Skinny Peppermint Mocha Latte

This time of year, I crave peppermint mochas. I’m tempted to stop at Starbucks or Caribou every time I drive by one and I frequently allow myself this extra little indulgence especially when it gets bitter cold outside (and it has been REALLY cold this year!) I found myself planning my shopping trips with a short stop at the coffee shop to get my peppermint mocha.

Not good. All those “little” stops start to add up after a while, and I got tired of the dent in my wallet and worried about all the sugar and calories I was consuming. I could totally make this at home, couldn’t I?

Well sure I could. I always have peppermint tea on hand–that would make a wonderful peppermint syrup! That’s all you need, right? Well, along with coffee and milk and such … and a little light whipped cream and some crushed candy canes too, if you want to make this feel like a true indulgence. Which it IS! I had three of them yesterday and I still have a bottle of syrup left to make more … I feel better now.

(and oh, in case you’re wondering about that little “dark spot” on the picture, yes, there was a stray bit of chocolate in my crushed candy canes that landed on top of my mocha)

Skinny Peppermint Mocha Latte

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: More than 12 oz. of syrup 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the skinny chocolate peppermint syrup:

• 1 cup water
• 4 peppermint tea bags
• 1 cup sweetener of choice (I used a mix of 3/4 cup stevia in the raw and 1/4 cup sugar. Use the equivalent of 1 cup of sugar.)
• 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

For one mocha:

• 3/4 cup low-fat milk (I used 1%)
• 3/4 cup double strength coffee (or a couple shots of espresso)
• 3 Tablespoons skinny chocolate peppermint syrup (more or less to taste)
• Optional toppings: light whipped cream, crushed candy canes

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Instructions

1. Heat the cup of water till very hot, then add the tea bags, cover and let steep for at least 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags and pour the peppermint tea into a small saucepan. Add the sweetener, cocoa powder and peppermint extract. Bring to a boil, stirring to get everything to dissolve nicely in the tea, boil for a few minutes, then remove from heat.
2. To prepare your mocha latte: brew your coffee extra strong (or use espresso) and heat the milk till hot. Froth the milk with a frother or give it a quick spin in the blender. Pour the coffee into your mug, then the chocolate peppermint syrup, then gently pour in the frothy milk. To make it extra special, top with a bit of whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed candy canes.
3. Pour the extra syrup into a bottle, cover and store in the fridge.

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Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Mix it Up Monday, Inspiration Monday, Tuesday’s Table, What we Love Wednesdays, What to Do Weekends and The Hearth & Soul Bloghop.