My husband and I recently purchased a cappuccino maker, so needless to say we have been enjoying the rainy days and hot coffee drinks around our Christmas tree.  Nothing is better to me at Christmas than festive drinks, and peppermint mochas are my all time favorite!  I recreated this favorite holiday recipe last year and wanted to share it with you all so if you are craving a peppermint mocha, make one in your own kitchen this Christmas.

Mochas should be thick and this dairy free peppermint chocolate creamer is just that!  Something magical happens when you place coconut milk and cacao powder in the blender—it thickens and becomes slightly like pudding.  But then you get that amazing, slightly foamy texture when you add a scoop to your cup of hot coffee—the bubbles and foam that comes with fancy drinks made from a coffee shop, yes thats my favorite!

I use real cacao powder to make this peppermint creamer extra rich and coconut milk to make it dairy free.  I have made this several times with whipping cream as well and it is delicious, but quite thick—I personally do fine with cream but cannot handle regular dairy milk.  This coffee creamer is sweetened slightly with raw honey and you can increase the amount of honey as stated below, depending on your desired sweetness.  I make a batch of this peppermint mocha creamer each week and keep it in the refrigerator to enjoy with my coffee, or even sometimes just eat it by the spoonful, which lets be honest, I do!

I hope these mochas bring cheer to your Christmas and joy to your kitchen, gathering around fireplaces or sparkling lights with hot peppermint mochas!

Paleo Peppermint Mocha Creamer (Dairy & Refined Sugar Free)

A simple, rich chocolate peppermint mocha creamer for a healthy recreation of the holiday favorite.

Ingredients

• 2 cups coconut milk (my favorite brand here)
• 3/4 cup cacao powder
• 1/4 cup raw honey (increase by 1-2 tbsp depending on desired sweetness)
• 2 tsp peppermint extract

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on for 10-15 seconds.
• Scrape down the sides of the blender and briefly blend again.
• Heat desired amount of creamer on low for 5 minutes.
• Serve 1/4 cup with 1 cup hot coffee.  Garnish with whipped cream if desired.
• Store remaining creamer in an airtight container (I use these glass jars) in the refrigerator for up to one week.

This & That

• I have also made this with heavy whipping cream and it is delicious.
• To make hot chocolate heat the creamer and add in hot water until desired taste and consistency.