Tis the season...for everything minty and chocolatey to disappear from your coffee shop's menu and your money to disappear from your wallet as your credit card bills from Christmas past roll in. Although several years ago Starbuck's decided that the peppermint mocha was worth keeping on the menu all year long, with my hack recipe you can make it at home and save your money for next year's Christmas gifts.Starbuck's Hack: Abby's Peppermint Mocha Latte
Prep Time , serves 1.Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. peppermint extract
- 1 tbsp. chocolate syrup
- 2 liquid oz. espresso
- 10 oz. unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- In small saucepan combine sugar and water. Over high heat, bring mixture to boil, stirring constantly (to avoid burning sugar). Reduce heat to medium and continue stirring until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Once sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract. Let cool, store in refrigerator for future peppermint mochas.
- Using your espresso maker or french press of choice, prepare 1 pot of espresso, following packaging instructions. (I use my tried and trusted Ikea Radig Pot.) Store remaining espresso in refrigerator or prepare second mocha for a special someone.
- Measure 10 oz. of milk. Pour into microwave safe mug. Add chocolate syrup, stir until combined. Microwave chocolate milk for 2 minutes until warm (time may vary depending on your microwave).
- Remove chocolate milk from microwave. Add 2 shots of espresso and 1 tbsp of peppermint simple syrup and stir to combine.
- Sip and enjoy.
This recipe is easy to customize with different flavor combinations and to your own tastes (sweetness, espresso strength, type of milk). It is also super cheap in comparison to a grande Peppermint Mocha Latte at Starbuck's (83% cheaper, if we're getting technical). See below for the actual cost breakdown and how to make 5 (almost 6) peppermint mocha lattes at home for the same price as heading to Starbuck's. Feeling fancy? Treat yourself to some whipped cream with all that extra cash in your pocket.
Simple Syrup Cost Breakdown
|
Now Let's Compare the Price!
| Milk (64 oz). |
Chocolate Syrup
(24 oz.)
|
Espresso Powder
(10 oz.)
|
1 Batch Simple Syrup | ||
| Total Cost | $3.69 | $2.00 | $2.50 | $0.80 | |
| Servings | 64 oz. | 48 TBSP | 40 shots espresso | 16 TBSP | |
Cost Per
Drink
|
$0.58 | $0.05 | $0.12 | $0.05 | $0.80 |
| Cost at Starbucks | $4.49 |
Look forward to more variations in the coming months. Not a coffee person? Check out my Chai Tea Latte Hack. Looking for a particular coffee house recipe at home? Let me know in the comments and I'll start experimenting!
