Peppermint schnapps sits in a lot of home bars unopened for months, pulled out only when someone remembers it exists. It does more than spike hot chocolate. The mint is cool and sharp, and it pairs as well with cocoa and cream as it does with vodka and white chocolate liqueur.
These seven drinks all use peppermint schnapps. Some are warm mugs for cold nights, some are shaken martinis for dinner parties, and one is a three-ingredient shaker drink for when you want something fast. Each recipe below lists exact amounts and steps.
What Peppermint Schnapps Actually Is
Peppermint schnapps is a sweetened mint liqueur. It tastes like a liquid candy cane: sweet, cooling and very minty. Because it is sweet, it works best with something bitter, rich or creamy, like cocoa, coffee or cream.
It is not the same as creme de menthe, which is thicker and sweeter. Creme de menthe suits syrupy dessert drinks. Peppermint schnapps is thinner, so it blends into hot drinks and shaken cocktails without making them heavy.
What Mixes Well With Peppermint Schnapps
Chocolate is the obvious partner. The bitterness of cocoa cuts the sweetness of the schnapps, which is why hot chocolate and creme de cacao show up in these recipes. White chocolate liqueur is sweeter and creamier, so it turns a peppermint drink into something closer to a milkshake.
Vanilla vodka and vanilla rum add warmth without competing with the mint. Cream, milk and half-and-half soften the schnapps and make it feel like dessert. For more ideas on the chocolate side, see our boozy hot chocolate recipes .
1. Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps
This is the drink most people make when they finally open the bottle. The chocolate is melted into milk on the stove, and the schnapps goes into each cup at the end. It makes six servings, so it suits a crowd or a thermos at a bonfire.
Ingredients
- 1 quart milk (skim, 2 percent or whole) or half-and-half
- 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 9 ounces peppermint schnapps
- Whipped cream, for serving
- 6 peppermint sticks, for serving
Instructions
- Heat 1 cup of the milk in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the chocolate, stirring constantly, until melted. When the chocolate has melted, increase the heat to medium and add the remaining milk while whisking rapidly. Do not allow it to boil.
- Serve in small cups, each with a jigger (1 1/2 ounces) of peppermint schnapps and a dollop of whipped cream. Add a peppermint stick to stir.
- If you are taking it along in a thermos, warm the thermos first with hot water for 1 minute. Pour the water out and fill it with the hot chocolate.
Serves 6.
2. Peppermint Patty Cocktail
This one is built on instant cocoa, creme de cacao and cognac, with peppermint schnapps for the mint. It is a quick hot drink for four, served in Irish coffee glasses. If you want the same chocolate and mint without the alcohol, our peppermint hot chocolate is the cousin to try.
Ingredients
- 2 packages (1 ounce each) instant cocoa mix
- 1/2 cup creme de cacao
- 1/4 cup peppermint schnapps
- 1/4 cup cognac
- Sweetened whipped cream, if desired
- Chocolate shavings, if desired
Instructions
- Make the cocoa mix as directed on the package, using water instead of milk. In a small bowl, stir together the creme de cacao, schnapps and cognac, then stir the mixture into the hot cocoa.
- Pour evenly into 4 Irish coffee glasses. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Serves 4.
3. Peppermint Martini
This martini is a dessert drink in a glass. The rim is dipped in melted chocolate and crushed candy canes, and inside the shaker go white chocolate liqueur, vodka, peppermint schnapps and cream. It is a good fit for a holiday party, and you will find similar drinks in our Christmas martini roundup .
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
- 1/4 cup crushed candy canes
- 6 ounces white chocolate liqueur
- 4 ounces vodka
- 2 ounces peppermint schnapps
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Ice
- 3 small candy canes
Instructions
- Pour the melted chocolate onto a shallow plate. Place the crushed candy canes on another shallow plate. Dip the rims of the martini glasses first in the chocolate, then in the candy canes. Pour the remaining chocolate into the bottom of the glasses and swirl to coat the bottom third. Place the glasses in the freezer until you are ready to use them.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the white chocolate liqueur, vodka, peppermint schnapps and cream. Fill the shaker with ice, cover and shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds.
- Divide the drink among the prepared glasses. Garnish with the small candy canes.
Serves 3.
4. Vanilla Vodka Peppermint Martini
This is the lighter, no-dairy martini on the list. Vanilla vodka and white creme de menthe carry most of the flavor, and a small pour of peppermint schnapps rounds out the mint. It makes two glasses.
