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Rich, creamy vegan peppermint hot chocolate that you can have ready in just 5 minutes! No packets are needed for this cozy, homemade dairy-free drink.
Make just one mug or make a big batch in a slow cooker to warm up with on a cold day or to celebrate during the holidays. You can also top it with crushed candy canes, vegan marshmallows, non-dairy whipped cream, or whatever you prefer.
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There's no need to reserve this vegan peppermint hot chocolate for Christmas time or during the holiday season. Yes, chocolate mint is a flavour combo we associate with the holidays, but there's nothing wrong with enjoying this creamy drink any time of year.
It's one of my favourite hot drinks to warm up with on a cold day and I hope it becomes one of yours, too!
Before you head down to read all about preparing this recipe, you may want to bookmark these other vegan warm, cozy drinks to make:
- Vegan Peppermint Mocha
- Vegan Gingerbread Latte
- Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
- Almond Milk Latte
- Vegan Chai Latte
- Vegan Hot Chocolate
- Oat Milk Latte
- Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Vegan Hot Chocolate Mix
Ingredients You'll Need
Just six simple ingredients are needed to make this dairy-free peppermint hot chocolate recipe, find info about each ingredient below along with what you can and cannot substitute.
Ingredient and Substitution Notes
Dairy-Free Milk - Use unflavoured, unsweetened plant milk so you have full control over how sweet it is and that it has the rich, chocolaty flavour it's supposed to have. Any type will work (soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, etc.).
Coconut Milk - The thing that makes this peppermint hot chocolate rich and creamy is the use of canned coconut milk. It also helps to make the hot chocolate a little thicker. I use "lite" canned coconut milk but you can also use full-fat coconut milk.
If you don't have or can't have canned coconut milk, replace it with more dairy-free milk.
Cocoa Powder - Unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, the same type of cocoa you bake with, will give you the richest most chocolaty flavour. Cacao powder can be used in this recipe but the flavour will be different than classic hot chocolate. (Read this article to find out which cocoa powder brands are vegan AND Fairtrade)
Sweetener - I use maple syrup as the sweetener, but you can also use brown sugar, coconut sugar, regular sugar or any other natural sweetener to taste (make sure the sugar is vegan, organic cane sugar is always vegan). Sugar alternatives can also be used, adjust the amount as needed.
The recipe gives a range for the amount of syrup to add. Start with the smallest amount and adjust based on how sweet you like it. Since different sweeteners are sweeter than others, if you will not be using maple syrup, start with a small amount of what you are using and build from there.
Chocolate Chips - Chocolate chips are added to give extra richness and decadence and to thicken it a little, I usually use dark chocolate chips. If you don't have chocolate chips, good quality chopped semi-sweet chocolate will also work OR if you want to make vegan mint hot cocoa without chocolate, you can leave the chocolate chips out.
If you aren't sure which brands make vegan chocolate chips, read through this article: "Are Chocolate Chips Vegan?" to find an extensive list of brands to look for.
Peppermint Extract - Make sure you are using pure peppermint extract and NOT mint extract or spearmint extract since they do not have the same flavour. I have not tested this recipe with peppermint oil, but I do know that a little goes a long way, so if that is all you have, just start with a drop or two and you will have to go by taste to decide how much is enough. If you do use peppermint oil, make sure that it's edible since all of them are not edible!
How to Make It
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step on how to make this recipe here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
1. Add dairy-free milk and coconut milk to a small saucepan.
2. Add the cocoa powder and whisk the mixture together. At first, the cocoa powder will resist being mixed in, but keep going, it will eventually combine. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Place the pot over medium-high heat.
3. Add the chocolate chips and continue to whisk until they have all melted. Continue heating until the mixture is steaming, don't allow it to boil.
4. Add the maple syrup and at this point, give it a taste (be careful, it's hot!). If you don't find it sweet enough, add more until you reach the level of sweetness you prefer.
5. Add the peppermint extract, taste again, and add more if necessary.
DID YOU KNOW: Extract flavours (all of them, even peppermint and vanilla extract) can be diminished if they are simmered or boiled. This is why you add the peppermint extract after the heating has ended, to preserve all of the peppermint flavour.
Carefully pour the steaming hot chocolate into your mug(s) and you can serve it as it is, or you can add a topping or two, see some suggestions below!
Optional Toppings
You can enjoy your mint hot chocolate plain, or you can add some toppings, here are a few options:
- vegan marshmallows - I use and love Dandies brand
- vegan whipped cream - you can make your own coconut whipped cream or you can buy it (find a list of vegan whipped cream brands in this article: "Is Cool Whip Vegan?")
- Crushed candy canes (find out which brands make vegan candy canes by reading this article: "Are Candy Canes Vegan?") or you can add a candy cane to your mug as a stir stick!
- shaved chocolate or mini vegan chocolate chips
- cocoa powder or cacao nibs
Make it for a Crowd
This recipe makes one serving but it's so delicious, you may want to make a big batch for a special occasion.
