Make your own homemade Peppermint Mocha Frappe with this delicious, easy recipe. It will save you money and is a great way to use up that leftover coffee!
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Several weeks ago after enjoying a peppermint mocha frappuccino at Starbucks, I decided it was time to figure out how to make my own at home. I’m fine with spending the occasional $4 to enjoy the pleasure of sipping on one of my favorite drinks. But the thing is, I really wanted to be able to enjoy a peppermint mocha frappe any time that I wanted to. And the prospect of being able to do that for a mere fraction of what I typically spend at Starbucks was just icing on the cake!
So I got to work, using my easy Caramel Frappe recipe as a starting point. It was a tough job- you know, having to drink multiple glasses of frappuccinos for taste testing. Yup, totally a hardship. 🙂
I first tried chocolate syrup to get the chocolate-y flavor I was looking for, but it was just way too sweet and much too mild. I knew that wasn’t going to cut it, so I grabbed the cocoa powder. Whohoo! It was the perfect, rich depth of flavor that I was looking for! After a few more experiments to find the right amount of peppermint extract, I finally was satisfied that I had created a homemade Peppermint Mocha Frappe that even Starbucks would be proud of! In fact, my husband and I both agreed that this homemade version is actually tastier than Starbucks. But don’t just take our word for it, be the judge and try it for yourself!
How to Make a Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 ½ cups strong coffee, frozen into cubes*
- ¾ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (or more to taste)
– I use about 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar and a scant ½ teaspoon powdered stevia - 1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder
- 5 to 7 drops peppermint extract
- whipped cream and chocolate shavings
- Place all ingredients except whipped cream in blender. Blend until ice cubes are crushed. If you have trouble getting it thoroughly blended, let it sit for a couple of minutes and try again. (I’ve discovered that if you let it set for 15 to 20 minutes before blending it works much better! I just get it ready as soon as I get up in the morning and by the time I get dressed and eat my breakfast, it’s ready to blend!)
- Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
YIELDS: 2 small servings or one generous serving
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Tammy @ Posh Patterns Blog says
February 16, 2015 at 10:48 AMOh my goodness!! Starbucks Peppermint Mochas are my favorite. 🙂 I will definitely be trying this one!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
February 16, 2015 at 11:33 AMTammy, I hope you love it as much as we do! It’s always fun to be able to make your favorites at home to enjoy any old time you want….and save money in the process!
Rosie says
February 16, 2015 at 2:24 PMSounds delicious! Would this work as a cold drink, made with fresh coffee? It is cold here and while I will save this recipe for summer, I sometimes like to make warm versions of my drinks.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
February 16, 2015 at 4:09 PMRosie, I’m pretty sure it would! In fact, I’m hoping to work on a hot version sometime….it’s in my line-up of blog post ideas. 🙂 The only issue you might have is getting the cocoa powder to blend in well. If you have an electric frother, that would probably help. Enjoy!
Jennifer | The Deliberate Mom says
February 19, 2015 at 11:56 AMAhhhh! Reading this totally made me crave it! LOL
I’m pinning this to my Deliberate DRINKS board.
Thanks for sharing and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop.
Wishing you a lovely day.
xoxo
ThriftyFrugalMom says
February 19, 2015 at 12:35 PMWish I could make you one to satisfy your cravings, Jennifer! And thank YOU for hosting the link up and for pinning. 🙂
Emily says
February 19, 2015 at 6:49 PMThe peppermint mocha is my yearly splurge at Starbucks each holiday season! This seems like an easy enough recipe that I could try making it. Thanks for enduring all of the taste testing in order to share this recipe. 😉
ThriftyFrugalMom says
February 20, 2015 at 11:07 AMOh, yeah, make it and have fun splurging any time you want! And all those taste testings were a real hardship. Ah, the things that we bloggers have to do! 🙂
Marissa says
February 19, 2015 at 9:04 PMyum! thanks for the recipe:)
ThriftyFrugalMom says
February 20, 2015 at 10:44 AMSure thing, Marissa! Hope you enjoy it. 🙂
Katie | The Surly Housewife says
February 21, 2015 at 10:40 PMI love peppermint mochas!! I always get so sad when the seasonal drinks are gone from Starbucks. This is a perfect alternative 🙂
Stopping by from the ShineHop!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
February 23, 2015 at 2:31 PMI always hate when my favorite seasonal drinks are gone too! It’s just one of the reasons I love making my own version at home when I can.
Enjoy!
Kayla says
February 23, 2015 at 6:02 PMThis looks amazing! I especially like the peppermint on the rim 🙂
ThriftyFrugalMom says
February 23, 2015 at 6:28 PMThanks, Kayla! It is actually colored sugar that is peppermint flavored. 🙂 Kind of perfect for this recipe!
AdoringFamily says
February 24, 2015 at 7:39 PMThis sounds delicious! I too would like to try it hot. I have an immersion blender so hopefully that will burns the cocoa. Thank you for posting 🙂 I’m pinning as well!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
February 24, 2015 at 8:33 PMI hope you enjoy it! Yes, I really need to work on the hot version. I tend to be a cold beverage girl, even during the winter months. But I do like hot drinks occasionally too.
Bridget/The Recipe Wench says
February 28, 2015 at 1:24 AMHahaha! Yes, we do make a lot of “sacrifices” when we research and fine-tune recipes. Cocktail recipe research is especially grueling! I’ve pinned this frappe recipe — it sounds perfect. Thanks for sharing at the Inspire Me Mondays Link-Up. Consider me inspired! See you next week!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
February 28, 2015 at 10:10 AMYes, it’s a hard life taste testing and fine-tuning recipes! 🙂 So happy you were inspired and hope you enjoy the peppermint mocha frappe!
Emily says
November 22, 2015 at 8:30 PMPeppermint is such a great treat this time of year! I always have leftover coffee that I use in iced coffee for an afternoon pick me up, but this sounds like a great use for the leftovers too.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
November 23, 2015 at 8:57 AMI like iced coffee, but for some reason, I like the frappe form even better! But obviously, you could always just add the cocoa and peppermint to your iced coffee too. 😉 I just made my first Peppermint Mocha Frappe of the season and am enjoying as I type. Yum!
Ali says
October 14, 2017 at 9:03 AMthe very best thing? none of the long list of chemicals that Starbucks uses in all their beverages!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
October 14, 2017 at 11:01 AMYes!! One of the big reasons I love it too. 🙂