Chocolate Peppermint Coffee Drops are not cough drops. They are "coffee drops" to drop into your hot cup of coffee (or tea, if you like) for a flavorful holiday touch. You're welcome!
I was inspired to make these festive coffee-drop candies after I'd made my Peppermint White Hot Chocolate. After all, if the holidays aren't the right time to indulge in chocolate and peppermint recipes...when is?
Jump to:
- The ingredients:
- Ingredient information:
- Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- Why this recipe works:
- Are coffee-drop candies a good gift item?
- Holiday gifting and suggestions:
- It's all wrapped up!
- How long do these chocolate peppermint drops take from start to finish?
- Ingredient substitution suggestions:
- Renee's top tips for recipe success:
- Additional homemade candy recipes:
- Printable Recipe Card
The ingredients:
*Please note that the exact measurements along with a new "shop the recipe" feature from Instacart is available in the printable recipe card.
Ingredient information:
STARLIGHT MINTS - These round peppermint candies are perfect for coating with chocolate and dropping in a cup of hot coffee or tea.
SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS - I chose semi-sweet chocolate chips because I always have them on hand in the pantry.
HEAVY CREAM - The hot, heavy cream does all the hard work of turning the chips into a smooth, creamy chocolate ganache. Plus, it will make your coffee rich and luscious because the cream has already been added.
RED AND WHITE SANDING SUGAR - Of course, this is optional, but coffee drops aren't quite as attractive without some extra flourish.
Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
MICROWAVE SAFE BOWL - This is how I heated the heavy cream for this recipe. You can also use a small saucepan on the stovetop. Either way works fine.
SILICONE SPATULA - I love my silicone spatulas and always reach for them when cooking and baking. What I love the most is that they're easy to clean, and because they're silicone, you can even leave them in the bowl while you microwave the cream.
CHOCOLATE FORK (or fork) - What's nice about using a chocolate fork is that the tines aren't too close together (like a regular kitchen fork), so it's easier to allow the excess chocolate to drip off, leaving more in the bowl for coating more candy.
PARCHMENT PAPER - Parchment paper on a baking sheet is a great way to dry the coffee drops and set the chocolate after dipping. The parchment paper prevents the candy from sticking, so when it's time to bag or box the candy, it's easy.
Why this recipe works:
They're fast and easy to make with the iconic flavor of the holiday season.
Chocolate Peppermint Coffee Drops are a unique treat and not something you've seen repeatedly when holiday gift-giving time rolls around.
Are coffee-drop candies a good gift item?
They sure are.
If you want to make a nice but cost-effective gift for someone who loves chocolate, peppermint, and coffee, mix up a batch or two of these festive coffee drops. They'll love them, and you've given a piece of your heart to someone special!
Holiday gifting and suggestions:
Wouldn't it be fun to put a colorful ribbon on a big basket and fill it with a couple of cute mugs (holiday or not), along with a French press, coffee beans, a coffee grinder, a festive gift bag (see below under "it's all wrapped up) filled with chocolate peppermint coffee drops, coffee spoons, and maybe even some festive napkins to make the gift complete?
It's all wrapped up!
If you gift these fun little coffee drops, packaging them in fun and festive confection gift boxes or cellophane treat bags is a delightful finishing touch that is always noticed and appreciated.
How long do these chocolate peppermint drops take from start to finish?
Just a tiny bit longer than it takes to make the chocolate ganache.
Ten total minutes if you work without interruption.
Ingredient substitution suggestions:
Suppose you wanted to substitute candy canes for the Starlight mints; that would be fun. Dip one of the candy cane ends into the chocolate and continue.
Not a fan of semi-sweet chocolate? No problem. How about substituting milk chocolate or even white chocolate? OR what about going all out and using all three?
Any fun and festive sprinkles can be substituted for the red and white sanding sugar. You can even sprinkle the wet chocolate with crushed peppermint candy to drive home the peppermint theme.
Renee's top tips for recipe success:
When heating the heavy cream, check it often. You need it hot enough to melt the chocolate chips, but you don't want the cream to boil.
Allow the candy to dry thoroughly before packaging. Packaging them too soon will likely cause the candy to stick together and not be in individual "coffee drop" form.
Wear gloves with your fingers to prevent the annoying static build-up that causes cellophane candy wrappers to stick to your hands. Or you can chill the wrapped peppermint candy in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before unwrapping.
Additional homemade candy recipes:
Wake up your taste buds with this sweet and spicy Cinnamon Fudge. It's not the typical flavor of fudge you've seen coming and going, year after year...it's better!
You can either thank me for this Coconut Pecan Praline Candy recipe or curse me out! They're so good and addicting that you may eat them all by yourself! Sorry. Not sorry!
This fast and easy recipe for No-Bake Peanut Butter and Chocolate Granola Jumbles will satisfy your sweet tooth and give you a boost of energy that will last you all through the afternoon.
Chocolate Covered Dried Cherry Clusters are super simple to make and require only a handful of ingredients. They're a delicious homemade chocolate candy everyone loves.
When you make this recipe, and I hope you do, I'd appreciate it if you'd take a moment to leave a star rating on the recipe card and briefly comment on why you rated it as you did. FYI - Google appreciates recipe ratings and, in turn, will share my recipes with more people. Thank you so much!!
Printable Recipe Card
Chocolate Peppermint Coffee Drops
Equipment
- chocolate fork optional
- candy bags optional
- holiday coffee mugs optional
Ingredients
- 30 each starlight mints unwrapped
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream heat to just under a simmer in the microwave.
- red and white sanding sugar optional
Instructions
- Add the chocolate chips to a large bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl until hot, but not boiling.
- Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate chips and stir continuously until the chocolate is melted, smooth and creamy.
- Add the starlight mints to the melted chocolate and stir gently to coat the candy entirely with chocolate.
- Use a chocolate fork, or kitchen fork, to remove the chocolate covered peppermints, allowing the excess chocolate to drip off and back into the bowl.
- Place the chocolate candy on parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the red and white sanding sugar while the chocolate is still wet.
- Allow the candy to dry and then package for serving or gifting.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I sincerely hope you've enjoyed today's tasty holiday candy treat for Chocolate Peppermint Coffee Drops as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you!
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Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!!
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