Simply multiply the recipe based on how many servings you'd like and then prepare it in a large pot or you can also simmer it in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot / pressure cooker.
Slow Cooker / Crockpot
Add both types of milk and cocoa powder to your slow cooker and whisk well. Next, add the chocolate chips and set the slow cooker to low.
Cook until the hot chocolate is hot, the chocolate has melted, and all the ingredients have combined well, this will take 2-3 hours. During the cooking time, whisk every 30 minutes. This is to prevent the chocolate from sticking to the bottom of the crockpot.
After the cooking time has passed, add the sweetener, taste, and adjust as necessary. Turn the slow cooker down to warm and let it sit until you are ready to serve. Right before serving, add the peppermint extract to taste, stir before serving, and then ladle the hot chocolate into mugs and garnish.
Instant Pot
Set your pressure cooker to sauté, then add both types of milk and the cocoa powder and whisk well. Next, add the chocolate chips and continue to whisk until they have melted, the mixture is smooth, and the hot chocolate is steaming, this will take 2-3 minutes.
Once it is steaming, press cancel and set the Instant Pot to warm mode. Add the sweetener, taste, and adjust as necessary. While it's resting, give it a whisk now and then so the ingredients don't settle at the bottom.
When you are ready to serve, add the peppermint extract to taste, stir, then ladle it into mugs and garnish as you like.
NOTE: Don't use the pressure cook function to heat your hot chocolate, it does not need to be heated that high.
Tips for Success
- Use unsweetened, unflavoured milk. This will allow you to control both the sweetness and flavour.
- Sift the cocoa powder before adding it to the milk. This will make whisking the cocoa powder into the milk easier.
- Heat the mixture only until it's steaming. Any type of milk, dairy-free or not, can scorch and boil over quickly, so remove it from the heat before it starts to boil.
- Different brands of peppermint extract vary in strength, so start by adding a small amount and then adjust as needed.
- Adjust the amount of sweetener you add to suit your taste. Use less or more depending on how you like it. Sweet toppings like whipped cream or marshmallows will also add sweetness to your drink.
- Read through the recipe before getting started and read through this post from top to bottom for lots of tips to make the recipe perfect every single time.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.
In case you're looking for something delicious to enjoy with your peppermint hot chocolate, how about one of these vegan gluten-free cookies?
If You Make This Recipe...
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If You Like This Recipe...
You may also like these other vegan chocolate mint recipes:
Vegan Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (240ml) unsweetened dairy-free milk (I use almond)
- ¼ cup (60ml) coconut milk (full fat or light, see note below)
- 4 ½ teaspoons (8g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons (23g) chocolate chips
- 2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or sweetener of choice, see note below)
- ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract (see note below)
- coconut whip, marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, or crushed candy canes to garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- Add dairy-free milk and coconut milk to a small pot.
- Add the cocoa powder and whisk the mixture until there are no lumps and the cocoa powder has fully incorporated into the milk. Place the pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the chocolate chips and continue to whisk until they have all melted.
- Continue heating until the mixture is steaming, don't allow it to boil. When it's steaming, remove the pot from the heat.
- Add the maple syrup and carefully taste it (be careful, it's hot!). If it's not sweet enough, add more until you reach the level of sweetness you prefer.
- Add ⅛ teaspoon of the peppermint extract, whisk again and taste. If it needs more, add another ⅛ of a teaspoon.
- Add toppings (optional).
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the information above, as well as the notes below before making this recipe.
- This recipe makes 1 ¼ cups of mint hot chocolate but it can be doubled, tripled or quadrupled if needed. If you need to make a larger amount, multiply the recipe by the number of servings required and it can either be made in a large pot on the stove top or warmed slowly in a slow cooker / crockpot or pressure cooker. See the info above for more information on making a large amount.
- For the best results, use unsweetened, unflavoured dairy-free milk to control the flavour and sweetness. If all you have is sweetened milk, you will need to adjust the sweetener you add accordingly.
- If you don't have maple syrup, sugar can be used such as brown, coconut, cane, or white. Sugar alternatives can also be used.
- Keep a close eye on the chocolate mixture while it's heating, hot chocolate can scorch and boil over quickly, so only heat until it's steaming and remove it from the heat before it starts to boil.
- Whisk continuously until the chocolate chips have melted so they don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
- To make it in the microwave, add the milk and cocoa powder to a mug and whisk, and then add the chocolate chips and microwave in 25-30 second intervals, whisking in between each interval, until it's steaming. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't boil. Proceed with step 5.
- Nutrition info is for the full recipe prepared as written using unsweetened, unflavoured almond milk, lite canned coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and without any toppings and garnishes. The data below is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is determined on this website.
Nutrition Info:
This recipe was updated in March 2023 to add more helpful info and images.
Bethany @ athletic avocado says
peppermint + chocolate is seriously one of the most comforting food combinations! The hot chocolate makes me feel all cozy and warm inside!
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
It's one of my favourite flavour combos! Thanks, Bethany!