Skinny Peppermint Mocha {GF, Low Cal, Paleo, Vegan}

A warm, holiday Skinny Peppermint Mocha laden with mint and chocolate. A favorite Starbucks re-creation that’s gracious to your waistline & 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.

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Skinny Peppermint Mocha

A warm, holiday Skinny Peppermint Mocha laden with mint and chocolate. A favorite Starbucks re-creation that’s gracious to your waistline & costs less money too! Gluten Free + Low Calorie + Paleo + Vegan

Author Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 1

Calories 32 kcal

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

• 4 oz or 2/3 cup brewed black coffee I used Starbucks mocha flavored but any medium roast works
• 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 packets stevia or sweetener of choice
• 1/8 tsp peppermint extract

Toppings (optional)

• Reddiwip
• Cacao bites

Instructions

1. Brew coffee, I used leftover coffee that I stored overnight in the fridge & warmed in the microwave.

2. In a small pot, combine milk, cocoa, stevia and peppermint extract.

3. Bring to medium heat and allow to heat until cocoa powder dissolves and liquid becomes bubbly.

4. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor.

5. Blend 2-3 minutes until mixture becomes frothy and foamy.

6. Pour coffee into a coffee mug and add hot milk mixture over it.

7. Add additional toppings.

Recipe Notes

Serves 1, 32 calories without optional toppings, add more for toppings (i.e. 46 with 2 tbsp of Reddiwip)

Nutrition facts per serving (1g)

Calories 32 kcal

Fat 0 g

Saturated Fat 0 g

Cholesterol 0 mg

Sodium 0 mg

Potassium 0 mg

Carbohydrates 0 g

Fiber 0 g

Sugar 0 g

Protein 0 g

Vitamin A 0 %

Vitamin C 0 %

Calcium 0 %

Iron 0 %

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What I Used For The Recipe

Have you ever tried to re-create a favorite drink or meal at home? What’s your favorite Starbucks holiday drink?

About Megan

Megan is a certified nutrition practitioner, author, freelance food photographer and fitness instructor living in Phoenix, Arizona. On her blog, Skinny Fitalicious she shares EASY, gluten free recipes for weight loss. Follow Megan on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates.