About this blog

I love to cook. But I want to make dishes that are lower in calories than those I was used to eating. To make dishes that are still flavorful and satisfying, I strip down dishes to their "essential flavors". These are the key ingredients that provide the flavors we love so much about a dish. I then recreate the dish with just those components. The result is low calorie dishes you'll love to eat!

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Perfect for the Holidays

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Recipe
My husband and I spend every Christmas in Montreal with my family. It’s a stark contrast to Christmas in San Diego. I love a White Christmas but I’m not a big fan of the cold weather. One way I like to warm up is with a nice cup of hot chocolate. But instead of whole milk, melted chocolate and whipped cream, I make my hot chocolate with almond milk, cocoa powder and a frothy foam topping. It’s every bit as satisfying but without all the calories. A touch of peppermint extract makes it feel like Christmas.
Serving size: 1 cup
Number of servings: 2
Calories per serving: 40
Ingredients Calories
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
60
2 Tbsps cocoa powder
20
2 Tbsp no calorie sweetener
0
1/8 tsp peppermint extract
0
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Ingredients
In a small sauce pot, add almond milk and cocoa powder. Heat the mixture on medium heat until the milk comes up to a simmer. Stir the mixture until all the cocoa powder is dissolved. Turn off the heat. Add the no calorie sweetener and peppermint extract. Pour the hot chocolate into two cups. With a hand held frother, whip the mixture until a foamy froth is created. Serve.
Barbara's Tips
Make sure you use unsweetened almond milk. This way you can keep the calories low and add your own sweetener.
It’s easier to combine the cocoa powder when the milk is hot. Even though the cocoa powder initially sits on top of the milk, it does eventually dissolve completely into the milk, and does not leave any lumps.
Use pure peppermint extract for this recipe. Pure or natural peppermint extract contains actual peppermint oil. Artificial peppermint extract uses a mix of ingredients to achieve a flavor resembling peppermint. Either one will work in this recipe but pure peppermint extract will make the hot chocolate taste better. Artificial extracts tend to have a chemical aftertaste.

Essential Flavor Ingredients
Rosemary Cocoa Powder is a what remains when cocoa butter is removed from the cacao bean. As a result it’s low in fat but rich in chocolate flavor.

Sage No calorie sweetener tastes like sugar but has no calories. It's a great alternative to sugar in almost any recipe. You won't be able to tell the difference.

Yellow Onion Peppermint extract is an herbal extract of peppermint made from the essential oils of peppermint leaves. It is used to add a peppermint flavor to baked goods, desserts, and candy. It’s a classic holiday flavor.

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