We all love peppermint hot chocolate, heck, even white hot chocolate, but have you ever had peppermint matcha white hot chocolate? It tastes like matcha peppermint bark, but in liquid form. If you’re a matcha lover or just curious about tea and chocolate, then you need to try this recipe!

As a certified mint chocolate chip ice cream lover, this hot chocolate is delicious. If you don’t like mint, well… look away! Here’s how to make this peppermint matcha white hot chocolate at home!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s a minty twist on a matcha white hot chocolate!
• A unique hot chocolate recipe to try (and level up from your regular recipe).
• An easy step-by-step recipe for cafe-quality hot cocoa.
• Try something new and taste a new potential favorite beverage.

Does Peppermint Taste Good With Matcha?

I lowkey thought peppermint would overpower the matcha, but they work really well together. Surprisingly! Peppermint is a flavor, but it also has a cooling sensation from the menthol. But unless it’s sweetened, mint is quite neutral, especially if you use an extract.

Matcha is umami, creamy, sometimes nutty, and slightly bitter. Those flavors don’t clash with mint at all, and the menthol adds a nice cooling touch after you taste the matcha. Since matcha goes nicely with sweet and creamy flavors, the combination of all three pairs nicely.

What Does Peppermint Matcha White Hot Chocolate Taste Like?

To me, it tastes similar to mint ice cream with a subtle earthy aftertaste. It practically tastes like a less-sweet version of a peppermint patty. You can taste more bitter or earthy notes depending on what matcha powder you use. A stronger, more robust powder works better in this drink to cut through the creaminess.

It also just tastes exactly like a minty matcha white chocolate bar, LOL. Which makes sense because they’re made out of pretty much the same thing.

How to Add Peppermint Flavor

You can add peppermint flavor in 3 ways: extract, fresh peppermint, or candy.

The most convenient and popular way is with peppermint extract, as it’s widely available at most grocery stores. It’s also what most food brands use to flavor ice cream, candy, drinks, etc. Extract is a very concentrated amount of peppermint oil in alcohol, so a little goes a long way. I use it in this recipe!

Peppermint is also not the same as regular mint (usually spearmint), so if you’re not sure what you have in your backyard, my guess would be spearmint. Peppermint is a hybrid of specific mint plants and has a higher concentration of menthol compared to spearmint. You could use spearmint as well, but it has a sweeter and more mild flavor. To use fresh mint, wash and muddle the entire mint leaf stalk into the hot chocolate. The stems are where most of the flavor is!

For the ultimate hack, use peppermint candies or candy canes to flavor your hot chocolate! You’ll need to dissolve them in the hot milk to get the best flavor, and it also acts as a sweetener.

Peppermint Matcha White Hot Chocolate: What You’ll Need

Equipment:

• A small or medium-sized pot
• A matcha bowl
• Matcha whisk
• Tea sift

Ingredients:

• 1½ tsp matcha powder
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup milk
• ⅓ cup white chocolate
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• A small pinch of salt
• 4-5 drops peppermint extract
• ¼ cup mini marshmallows
• A pinch of crushed candy cane or peppermint candy

Peppermint Matcha White Hot Chocolate Recipe

1. Heat White Chocolate Milk. Add milk, peppermint candy, and white chocolate to a small pot and heat on low-medium heat. Once small bubbles start to form, gently stir the chocolate so that it melts evenly into the milk.
2. Avoid simmering or boiling the chocolate; just let the heat melt the chocolate. Once smooth, turn off the heat.
3. Add Extracts. Add the peppermint, vanilla extract, and salt to the white hot chocolate and stir to combine. This helps preserve the flavor.
4. Whisk Matcha. Sift matcha into your matcha bowl and add water. Using a bamboo whisk, vigorously whisk the matcha for 20-30 seconds in W or M motions until a froth forms on top.
5. Add Matcha. Add whisked matcha to hot chocolate and stir to combine.
6. Assemble Drink. Pour the hot chocolate into a mug and garnish with mini marshmallows, crushed peppermint candy, or top with whipped cream.
7. Mix and Enjoy!

Tips for the Best Hot Chocolate

• Add Whipped Cream: The mini marshmallows are fun to eat, but I think a nice blob of whipped cream would look even nicer! It will also lighten the richness of the chocolate. I recommend whipping fresh cream if possible!
• Use Culinary or Second Harvest Matcha: Ceremonial-grade or first harvest matcha powders are incredibly umami on their own, but milk can wash out some of the more delicate flavors. For the best balance, use a “lower quality” matcha powder that is naturally more bitter.
• Light on the Extract: Peppermint extract is insanely strong, so be light-handed with it! If you’re not sure how much to add, start with 1-3 drops, taste, then add more if desired. Trust me, you don’t want to add a teaspoon…
• Whisk Matcha Well: It sucks to end up with clumps of matcha in your drink, especially since it’s annoying to fix it! Whisk your matcha well and make sure there are no hidden clumps before adding it to your hot chocolate.

Variations:

For all my friends who like to iterate and experiment!

• Vegan: Use vegan white chocolate and your favorite non-dairy milk! I recommend oat milk for its creamy texture and neutral flavor.
• Regular Hot Chocolate: You can also make this a regular hot chocolate by swapping white chocolate for 1-2 tsp of cocoa powder. I don’t recommend using dark chocolate for this, as it can overpower the matcha flavor.
• Fresh Mint: Peppermint extract is way stronger than fresh mint by a mile. To use fresh mint in its place, you’ll need about 1 tbsp of mint leaves per drop. That’s basically a full stem!
• Sans Chocolate: You can mimic the flavor of white hot chocolate with some vanilla extract and condensed milk. You can even add a little half and half or cream for an added “cocoa butter” richness.
• Iced: You can also enjoy this “hot” chocolate iced! Once it’s all incorporated, let the mixture cool until room temperature, then add it to a glass of ice and garnish the same way. You could also just pour it on ice when it’s hot, but it may dilute your drink.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does matcha go well with white chocolate?

Yes! It’s so good in a chocolate bar… Matcha goes great with white chocolate because it’s a neutral, mild, creamy chocolate that is sweet and milky. It’s a blank canvas, which is perfect for delicate flavors like matcha and also amplifies its umami and savoriness.

Can you mix matcha with hot chocolate?

Why not? Haha, the possibilities are endless! I like to mix matcha with white hot chocolate and hot chocolate made with cocoa powder, but dark chocolate or a high concentration of cocoa powder will overpower the matcha. After all, matcha is strong and earthy, but up until a certain point.

Does this have caffeine?

If you use regular matcha powder, yes, and one serving (1 tsp) of matcha has roughly 50 mg of caffeine in it. So, be careful if you’re caffeine sensitive! However, you can make this decaf by using decaf matcha.

Other Hot Chocolate Recipes to Try

Isn’t this peppermint white chocolate so yummy?! I love it when unsuspecting flavors work incredibly well together; it’s like uncovering a secret that you just want to share! If you like this, then here are some other amazing hot chocolate recipes to try next:

• Matcha White Hot Chocolate
• Tiramisu Hot Chocolate
• Thai Tea Hot Chocolate
• Earl Grey Hot Chocolate
• Hojicha Hot Chocolate