Peppermint Hot Chocolate

There’s nothing better than a cup of peppermint hot chocolate for the holidays! This peppermint hot chocolate is rich and creamy with the best minty flavor. Your family will love sipping on it all winter long!

You really can’t go wrong with homemade hot chocolate for Christmastime. With these tasty recipes, you may even want to make it year-round! Try out this white hot chocolate, cookies and cream hot chocolate, or hot chocolate bombs next!

Homemade Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Isn’t it crazy that Christmas is only a few days away? There’s no better way to relax and unwind during the busy holiday season than with a big pot of homemade hot chocolate. Today’s recipe is rich and creamy hot chocolate infused with delicious minty flavor! It’s one of my family’s favorite recipes to make around Christmastime.

Good news is, this peppermint hot chocolate takes less than 10 minutes to make. It’s a quick and easy treat that will warm you up from the inside out! Serve this hot chocolate up with some mini marshmallows, whipped cream, and crushed peppermints for a treat the whole family will love!

Everything You’ll Need to Make It

It only takes a handful of simple ingredients to whip up this peppermint hot chocolate! The best thing about homemade hot chocolate is that you can customize it however you’d like. See more variations and substitutes in the tips section below! Also, if you’re looking for exact measurements, they can all be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Milk: Feel free to use 2%, whole, or half & half. Any milk works, but the higher the fat content, the creamier your hot chocolate will be.
Cocoa Powder: Whatever you have on hand will work, but if you really want to make a good pot of hot chocolate, I recommend using a high-quality Dutch process cocoa powder.
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the peppermint hot chocolate. You can adjust to taste if you don’t want your hot chocolate to be too sweet.
Crushed Candy Canes: These get melted into the hot chocolate for peppermint flavor. Crushed peppermint candies work too! You can also use a few drops of peppermint extract instead.
Milk Chocolate Chips: Again, I recommend using high-quality baking chocolate for the best flavor. I always go for Ghirardelli!
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds a little extra flavor to the hot chocolate and makes it taste better overall!

How to Make Peppermint Hot Chocolate

It’s so easy! This is something that even your littles can help out with. My kids love stirring in the milk chocolate chips and watching them melt into smooth, chocolatey goodness.

Add Ingredients to Saucepan: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the milk, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and milk chocolate chips. Then whisk to combine.
Whisk: As the mixture heats up, continue to whisk until the chocolate chips melt.
Add in Candy Cane Pieces: Stir in the crushed candy canes. Heat for about 5 minutes and whisk until the candy canes melt. Continue to slowly heat until it reaches the desired temperature.
Whisk in Vanilla: Remove from heat, and whisk in the vanilla.
Serve and Enjoy: Serve immediately in your favorite mug, and top with your favorite hot chocolate toppings and more crushed candy cane!

4-photo collage of hot chocolate ingredients being added together.

Tips and Variations

Customizing your hot chocolate is part of the fun! Here are a few simple ways to switch up your tasty homemade hot cocoa.

Use White Chocolate: Peppermint white hot chocolate is one of my favorite winter drinks. You can easily make this by omitting the cocoa powder and swapping out your chocolate chips for white chocolate candy melts instead!
Use Dark Chocolate: If you want your hot chocolate to be richer and more indulgent, go for dark chocolate chips instead! Whenever I’m wanting something more chocolatey and less sweet, I always go for Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips.
Make it Dairy-Free: Nut milk, soy milk, and lactose-free milk all work great in this peppermint hot chocolate recipe! To make it extra creamy, you can also add in a splash of dairy-free creamer or heavy cream! You can even find dairy-free whipped cream to use on top. This is a recipe that anyone can enjoy!
Make it Spiked: For an adults-only version of this peppermint hot chocolate, try swapping out the crushed candy canes for a splash of peppermint Schnapps.

How Long Does Homemade Hot Chocolate Last?

Make too much hot chocolate? No worries! Here’s how you can keep it fresh and enjoy it throughout the week.

In the Refrigerator: Store peppermint hot chocolate in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave as needed!