Ingredients
- Ice cubes, as needed
- 5 fluid ounces vanilla vodka
- 2 fluid ounces white creme de menthe
- 1/2 fluid ounce peppermint schnapps
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Pour the vodka, creme de menthe and peppermint schnapps over the ice. Cover the shaker and shake well, about 30 seconds.
- Strain into 2 martini glasses.
Serves 2.
5. White Chocolate Peppermint Martini
This single-serve martini has a marshmallow-and-candy rim. The shaker holds vanilla vodka, white chocolate liqueur and a little peppermint schnapps, so the mint stays in the background.
Ingredients
- Marshmallow sundae topping
- 2 peppermint candies, crushed
- Ice
- 1/4 cup vanilla vodka
- 1 tablespoon peppermint schnapps
- 1/4 cup white chocolate liqueur
Instructions
- Dip the rim of a martini glass in marshmallow topping, then in the crushed peppermint candies. Drizzle some marshmallow topping on the inside of the glass and place the glass in the freezer.
- In a shaker with ice, add the vodka, schnapps and white chocolate liqueur. Shake until mixed, then pour into the prepared glass. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint.
Serves 1.
6. Candy Cane Cocktail
This is the simplest drink in the list: vanilla rum, white chocolate liqueur and peppermint schnapps shaken with ice and strained into a martini glass. A candy cane is the only garnish.
Ingredients
- 1 shot vanilla rum
- 1 shot white chocolate liqueur
- 1 shot peppermint schnapps
- Candy cane, for garnish
Instructions
- Add all the liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a candy cane.
Serves 1. Looking for more quick pours like this? Try our Christmas shots and shooters .
7. Peppermint Patty for One
The easiest hot option is a single cup of hot chocolate with a measure of peppermint schnapps stirred in. Use your favorite hot chocolate, whether it is homemade or from a mix.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce peppermint schnapps
- 1 cup hot chocolate
- Whipped cream, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the peppermint schnapps to the cup of hot chocolate and stir. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and serve immediately.
Serves 1.
How to Scale These Recipes for a Crowd
To serve more people, multiply every amount in a recipe by the same number. The Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps and the Peppermint Patty Cocktail are already written for several servings, and the Candy Cane Cocktail scales easily because each part is one shot. For more party-sized ideas, see our Christmas cocktails for a crowd .
What to Do When the Mint Flavor Is Too Strong
Peppermint schnapps can overpower a drink if you pour too much or if the other ingredients are too light to balance it. If a cocktail tastes more like mouthwash than dessert, add more of the base spirit or the creamy ingredient. For hot drinks, add more milk or hot chocolate.
If you are not sure how much mint you want, pour a little less schnapps than the recipe calls for, taste, and add more. That works better than trying to rescue an overly minty drink afterward.
Garnishes That Add Something
A candy cane is the default garnish for peppermint drinks. It is festive and edible, but it adds little flavor unless you stir with it.
Whipped cream is a better topping for hot drinks because it adds richness and lets you sip sooner. Chocolate shavings add texture too. Use a vegetable peeler to shave chocolate over a hot drink, or crush a few peppermint candies over the whipped cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use peppermint extract instead of peppermint schnapps?
No. Peppermint extract is far more concentrated than schnapps and has no sweetness to balance it. Swapping it in at the same amount would make the drink taste like toothpaste. For an alcohol-free hot chocolate with a mint note, see our peppermint hot chocolate recipe .
What is the difference between peppermint schnapps and creme de menthe?
Peppermint schnapps is thinner and less sweet. Creme de menthe is thicker and sweeter, and it works better in rich dessert cocktails. The Vanilla Vodka Peppermint Martini uses both, with schnapps as the smaller pour.
Can I make these drinks without dairy?
Two of them already are. The Candy Cane Cocktail and the Vanilla Vodka Peppermint Martini have no dairy in the recipe. The others use milk, cream or whipped cream, so they are not dairy-free as written.
Can I make a non-alcoholic version?
The hot chocolate recipes work without the schnapps, though the mint will be much quieter. The shaken cocktails rely on the liqueurs, so they do not translate as well. For a mint hot chocolate with no alcohol, see our peppermint hot chocolate recipe .
When to Serve These Drinks
The hot drinks suit cold weather, from a bonfire to a ski trip. The martinis suit a holiday party or a dessert course. If you are hosting, put out one hot drink and one cold one, such as the Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps and the Candy Cane Cocktail. Both use the same bottle.
