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A warm, holiday Skinny Peppermint Mocha laden with mint and chocolate. A favorite Starbucks re-creation that's gracious to your waistline and costs less money too! Gluten Free + Low Calorie + Paleo + Vegan
Happy Happy Friday Dearies! I'm so glad it's Friday. I'm feeling a little stressed because I have no Christmas shopping done. My parents finalized this week their plans to visit AZ over the holidays. We weren't sure if holiday celebrations would happen.
We've had a lot going on this year and I was sort of wanting to ignore the holidays. Now that they're coming, I'm glad but I gotta boogie and get organized. It's been a long week and my head hurts. I need more caffeine to make me happy.
Every time I type the word "happy" it reminds me of that song "Happy" from Despicable Me 2. That song has been overplayed so much I can hardly stand hearing it anymore. It such a snappy song. Every time I see or hear the word "happy" the song automatically plays in my head.
I can't wait for a new song to take over because that one makes me anything but happy. Something that does make me happy. A Starbucks skinny peppermint mocha.
I used to be a mocha-holic. Seriously they were a staple in my diet for years. The holiday peppermint mochas are my absolute favorite. It wasn't until I started losing weight that I realized how many zillion calories were in them though.
To meet my weight loss goals, I couldn't continue drinking them every single day. So we broke up. Well not technically. I gave them up temporarily until I lost weight and now have them in moderation and on special occasions.
Every year I treat myself to a peppermint mocha on my birthday with my birthday reward from my Starbucks app. That's when they make their appearance along with the holiday red cups. But for some reason it didn't happen this year.
Maybe because it was too hot in the desert a few weeks ago to even think about one or maybe I was in too much pain to want anything but to saw my foot off. That probably would've hurt more though.
I finally got my birthday peppermint mocha last weekend when I was at Starbucks catching up on blog work. I've been hanging out at Starbucks on the weekends a lot lately.
Mostly to get myself out of the house and focus on getting work done vs being so scattered here and there at my house. I swear adult ADD is real. It forces me to put a time limit on my work and I need boundaries right now.
It's become my new thing. This weekend when I was doing my Starbucks thing, it dawned on me that I should try to make my own skinny peppermint mocha. I can make almost anything so why not a fancy coffee? Probably for less calories too.
So I got to work and made my own fancy peppermint mocha and for 1/3 of the calories too. The steam off -> a Starbucks tall skinny peppermint mocha will set you back 100 calories. Mine is just 30 calories (as long as you don't get crazy with toppings).
I'm really proud of myself with this creation. You have no idea what it's like to go without something you love for so long only to find a healthier substitution for it that won't cost you your waistline. Trust me on this one.
This tastes exactly like a Starbucks peppermint mocha, but without the calories or cost. Now it does take a few extra minutes to make, but it's actually quite easy and you don't need any fancy coffee making equipment.
Just brew your favorite coffee (I used Starbucks mocha flavored coffee), warm a little almond milk, peppermint extract and cocoa powder on the stove, blend the milk mixture a few minutes, then add to your coffee and you have yourself a little peppermint mocha-chino.
Now that I discovered just how easy it is to make this I will be whipping it up all winter long. Just call me barista Megan.
Skinny Peppermint Mocha
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Espresso large 2 ounce shot
- 1 cup Milk of choice
- 1/2 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder or cacao powder
- 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
- stevia to taste or sweetener of choice to taste
Toppings (optional)
- Reddiwip or use coconut whip for dairy free
- Mini Chocolate Chips a sprinkle
- Crushed Peppermint Candy
Instructions
- Make the espresso then in a small pot, combine milk, cocoa powder, stevia and peppermint extract.
- Bring to medium heat for 2-3 minutes until cocoa powder dissolves and liquid becomes bubbly.
- Pour into a large coffee cup with the espresso then use a handheld foamer to blend until it becomes frothy and foamy. Add additional toppings as desired and enoy!
Notes
- This low calorie peppermint mocha coffee creamer recipe is also easy to make ahead, store in the refrigerator and pour over warm coffee.
- You can substitute a 1/2 cup of coffee in this recipe for the espresso.
Nutrition
What I Used For The Recipe
This was delicious, I added my collagen peptides to add some protein and next time I will make sure I have my coconut whipped cream on hand! Thanks!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I am trying to cut back and thought I had to give up my peppermint mocha. You are a lifesaver.
Looks yummy can’t wait to try it!! I just spent five bucks on one at Starbucks. Any ideas on how to make a Frappuccino one. Thx!!!
Just made mine! It is absolutely delicious. If only I had whipped cream to go on top! I can't wait to make a frappe next time!
So glad! I'm thinking about turning this recipe into a cookie soon. 🙂