Peppermint Hot Chocolate

About

What says “winter is here” better than a piping hot mug of hot chocolate? How about hot chocolate with a peppermint twist and lots of whipped cream? This Keto peppermint hot chocolate will warm you right up after an afternoon of holiday shopping. Even the kids will enjoy this treat after building a snowman in the backyard. Choose your favorite brand of 100% dark cocoa powder for a rich flavor that balances with shocking peppermint. What makes this drink so Keto is a heaping mountain of whipped cream that goes on top! Stir the whipped cream right into your hot chocolate to make it thick and frothy!

Here are some tips to help you prep this recipe in less time:

Not interested in whipping your cream by hand? No worries. If you’re stuck without an appliance to help you out, set your heavy cream in your freezer for 5 minutes before whipping. You don’t want the cream frozen, just very cold. The colder your cream is, the faster it will whip up! The other option to avoid whipping your cream by hand is to simply make multiple batches at once. With more cream in your stand mixer, it can whip up without a problem. If you want to store extra whipped cream for later, you can keep it in your refrigerator for 24 hours. You may need to re-whip the cream if it separates while keeping it in your fridge.

Which vanilla is best for this recipe?

There’s a reason whole vanilla beans are more expensive than the generic vanilla extract you can buy at any grocery store. 100% real vanilla is harvested from regions all over the world and can acquire different tastes. If you enjoy using vanilla beans in your desserts, this is a fabulous Keto recipe to utilize them in! Whip ¼ teaspoon of the vanilla bean into your whipped cream. Not only will this immensely amplify the flavor of your hot chocolate, but the speckled beans throughout the whipped cream look nice too!

What is the best chocolate to use for this Keto drink?

To limit the number of carbs and keep this recipe Keto-friendly, we are using cocoa powder. While you can use a sugar-free chocolate bar to make this Keto beverage, it usually contains more carbs. Using a chocolate bar will also increase the preparation time since you must melt it.

Ingredients

¼ cup, fluid (yields 2 cups whipped) cream heavy whipping
1 cup almond milk, plain or original, unsweetened
20 drops sweet drops liquid stevia by sweet leaf
⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon cocoa powder

Instructions

Start by whipping the heavy cream until stiff peaks. If making hot chocolate for one, you will need to whisk the heavy cream by hand because the ingredient amount is too little for a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, which will take 5-10 minutes. If you’re making more than one serving, you can quickly whip the cream in a stand mixer.
Pour the almond milk, liquid stevia, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract into a small pot on the stove. For the liquid stevia, you can use anywhere from 15-20 drops per serving depending on how strong you like the peppermint flavor. Heat the pot over low heat until the almond milk comes to a simmer.
Place the loose cocoa powder in the base of your hot chocolate mug. Pour the hot, simmering almond milk into the mug, then, stir rapidly until the cocoa powder dissolves. Spoon the whipped cream onto the top of your hot chocolate; you can sip on your mug as is, or stir the whipped cream into the mug for a thick and creamy hot chocolate.