Vegan Peppermint Mocha Latte in the Instant Pot

Rich and creamy, with that classic peppermint mocha flavor, this vegan easy recipe for peppermint mocha latte is dairy-free and made in the Instant Pot for a cup of delicious peppermint cocoa coffee holiday cheer!

Craving Starbucks peppermint mocha this holiday season, but don’t want to go out and fuss with making sure it’s vegan? I’ve got just the recipe for you! This vegan peppermint mocha recipe is perfect for a cold winter day. And the best part is that you don’t have to go out to get it!

I was playing around with my new Instant Pot Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Hot Chocolate and realized that I might need more of a caffeine buzz that morning than plain chocolate could give me. So I combined the peppermint hot chocolate I was working on with the cup of coffee I had in hand and the recipe for vegan peppermint mocha was created!

One problem I've solved is how to veganize recipes that use heavy cream as an ingredient. DId you know that coconut milk and coconut cream are a great substitution for dairy cream in many recipes?

Creamy vegan beverages made with coconut cream are extra rich and smooth! I wasn’t able to enjoy my favorite seasonal treats like pumpkin spice coffee creamer or shamrock shakes until I discovered coconut cream! And hot chocolate can still be super rich and creamy with coconut milk as an ingredient.

What you will love about this creamy delicious vegan peppermint mocha latte recipe

• creamy
• chocolatey
• more than a hint of peppermint
• packs a caffeine punch
• made easy in the Instant Pot
• can make it with brewed coffee or instant coffee
• you are making it so you know it’s going to be vegan
• it’s Merry Christmas in a cup!

Ingredients needed to make vegan peppermint mocha latte

• cream from the top of a can of coconut milk 
• plant milk – I use oat milk extra creamy
• 1 cup of coffee prepared (brewed or instant)
• granulated sugar
• unsweetened cocoa powder
•  vanilla extract
• peppermint extract
• some fun toppings like crushed peppermint candies, chocolate shavings, or chocolate chips, mini candy canes, crushed candy canes, vegan marshmallows, or vegan whipped cream
• and of course, a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot

How to make this peppermint mocha recipe

Step 1: Prepare the coffee

Either use brewed coffee or instant coffee. I actually prefer the flavor of brewed coffee better – but I realize this is a personal preference…and the perceived difference might be in my mind. Feel free to use instant coffee if you are okay with the flavor and don’t want to fuss with brewing.

The coffee does not need to be hot to use. As long as the flavor is still fresh, feel free to use the leftover coffee you didn’t use that morning for an afternoon peppermint mocha delight.

Step 2: The coconut cream

You will need to skim the cream portion from the top of a can of coconut milk. Don’t shake the can before opening and you should be able to just scoop it from the top.

Using lite coconut milk

If you use full-fat coconut milk, it will be creamier…and fattier. You can always use light coconut milk. It won’t be as creamy though. Sorry, but you can’t have both…

Again, don’t shake the can. Try your best to scoop only the coconut cream from the top of the can of lite coconut milk. Measure out about 3/4 cup and proceed with the recipe.

Some dairy-free milk options

I choose to use extra creamy oat milk – because it’s extra delicious! Feel free to use the dairy-free milk of choice. Cashew milk would be my next choice. Almond milk, as well as soy milk, would also work. Be aware though that they might contribute a slightly different flavor to your peppermint mocha latte drink.

Step 3: Add some ingredients to the pot

You will be adding and cooking all ingredients except for the vanilla extract and the peppermint extract.

Add the plant milk, coconut cream, and prepared coffee to the inner liner of the Instant Pot.

The cocoa and sugar

Mix together the unsweetened cocoa powder and the sugar and then sieve into the Instant Pot on top of the milks and coffee. You will want to do this to avoid lumps of chocolate in the finished vegan peppermint mocha.

Chances are, you will still have small little balls of cocoa to deal with that didn’t sieve through. With the back of a spoon, push the little balls of cocoa powder through the sieve.

Step 4: Stir, stir, stir

I like to use a coated wire whisk for this job. Even though you will have sieved the cocoa powder and sugar, the cocoa powder will still be somewhat challenging to fully incorporate. It’s best to do it now before it cooks to avoid big glumpy sections of chocolate you will only have to whisk in later after it’s cooked.

Step 5: Cook the hot cocoa

Close the lid and make sure the vent is closed as well.

(Funny story…I have an older model and need to manually close the vent. Recently, when at my mother’s house, I tried cooking with her newer model. I had no idea the vent automatically closed on hers. So I was pushing it down to “close” it. But when I pushed it down, that opened the vent rather than closing it. Well the pressure cooker never actually came to pressure and hissed at me for the next 30 minutes till I figured out what was going on..so frustrating! It’s important to know and understand the instructions of the pressure cooker you use!)

So close the lid and make sure the vent is closed! Set your pressure cooker on high pressure for two minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure.

After the Instant Pot comes to pressure and counts down the two minutes, allow for a five-minute natural release.

After the five minutes have passed, turn off the pressure cooker and carefully release the rest of the steam and open the lid. It’s almost vegan peppermint mocha time!

Finishing the vegan peppermint mocha

Remember how we didn’t add the peppermint extract and vanilla extract before cooking? We do this to get a better and fuller flavor. Cooking extract tends to change the flavor slightly which is why most recipes recommend adding the extracts after cooking.

So open the lid, add the vanilla extract along with the peppermint extract and stir stir stir some more. Your vegan peppermint mocha will be nice and smooth and have a rich chocolate color.

At this point, I carefully (it’s hot!) give it a little taste. I might add in a drop or two more of the peppermint extract to taste.

Serving suggestions

Ladle your dairy-free peppermint mocha into the cup of your choice. You will get about 4 one-cup servings. If you use larger cups then you will get fewer servings.

Toppings

Some topping options are:

• vegan chocolate chips
• shaved chocolate or chocolate curls from a dairy-free chocolate bar
• unsweetened cocoa powder
• vegan marshmallows
• crushed candy – like peppermint candy
• crushed candy canes
• mini candy canes
• coconut whip cream – either store-bought if you can find it, or try my recipe for coconut milk whipped cream

For some more delicious sweet holiday cheer, try my

• Peppermint Hot Chocolate in the Instant Pot
• Chocolate Martini
• Peppermint Martini
• Apple Cider in the Instant Pot
• Pecan Snowball Cookies
• Cranberry Bliss Bars

The printable recipe card for Vegan Peppermint Latte Mocha