Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino: Drink Overview

Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino

Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino is a holiday drink that’s a blend of peppermint, chocolate, coffee and milk. It’s topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls.

The Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino comes two ways, coffee-based or creme-based. Additionally, it can be made with white mocha sauce or even toasted white mocha sauce during the holiday season.

Starbucks describes the Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino like this:

A delectable blend of chocolate-pepperminty perfection in every cool sip—Frappuccino® Roast coffee, mocha sauce, peppermint-flavored syrup, milk and ice, topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls.
starbucks.com

Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino at Starbucks. — Starbucks has peppermint mocha frappuccinos with coffee and without.

This flavorful trio of peppermint, chocolate and coffee is a holiday classic at Starbucks.

In fact, peppermint mocha drinks at Starbucks have been on every Starbucks holiday menu since 2002.

In other words, baristas have been brewing and blending handcrafted peppermint mocha beverages longer than any other holiday drink. It’s just that good!

If a Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino is your go-to holiday beverage of choice, you may be surprised to know you can actually order it all year-long.

That’s right, peppermint syrup is always on tap at Starbucks. You just won’t get the seasonal dark chocolate curls.

For me, I prefer to keep it as a festive holiday treat.

What’s in a Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks

Peppermint Syrup + Mocha Sauce + Frappuccino Coffee Roast + Whole Milk + Ice + Whipped Cream + Dark Chocolate Curls Holiday Topping

Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino with dark chocolate curls on top for the holidays. — Peppermint Mochas are topped with dark chocolate curls during the holiday season.

Starbucks Peppermint Mocha frappuccinos get all their minty flavor from peppermint flavored syrup. And the rich chocolate comes from mocha sauce.

Coffee frappuccino syrup—or frapp roast, as the baristas call it, is where all the coffee flavor comes from. Frapp roast is simply a mix of a water and a special powdered coffee blend made specifically for frappuccinos.

What’s in a Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino: Specifically, the drink portion of a Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino blends together peppermint syrup, mocha sauce, coffee frappuccino syrup, whole milk and ice until it’s thickened. The creme version of this drink uses creme frappuccino syrup in place of frapp roast.

Peppermint Mocha Toppings: This seasonal frappuccino is topped with a Starbucks-size swirl of whipped cream. Dark chocolate curls are the final touch. After the winter, when the chocolate curls have run out, ask for chocolate drizzle instead.

Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino: Sizes, Caffeine & Calories

Does Starbucks peppermint mocha have caffeine?
All Starbucks peppermint mocha drinks contain caffeine which comes from the espresso or coffee frappuccino roast. In addition, there is a little bit of caffeine in the chocolate mocha sauce.

Specifically, a grande peppermint mocha made with espresso has 175 mg of caffeine, whereas a grande Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino made with frapp roast contains110 mg. The crème version of the frappuccino does not have coffee in it.

Overall, espresso-based peppermint mocha drinks have more caffeine than frappuccinos, but the frappuccinos still provide a nice pick-me-up.

Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino Sizes	Calories	Caffeine
Tall	300	75 mg
Tall (Crème)	270	5 mg
Grande	430	110 mg
Grande (Crème)	390	10 mg
Venti	530	140 mg
Venti (Crème)	480	15 mg

Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino Sizes, Caffeine and Calories from starbucks.com

The small amount of caffeine in the Peppermint Mocha Creme Frappuccinos comes from the chocolate topping.

Ways to Customize a Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino

Starbucks Peppermint Mocha is on the holiday menu but you can order this seasonal drink throughout the year.

Order it Decaf: If you want a coffee-flavored peppermint frappuccino but don’t want much caffeine, order it decaf. The barista will add-in decaf shots of espresso instead of coffee frappuccino syrup. Keep in mind, the consistency of the frappuccino won’t be quite the same.

Order it Affogato Style: If you want a boost of caffeine in your frappuccino, order it affogato. Similar to an espresso affogato (espresso on top of ice cream), a shot of espresso is poured over the top of the frappuccino.

Questions You May Have

What does Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino taste like?

Peppermint mocha frappuccinos are a delicious combination of three flavors: peppermint, chocolate and coffee. This tasty frappuccino is perfect with fluffy whipped cream on top.

Are peppermint mocha frappuccinos seasonal at Starbucks?

Peppermint Mocha drinks at Starbucks, including the frappuccino, are seasonal drinks that are on the holiday menu for a limited time every year. However, since peppermint syrup is available any time of year at Starbucks, you can order peppermint mocha whenever you want. The dark chocolate curls topping is just for the holidays, though.

Does a Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino have coffee in it?

Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino blended beverages contain coffee. The coffee comes from the coffee frappuccino syrup which is blended into the frappuccino. Order a Peppermint Mocha Creme Frappuccino if you want it without coffee.