Oh the weather outside is frightful, but this Keto Peppermint Mocha is so delightful! Or maybe the weather isn’t frightful at all but you’re craving something festive and warm. A creamy, minty, chocolatey beverage that has no added sugar and fuels you up for the holiday madness. Coming right up!
This recipe combines my love for Keto Peppermint Bark and Sugar-Free Hot Chocolate into one delicious treat. The result is smooth, frothy, and balanced – not too sweet, deeply chocolaty, and delightfully minty. And it takes only 5 minutes to make!
Who doesn’t love a frothy, luscious hot drink on a chilly day? But a typical mocha from a coffee shop can have upwards of 40 grams of carbs per serving. Yikes! You just don’t want to go there, my friends. And making a healthier, protein-packed version at home is ridiculously easy.
It’s a wonderful option for a high protein breakfast, post-workout snack, or even an afternoon pick-me-up.
Why You Will Love This Keto Peppermint Mocha
- Chocolate, mint, and coffee come together for that classic holiday flavor.
- Rich and frothy, without the added sugar.
- 25 grams of high quality protein to keep you satisfied.
- Takes simple ingredients and only minutes to make.
- Totally customizable! Use your favorite protein powder, skip the peppermint, or use another low carb milk alternative.
Ingredient Notes
- Low carb milk: You can use almond milk, hemp milk or any low carb milk of choice.
- Heavy cream: This makes a richer, thicker drink. You can use coconut cream for a dairy-free version.
- Chocolate protein powder: Any brand or kind of protein powder works, as long as it blend in smoothly. See the Tips section if you only have plain or vanilla.
- Cocoa powder: A little cocoa powder adds a deeper chocolate flavor.
- Sweetener: You can use your favorite keto sweetener for this recipe.
- Peppermint extract: A little peppermint gives this a festive holiday touch! You can also use vanilla, hazelnut, or any extract you enjoy.
- Coffee: You can use espresso or any strongly brewed coffee.
How to Make a Protein Mocha
- Heat the milk: Combine the almond milk and cream and bring to a simmer.
- Blend: Add the protein powder, cocoa powder, sweetener, and peppermint extract and blend until smooth.
- Assemble: Add the espresso to a mug and top with the chocolate mixture. Finish with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Tips for Success
Make sure you start blending the protein powder and other ingredients into the hot liquids quickly. It can clump a bit if you let it sit too long.
You can use a large blender for this recipe as well. Add the protein powder, cocoa powder, sweetener, and peppermint extract to a blender jar. Pour the hot milk/cream mixture over and blend until combined and forty.
If you don’t have chocolate protein powder, you can use vanilla or unflavored. You will need to add an additional half tablespoon of cocoa powder. If using unflavored, you may also want to add more sweetener to taste).
More Festive Keto Beverages
Keto Protein Mocha
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170.1 ml) hemp or almond milk, unsweetened
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (27 g) chocolate protein powder
- 1/2 tbsp (2.54 g) cocoa powder
- 1/2 tbsp (5.07 g) sweetener
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 1 shot espresso, (or strongly brewed coffee)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the hemp milk and heavy cream. Bring to a strong simmer, then remove from heat.
- All at once, add the protein powder, cocoa powder, sweetener, and peppermint extract and quickly blend until smooth.
- Add the espresso to a mug and top with the chocolate mixture. Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
It is absolutely fine to add protein powder to coffee. In fact, it’s a great way to get more protein into your diet on a daily basis. Not all protein powders dissolve that well into hot liquids, so it’s important to blend them in quickly after adding.
You can easily make this Peppermint Protein Mocha with non-dairy ingredients. Use a tablespoon of full fat coconut milk in place of the cream. And be sure to use egg white, vegan, or bone broth protein instead of whey.
This keto protein mocha recipe has 4g of carbs and 0.8g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.2g net carbs per serving.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Hi Carolyn, is it okay to leave out the protein powder and just enjoy it as a peppermint mocha or will that change the recipe too much?
I think you might need some additional cream (for creaminess, maybe a tablespoon?), and a bit more cocoa and sweetener.
Delicious! Smooth and creamy. Another winner.
Delicious, Carolyn, although I did make lots of changes based on what I had available. I used chocolate bone broth protein, chocolate mint collagen, and a mint chocolate LMNT packet. Always willing to experiment, but not creative enough to develop my own recipes. So, thanks for the inspiration! We will have this often during the winter.
Although I don’t drink coffee I might find a different use for the tecipe without coffee as it sounds delicious
Cathie