Tis the season, for the peppermint mocha! It is exciting when Starbucks starts bringing out their red cups and filling them with yummy holiday drinks. My personal favorite holiday espresso drink is the gingerbread latte. As this drink emerges it signifies the beginning of the holiday season. The peppermint mocha is a delicious treat to that I like to sip on from time to time.
Peppermint mochas are just that, mochas with a bit of peppermint. They are made up of milk, espresso, peppermint, whipped cream and shaved chocolate. If you are calorie conscious, you can get it made with non-fat milk and whipped cream or non-fat milk with no whipped cream. I personally think that whipped cream is a requirement!
The full fat peppermint mocha is around 400 calories. If you choose nonfat milk it saves you close to 50 calories. If you choose nonfat without whipped cream, it goes down to 290 calories. It still is one of the more calorie-rific drinks from Starbucks. However, it’s tasty!
For me, a peppermint mocha is a sweet treat to have every so often. I personally can’t have it too much as I find it a touch heavy. When I do have it, I opt for nonfat milk but with whipped cream as the combination of the heavy milk, rich chocolate and touch of peppermint can sometimes feel too overpowering to my stomach.
Before we embark on 2012, and the holiday season comes to an end, run out and grab yourself a peppermint mocha to celebrate the holidays in cup!