Almond Free Peppermint Cocoa Lemonade

Total time40 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time10 min

5.0

(12)

Peppermint cocoa meets bright, zippy lemonade in one of the most unexpected flavor combinations you'll ever sip — and somehow it completely works. The homemade peppermint cocoa syrup is built from maple syrup, unsweetened cocoa powder, and a touch of peppermint extract, so you know exactly what's going into your glass with zero guesswork about hidden nut-based additives. Straining the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve gives it a silky, smooth texture that blends beautifully with the fresh lemon juice and sparkling water. The trick is to stir it just enough so the drink stays lightly streaked — that swirl of dark chocolate ribbon against the fizzy lemonade looks absolutely stunning in a tall glass. It's the kind of drink that feels fancy enough for a dinner party but is genuinely simple to pull together at home. Garnish with a mint sprig and a lemon slice and you've got something that tastes as good as it looks.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the peppermint cocoa syrup

½ cup water
½ cup maple syrup
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ tsp peppermint extract
1 pinch fine salt

For the lemonade

½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)
3 cups sparkling water, chilled
2 cups ice

For serving

4 fresh mint sprigs (optional)
4 lemon slices (optional)

Instructions

1
Combine the water, maple syrup, and cocoa powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the cocoa is fully dissolved and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer, about 3–4 minutes.
2
Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the peppermint extract and salt. Pour the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof container to remove any undissolved cocoa solids.

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