This super easy Peppermint Hot Chocolate is perfect for the Holiday season!

Picture yourself on Christmas eve below the Christmas tree, sipping a cup of this delicious warm treat. It’s rich and luscious, with a hint of peppermint that gives this amazing drink freshness among all that warmth.

It’s the peppermint version of a hot cocoa mix, but make it homemade! topped with whipped cream and crushed peppermint candies, it’s made in only one step once you have all of your ingredients ready to use.

Ingredients you’ll need for this Peppermint Hot Chocolate recipe

Very simple ingredients are needed, found in any big grocery store:

• Whole Milk. Full fat milk is needed
• Heavy whipping cream. To make your festive drink nice and rich
• Sugar. To sweeten your hot drink
• Unsweetened cocoa powder. This will give the chocolatey flavor to your drink
• Semi-sweet chocolate. The melted chocolate in this recipe makes it so chocolatey and decadent! the warm milk will melt it and it will mix evenly with the rest of the ingredients
• Vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract goes a long way
• Salt. To enhance the flavors
• Peppermint extract. You will need real peppermint extract to make this taste as good as it sounds!
• Peppermint candies. Use a rolling pin to crush your peppermint sticks or candies, and use them as a topping; it will add to the peppermint flavor and make your drink look perfect!

Take a look at the recipe card at the end of this post for the full recipe

How to make Peppermint Hot Chocolate

This simple recipe requires only one step once you have all of your ingredients ready.

Place a large saucepan on your stove top and add the milk, heavy cream, sugar, cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, vanilla extract, salt and peppermint oil.

Turn heat to medium heat, and let the ingredients mix together. Sugar should be dissolved, chocolate should melt, and everything else should be evenly incorporated.

Serve hot, top with whipped cream, sprinkle with candy cane pieces and add a couple of peppermint candy canes for garnish.

Substitutions and Add-ins

There are a few different versions of this easy hot chocolate:

• Dairy free version: Use Almond milk or coconut milk instead of the whole milk and unsweetened Coconut cream instead of the heavy cream
• Toppings: You can top with Mini marshmallows, white chocolate chips or any fun toppings of your choice, like Christmas sprinkles or even red and green m&m’s
• Classic Hot chocolate version: Use chopped chocolate or shaved chocolate instead of crushed candy canes, and omit the half teaspoon of peppermint extract

How to store any leftover homemade hot chocolate

You can store any leftover Peppermint hot chocolate in an Airtight container refrigerated. You can use it the next day, just warm in the microwave or in the stove top in medium-low heat.

It should be good to drink for up to four days.

Here’s a video of this Peppermint hot Chocolate recipe so you can see up-close the consistency of this delicious drink.

Click here for more Christmas and winter recipes, or follow the links below for more delicious recipes like this one:

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If you make this recipe, please be sure to give it a star rating and leave a comment below.