Peppermint Mocha Whipped Cream
Peppermint Mocha Whipped Cream–the perfect topping for your homemade holiday coffee drinks! This easy recipe uses heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, instant espresso powder, cocoa powder, and peppermint extract for a sweet holiday treat.
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Every year when the weather starts to turn cold in Minnesota, I instantly have those nostalgic feelings tied to fall baking and holiday treats. There’s just something special about cold weather flavors–whether it’s pumpkin, peppermint, gingerbread, or apple.
Peppermint remains a favorite and yes I know those holiday drinks at all the local coffee shops are SO tempting…but they are pricey too! Making your own holiday coffee is a great way to stay on budget (and control the ingredients). You can make special drinks at home with a few simple tricks and my personal favorite is homemade whipped cream.
This Peppermint Mocha Whipped Cream is a simple recipe that is excellent for topping your homemade coffee and espresso drinks.
Now, I do have to say this. If you don’t have ANY of these ingredients on hand, then yeah, this recipe will not save you any money. Purchasing espresso powder, cocoa powder, peppermint extract just for this recipe will set you back several dollars. However, if you plan on doing some holiday baking or if you have the ingredients on hand already, definitely don’t skip this recipe.
More Whipped Cream: Check out all these variations of whipped cream you can make.
Ingredients You Will Need
Heavy Cream – Purchase “Heavy Cream” or “Heavy Whipping Cream”. These products are both higher fat and work to create gorgeous billowy whipped cream. “Whipping Cream” is a lower fat product and it doesn’t whip up very well for homemade whipped cream recipes.
Powdered Sugar – You can substitute in granulated sugar if you don’t have any powdered sugar on hand, but the cornstarch in the powdered sugar (also known as confectioners’ sugar) lends additional stability to the whipped cream so it’s generally my preference.
Peppermint Extract – essential for getting that peppermint flavor. I don’t use a lot of flavored extracts beside vanilla, so I don’t like to spend tons of money on them. I find my peppermint extract (and other flavors too) at Aldi around the holidays and it’s a great value (and lasts a long time).
Espresso Powder – I used Medaglia D’oro Espresso Instant Coffee. Avoid attempting to use coffee grounds. They won’t dissolve and it’ll be sad story. If you only have instant coffee on hand, you can try it but the flavor may not be as good.
Cocoa Powder – I used natural unsweetened cocoa powder here (Hershey’s is a good brand to try).
How to Make It
Find the complete printable recipe at the end of the post!
Add all the ingredients together in a bowl (if you can chill a metal bowl for fifteen minutes in the freezer before starting this is ideal). Whip gently with a hand mixer until the ingredients are mostly mixed in (watch out for flying cocoa powder!) and then bump the speed up to medium-low and whip until the desired texture is achieved.
I usually aim for medium peaks.
Customizing the Flavors
I actually had a lot of trouble landing on the perfect ratios for this whipped cream. I like the final result, but I think the flavor will vary a lot depending on what brand of ingredients you use (particularly the cocoa powder and the instant espresso).
If you want to play around with getting your own perfect blend, here’s what I would do:
I would measure out the ingredients included in the recipe and assemble everything mise en place (each ingredient measured into a separate dish). Add about 1/2 to 3/4 of each ingredient, whip the cream until just frothy and then taste and adjust flavors. Whip until thickened (but not yet at soft peaks), test and adjust again.
If the flavors feel too heavy at any point, add more heavy whipping cream and gently whisk it in.
Looking for a classic vanilla flavored recipe? Try my homemade whipped cream and check out my FAQs about Whipped Cream for even more tips and tricks.
Recipe Made Too Much?
Most of my homemade whipped cream flavors work really well for a variety of uses, but this one is particularly good on homemade coffee/espresso beverages. It’s not as versatile though so if the recipe makes too much for you to use, feel free to make just 1/2 the recipe or even 1/4.
Another option is to freeze the leftover whipped cream following the steps in my quick tutorial. You can even pre-pipe rosettes that can then be used to top your morning coffee.
How to Store the Whipped Cream
Whipped cream is best the first day, but it actually does keep several days in the fridge. If it starts to separate just whisk it up before using it. You can also freeze it for later. I find that the cocoa powder in whipped cream recipes (like my Chocolate Whipped Cream) helps keep the whipped cream stable.
More Whipped Cream Recipes
- Chocolate Whipped Cream
- How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream
- Pumpkin Whipped Cream
- Strawberry Whipped Cream
- Biscoff Whipped Cream
If you loved this recipe, leave a 5-star rating! I would so appreciate it!
Peppermint Mocha Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream well-chilled
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- ⅜ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 ½ tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Optional: Start by placing a metal bowl and the whisk attachment for either a hand mixer or a stand mixer in the freezer. Allow to chill for fifteen minutes. This extra step keeps the cream cold while whipping which improves texture and stability.
- Pour all ingredients into the chilled bowl (see recipe notes for adjusting flavors).Begin to whisk on low until the mixture starts to thicken and foam.Once the mixture is foamy, turn up the speed on the mixer to medium. Continue at this rate until tracks from the whisk start to form in the cream and it becomes thick–about 3 minutes. Begin checking the cream frequently for soft, medium, or stiff peaks (learn more about peaks in my how to make whipped cream post). Stop whipping when desired texture is achieved.
- Use fresh whipped cream immediately or pop it in the fridge until ready to use.
