Peppermint Hot Chocolate

This homemade Peppermint Hot Chocolate recipe is made with 6 ingredients in 6 minutes! It has two kinds of chocolate so it's ultra-rich and creamy and it's flavored with candy canes instead of expensive extracts. Watch the video to learn how to make homemade candy cane hot chocolate!

Today we’re going to be making a festive treat that will keep you warm this holiday season - homemade candy cane hot chocolate (also try this homemade hot chocolate and crockpot hot chocolate).

Kiss powdered mixes and packets goodbye, with this ultra-rich and creamy candy cane hot chocolate, that’s SO easy to make in the Vitamix Blender!

This is not your average peppermint hot chocolate, because we use the Vitamix to blend real candy canes into the cocoa base, which is made with two forms of chocolate. You don’t need expensive extracts, just a a few of your favorite candy canes (plus a handful of other ingredients), which we all have an abundance of this time of year.

It only takes 6 minutes and 6 ingredients to blend up this warm candy cane hot chocolate, which means it's the perfect treat to make after a day playing outside in the snow! Serve it with a dollop of homemade whipped cream for true hot cocoa bliss!

Peppermint Hot Chocolate: Ingredients & Substitutions 

As always, let's start by discussing the ingredients in this peppermint hot chocolate recipe, as well as possible substitutions. 

• Whole milk. Any milk, dairy or non-dairy, should work very well in this candy cane hot chocolate recipe. Just remember, the higher the percentage of fat in your milk, the creamier your final product will be. My highest recommendations are whole or 2% milk, and coconut milk for a dairy-free/vegan version.
• Cocoa Powder. Use pure, unsweetened cocoa powder (not hot chocolate mix).
• Granulated sugar.  Any granulated sugar works well in this recipe. I use organic cane sugar in most of my baking and dessert making. For a refined-sugar free variety, substitute coconut sugar for granulated sugar.
• Chocolate. I recommend using semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate. You can  use milk chocolate or white chocolate, just be aware that the end result will be sweeter. For a dairy-free/vegan version, use dairy-free chocolate. You can also use bakers chocolate (100% cocoa) and just increase the amount of sugar to suit your tastes. 
• Vanilla Extract. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• Candy Canes. Choose your favorite candy canes to use in this peppermint hot chocolate. I use Wholesome organic candy canes and Yum Earth Organic Candy Canes because both of these varieties have no food dyes or corn syrup! If you'd prefer, you can use ½ tsp peppermint extract instead of the candy canes. Or add it along with the candy canes for a more pronounced peppermint flavor.

How to make Peppermint Hot Chocolate

This homemade candy cane hot chocolate is so easy to make and so much more delicious than any powdered mix you can buy at the store! Let's walk through how to make it step-by-step and don't forget to watch the video.

Use a Vitamix Blender

To achieve the creamiest peppermint hot chocolate ever, as always, I recommend using a Vitamix Blender! In this recipe the Vitamix does all the work for you! It melts the chocolate, pulverizes the candy canes and heats up the gourmet hot chocolate so you can serve it straight from the blending container (no stovetop cooking required). It's SO easy to make hot chocolate in the Vitamix! 

If you are looking to buy a Vitamix, check out my in-depth Vitamix buying guide and learn why I chose to blend with Vitamix 10 years ago and never looked back! 

Add milk, cocoa powder & sugar and Blend

Start by adding milk to the container of your Vitamix blender, followed by cocoa powder and sugar.

Secure the lid and blend, starting on low speed and increasing to high. Blend on high speed for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is warm.

Add chocolate, vanilla & candy canes and Blend again

Next, add the chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate), pure vanilla extract and candy canes to the warm mixture in the blending container.

Secure the lid and blend, starting on low speed and increasing to high. Blend on high speed for 3 minutes or until the mixture is hot and steamy.

Serve

Remove the lid, pour the peppermint hot chocolate into your favorite mugs, top with marshmallows or homemade whipped cream and some crushed candy canes and enjoy! 

Note: since the Vitamix is so powerful you will have some foam in your final product! Simply stir the foam into the hot chocolate to make it disappear, or enjoy it as part of the candy cane hot chocolate experience! 

Store

Store any leftovers in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like to stir leftovers into my coffee in the morning for an extra special treat.

Toppings for peppermint hot chocolate

This recipe tastes amazing on its own. But if you're looking to jazz it up with some fun toppings, here are some suggestions: 

• Homemade Whipped Cream (obviously)
• Marshmallows (any variety, peppermint marshmallows would be delicious). 
• Crushed candy canes
• Chopped peppermint bark
• Shaved chocolate
• Holiday sprinkles

Recipe FAQs

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More delicious recipes

• Enjoy a mug of cocoa with one of these peppermint brownies!
• Try this puppy chow (the best ever) or this Reindeer Food (Christmas Puppy Chow) for a delicious & festive treat. 
• We take our cookies seriously around here, some of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes would make a great addition, alongside these peppermint brownies, to any cookie tray. Peanut butter blossoms, Cut Out Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Soft Gingerbread Cookies, white chocolate chip cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, and the best No-Bake Cookies.
• Brownies are my favorite dessert, here are some more brownie recipes: The BEST homemade brownies, flourless brownies, black bean brownies, and fudgy Paleo brownies. 
• These Millionaire Bars are knock-your-socks-off amazing. 
• Check out our roundup of all of our favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes!

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