Peppermint Mocha Smoothie

This peppermint mocha frappe protein shake has coffee, chocolate, and collagen protein-everything you want for breakfast in a glass!

Peppermint mochas... this time of year you can find them everywhere from Starbucks to McDonald's. And they're not exactly a healthy way to start the day. They're filled with refined sugar and processed food ingredients instead of the protein and healthy fats you need to keep you going all morning.

This frozen peppermint mocha delivers all the pepperminty, chocolatey, coffee goodness of a peppermint mocha frappuccino using all-natural healthy ingredients. Plus it gives you protein from collagen and healthy fat from coconut milk. My healthy peppermint mocha smoothie recipe is dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and additive-free.

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So what makes it healthy? Leaving out all the refined and processed foods you typically get when you buy a peppermint mocha.

If you look at the nutrition information for a Starbucks peppermint mocha frappuccino, you'll find 430 calories and 69 grams of carbohydrates, with 65 of those from sugar!! Not to mention artificial flavors, gums, and other processed food ingredients.

Healthy peppermint mocha ingredients

My peppermint mocha frappuccino recipe replaces them with real food ingredients that nourish your body and give you the energy you need.

Using coconut milk makes it smooth and creamy without adding dairy. Just be sure to read the label on the coconut milk to make sure it doesn't have any additives or thickeners (the ingredients should be just coconut and water). Adding a hint of pure vanilla to the smoothie gives it a milkshake-like flavor.

Now for the coffee---this will take a little advanced preparation. Just remember to pour some coffee into an ice cube tray and freeze the night before. Using your favorite cold brew makes it super easy. And if, like me, you like a stronger coffee flavor just freeze cold brew concentrate, espresso, or extra strong coffee. The coffee brings out the rich chocolate flavor of the cacao in the mocha. As does a touch of vanilla extract or vanilla bean powder.

The great thing about making your peppermint mocha at home is that you can control the quality of the ingredients and choose what's best for you. Take the sweetener, for example. I don't normally sweeten my coffee so for this peppermint mocha I'll add just a touch of local raw honey or maple syrup. If you like it sweeter, or you want a low carb or keto smoothie, you can add natural stevia to your liking.

To make it extra fancy, you can top your peppermint mocha protein shake with whipped coconut cream or an extra dusting of cacao powder on top (my favorite!).

And of course, adding collagen protein powder is what makes this an easy protein shake. There are so many benefits to collagen and it's one of those things we're likely not getting enough of in our modern diet.

Traditionally, we used to get collagen into our diets through foods like bone broth, organ meats, and eating nose to tail. These days, most people aren't eating these traditional foods daily (I know I'm not!) so most likely we're barely getting any naturally occurring collagen protein in our diet at all.

I've been using collagen protein for a few years and love the convenience of just adding it to whatever I'm eating or drinking. Be sure to get one like this that is a very fine powder. It mixes in hot or cold drinks completely with no lumps!

And because collagen is flavorless and heat-stable you can mix it into your coffee or tea without hurting its nutritional value, or the taste. So it's perfect for this peppermint mocha protein shake!

Try this easy peppermint mocha to make your morning a little brighter. Or as a snack when you need something quick and easy to get you through the afternoon.

More protein shakes and smoothies

Looking for more breakfast smoothies and protein shakes? Here are a few different recipes to try.

• Eggnog Protein Shake
• Espresso Protein Shake
• Healthy Avocado Smoothie with Cacao and Collagen