetic. It adds a nice touch! If you use fresh leaves, they’ll be even more of a bright green color.
Troubleshooting
- Why did my syrups clump at the bottom of the cup when mixed with the milk?
Don’t add extra milk to un-clump the mixture if this does happen. That would only dilute the flavor of the drink.
I discuss this in the recipe card below. When adding the syrups with the milk, due to the temperature difference (if the syrups are not fully cooled down after 15 minutes) they may clump up with the cold milk. This is why I recommend during the preparation steps to pulse the syrups with the milk in the blender (or even use a hand blender for the small quantity). This avoids the clumping by evenly mixing it before it gets added to the ice.
I made this recipe multiple times, and at one time had issues with the sauce clumping together and not mixing properly into the milk. So it’s a good idea to just blend everything (except the ice) and then pour it over top to ensure a creamy drink.
Peppermint Iced Mocha Latte Recipe Notes
- Melt vegan chocolate chips for a chocolate drizzle on the inside of the cup and on top of the drink if desired – more of a chocolate fix!
More Healthy Recipes You’ll Love
Iced Chocolate Oat Milk Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso
Starbucks Iced Mocha Frappuccino
If you make this Peppermint Iced Mocha Latte Recipe, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
Peppermint Iced Mocha Latte Recipe
Equipment
- Small Saucepan
- Blender
Ingredients
- 2 tsp powdered coffee
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup oat milk
- 1 cup ice
- vegan whipped cream optional
- chocolate curls optional
- fresh mint leaves optional
For the Peppermint Syrup
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract
- 1 tbsp water
For the Mocha Syrup
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp coffee powder
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- Pinch salt
- ¼ + ⅛ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the peppermint syrup first, take a small saucepan and warm it up over medium-low heat on the stovetop.
- Add the peppermint syrup ingredients and constantly whisk until it is all liquid and the sugar is dissolved in the water. It doesn't need to thicken – just until it's all dissolved and made into a syrup.
- Once done, remove from heat and pour into a small bowl. Set aside.
- To make the mocha syrup, pour all ingredients for it into a small saucepan, again over medium-low heat. Constantly whisk until it is all a liquid, then remove from heat and pour into the same bowl as the peppermint syrup.
- Allow the syrups to cool down for 15 minutes before moving to the next step.
- For the coffee, whisk together the powdered coffee and water.
- To assemble, pour the ice into a tall glass. Blend together the milk, coffee and both syrups in one pulse in the blender.
- Once everything is mixed together, pour the liquid mixture on top of the ice.
- Top with vegan whipped cream, fresh mint leaves and chocolate curls to serve!
