BYOB! Healthy Iced Peppermint Mocha!

Here is a quick little post for you with a fun idea to bring along to your next gathering.  Iced peppermint mochas!  Yup, bring it along.

Okay, here is what you do.  Make up a big batch of peppermint mocha mix in your blender at home (without the ice),  bring it in a big old mason jar and serve over ice cubes at the party.  I have a couple of versions that I have been drinking lately.  You can easily warm this up on the stove if you want it hot instead.  For the sake of a party, a jar on the table with a bowl of ice probably works better.

By the way I tried to make a video of me making this just to show you how fast and easy it is – but fail it didn’t work on many fronts!  Somehow my camera refuses to video longer than 5 minutes (it is old) and my phone doesn’t have enough memory so the videos ended in the middle of my recipe demo.  The other thing I realized is that I am very VERY serious when on video!  I will admit I am not just a crazy giggly kind of person, but boy I took it to another level of serious.  Who gets sullen about peppermint mochas for goodness sake!  I think I need to work on my stage presence!

I have tried a few ways of making this recipe, some with low low calorie stevia, or low calorie xylitol.  I think you would be okay using some agave or even honey (neither are low in calories but better than refined sugar).  Keep in mind when you make something like this at home no matter if you use real sugar or stevia you would be hard pressed to add more sugar than the Coffee House version.  The premade mixes and chocolate sauces used in these drinks are super high in sugar!

Another substitution you can use if you don’t want to drink coffee is my new very favorite drink, Dandy Blend.  This is a gluten free powder made from a combo of Dandelion, chicory and other roots.  I am in love with this!  I drink it hot or cold, mixed with almond or coconut milk or just in hot water.  It dissolves very easily.  So this is what I use in most of my drinks now.  You of course can use any kind of instant coffee, or pre-brewed and chilled strong coffee for this.

The next part is the liquid,  I have found that the unsweetened Coconut milk from the carton is my favorite.  It is creamy and lovely (not coconutty though).  I also tried almond milk.  Of course if you are a regular milk drinker, and you want that, go for it.

The last parts are the peppermint oil, vanilla and cocoa powder.

   Peppermint Mocha – Hot or Cold                                                                                               

(this is the healthiest version I could up with, feel free to swap in and out ingredients)

1 cup Coconut Milk unsweetened carton

1 1/2 Tbls Dandy Blend

2 tsp. cocoa powder

4 drops liquid stevia or 1-2 tsp xylitol (this is, of course, to taste I tend to like things less sweet)

1/16  pepermint extract

1/8 tsp vanilla extract

-Warm on stove-top gently

– or if you have a blend tec set on Hot Chocolate Mode

– Or if you want it cold just blend and serve with an ice cube or few  – or blend the cubes too!

*if you are making this cold you really have to use a blender to get the cocoa powder to mix in, if it is hot it will whisk right in

*tips – swap for any sweetener of choice *swap instant coffee for dandy blend *swap for milk of choice*

*of course you can make it merry with a little kalua or irish cream (this is not the healthy version!)

Next up if you really need whip on top!  Here is a link to a coconut whipped cream recipe that we love!  And a vegan irish cream recipe too!

coconut whip via Against all Grain

vegan irish cream via Oh she glows