Quick & Easy Starbucks Peppermint Syrup Recipe

Starbucks Peppermint Syrup Recipe for Coffee and More

Starbucks peppermint syrup flavored drinks are a holiday classic. But did you know Starbucks has peppermint syrup available all year long?

Yup, that’s right. That means you can actually get peppermint syrup in any Starbucks drink no matter the season.

In other words, Starbucks peppermint syrup isn’t just for seasonally-inspired drinks like the Peppermint Mocha, Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino, or my favorite, Peppermint Hot Chocolate.

For instance a couple pumps of peppermint syrup in a Starbucks hot tea like Mint Majesty might be good.

Some people even like to add peppermint syrup to a Starbucks Medicine Ball.

And if you like mint in your iced tea, you certainly could swap out the liquid cane sugar syrup in a Starbucks iced black tea for peppermint syrup.

Uses for Peppermint Syrup

Peppermint syrup pairs perfectly with coffee, espresso and chocolate.

As you can imagine, sweet peppermint combined with espresso and bittersweet, chocolatey mocha sauce is divine.

The sweet flavor of peppermint syrup is also ideal for drinks like iced tea and some cocktails.

I especially love when holiday-inspired peppermint drinks garnish the glass rim with crushed candy cane.

By far, however, my favorite way to use peppermint syrup is to make peppermint hot chocolate and this copycat recipe for Starbucks Peppermint White Hot Chocolate. There’s just something about mint and chocolate that I can’t get enough of.

Since there are so many delicious uses for peppermint syrup, I like to keep a bottle on-hand, especially during the winter months.

Of course, you can buy a bottle of peppermint syrup in the store. You can even get a bottle of Starbucks peppermint syrup at Amazon.

But did you know, it’s quick and simple to make a bottle of peppermint syrup at home?

Plus, my recipe for diy peppermint syrup only takes 3 ingredients.

In addition to water and sugar, the only other ingredient you need is peppermint extract which is readily available in the spice aisle of your grocery store.

How to Make Starbucks Peppermint Syrup

Seriously, making this Starbucks peppermint syrup copycat recipe could not be easier. Here’s my method.

Step 1: Make Simple Syrup

First, make a basic simple syrup recipe on the stove. Simple syrup for drinks is merely dissolved sugar in water.

Typically, simple syrup is one part sugar to one part water. In other words, a one-to-one ratio.

However, I like to make this syrup a little sweeter, similar to my Starbucks Classic Syrup recipe.

Therefore, combine 1 1/4 cups of sugar with 1 cup of water in a saucepan.

Importantly, use filtered water if at all possible. You don’t want to introduce any funky flavors from tap water.

If you don’t already have a way to filter water, a Brita pitcher is the perfect solution.

Not to mention, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how much filtered water improves the taste of your at-home coffee, tea and ice.

Go ahead and bring the sugar/water mixture to a boil, being sure to stir it frequently.

Immediately, lower the syrup to a simmer and let the mixture reduce and thicken for a few minutes. Again, stir often and do not let it burn.

Step 2: Mix in Peppermint Extract

Next, add the peppermint extract to the simple syrup. Simmer the peppermint syrup for another minute, then remove it from the heat.

By the way, if you want to make vanilla syrup, substitute vanilla extract for the peppermint.

Step 3: Cool & Bottle the Peppermint Syrup

Let the syrup cool and then pour it in a bottle. Really, any type of bottle or jar works.

For instance, I use glass mason jars when I include a bottle of peppermint syrup in a gift basket.

But at home, I keep my simple syrups in plastic squeeze bottles. This makes it super simple to squirt the syrup into my favorite drink.

Convenience in the kitchen is key. Am I right?

How Much Peppermint Syrup to Use in Drinks

Now that you see how easy and cost effective it is to make a bottle of homemade peppermint syrup, you might be wondering how much to use in each drink.

Obviously, the amount of syrup you add to your at-home drinks is completely personal.

Just keep in mind, the more you use, the more flavorful and sweet your coffee, tea, hot chocolate or other drinks become.

However, if you love the taste of Starbucks peppermint mocha or hot chocolate and want to duplicate these drinks, you’ll find this handy chart helpful.

Here’s a look at how many pumps of Starbucks syrup goes into each drink, hot and cold.

Cup Size	Starbucks Hot Drinks	Starbucks Iced Drinks
Short	2	N/A
Tall	3	3
Grande	4	4
Venti	5	6
Trenta	N/A	7

For reference, each pump of syrup is approximately equal to 1/2 tablespoon.

When I say syrup, I’m referring to syrups like vanilla, classic, peppermint, cinnamon dolce and so on, not sauces like Pumpkin Spice Sauce or mocha sauce.

Sauce bottles are equipped with a physically larger pump than syrup bottles.

Therefore, each pump of a sauce bottle produces more than each pump from a syrup bottle.

Additionally, you may have noticed that the venti size iced drink contains one more pump of syrup compared to a venti size hot drink.

This is simply because a venti cold drink is 24 ounces. Whereas a venti hot drink is 20 ounces.

Starbucks Peppermint Syrup Recipe