This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Danone and JM Smucker. The opinions and text are all mine.
Can you believe that we're halfway through December?! Where is time flying!? Our tree is up, our stockings are hung, and South Florida is actually unusually wintery and dipping far below it's usual 80s (aka our standard winter) into the 50/60/70s every day this month basically! It's really adding to the holiday vibes while I sip on my DIY Oreo Peppermint Mocha Frappe on deck made with Dunkin’ Donuts® Original Blend coffee of course ?.
I always get asked something along the lines of, “don’t the holidays feel wrong with it being so hot out?!” and the truth is, no! I grew up here and it’s all I’ve ever known. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my fair share of white Christmas’, which I loved! But it still feels like Christmas to me when we wake up, eat a good breakfast around the tree and head to the beach in the evening for the cotton candy skies that only this time of year can offer! Plus one of my favorite things is the beach in the evening this time of year. The weather tends to drop into the low 70s or high 60s during the evening and the sand just feels magical!
With all of that said, I also make our festive treats a little bit differently. You know, cool apple cider in November instead of hot. And I love to make my own frozen Oreo peppermint mocha frappe instead of hot coffee! Truthfully, even if you’re up north freezing your tail off, I’d still recommend the frozen mocha frappe over a hot one since it’ll bring your body temperature down and not make it feel as cold out! It’s like when you go from the cold pool to the hot tub and the shock of the temperature change stings, but if you go from a warm pool to a hot tub it’s much more bearable!
It’s totally inspired by Serendipity and makes this time of year feel extra magical while checking off all the Christmas movies on my list you can check out here.
How To Make The Best Oreo Peppermint Mocha Frappe's At Home
This is a spin on Dunkin’ Donuts® frozen coffee and chocolate drinks, so I started by heading to Target to pick up my ingredients! The best part about this recipe is can make it with only three ingredients! Dunkin’ Donuts® coffee, International Delight Oreo Creamer, and cocoa powder! You can add in additional ingredients like the ones I found at target: whipped cream, candy canes, and these fun festive cups! Also, make sure you’re shopping smart by downloading Target’s Cartwheel app to save up to 20% on participating coffee and creamer products from now through 12/22/18!
Once you get back home, start by brewing up your Dunkin’ Donuts® coffee as you normally would.
While the coffee is brewing, get an ice cube tray and pour in International Delight Oreo Creamer. Creamer cubes are the key to the rich deliciousness of the Oreo peppermint mocha frappe! You really can’t mess it up though. It’s not a science like baking, so the recipe is too taste at the end of the day. The more creamer cubes you use, the creamier your drink will be! Fun fact: this is how I make homemade ice cream too! You can always start blending with a few ice cubes and add more in later.
Once the coffee is done you’ll get another ice tray and make coffee cubes. Consider reserving a little bit of coffee in the fridge to add to the blender later on. Without any coffee or creamer going in the blender it’ll make it tough to crush the cubes since you aren’t adding any water or milk.
Once the cubes are all done, you can take them out, add to blender with the reserved coffee and/or creamer. For the reserved coffee and creamer start with a little, and slowly add more as needed to get all the ingredients mixed together. If you add too much of the liquids too early on you’ll get more of a liquidy drink rather than the thick “frozen” feel we are going for. You’ll also add in your cocoa powder. If you don’t have a cocoa powder you can sub for chocolate syrup or a chocolate bar. At this point, you could blend everything up and have an awesome drink and be done!
Optional add-ins and ons for your Oreo Peppermint Mocha Frappe:
If you’re looking to kick things up a notch you can get creative here. Personally, I’ll add in protein powder if I need it. If you have a strong sweet tooth add in dates which are a great natural sweetener instead of using sugar. They are high in fiber, great antioxidants and can help regulate blood sugar. If you want to go for dates, make sure they’re pitted. Depending on your blender, I’d recommend soaking them in warm water for a bit to help break them down a little easier. They also provide a great texture to the drink!
Once you’re done blending your ingredients, add to your favorite mug and top with any garnishments you like! Here I did some whipped cream, crushed candy cane, and of course a candy cane stick! All of that is optional though so dress it up as much or as little as you want!
Quick Reference Oreo Peppermint Mocha Frappe Recipe:
DIY Oreo Peppermint Mocha Frappe
Ingredients
- 1 tray of Dunkin' Donuts® Original Blend Ground Coffee ice cubes
- 1 tray of International Delight Oreo Creamer ice cubes
- 3 T Cocoa Powder (you can sub chocolate syrup or a chocolate bar too)
- 4-6 Pitted Dates (optional for sweetness; you can sub sugar or nothing)
- 1-2 Candy Cane (optional)
- Whipped Cream (optional)
Instructions
Make your Dunkin' Donuts® coffee as you normally would
While the coffee is brewing make a tray of International Delight Creamer ice cubes3. Once the coffee is done, add it an ice tray and freeze - make sure to keep some coffee for blending later, you can just store that in the fridge until you're ready for it
Once the coffee and creamer cubes are done, add them to a blender with the stored coffee. Add in 2-3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 4-6 dates (this part is really to taste, so do what feels right).
Blend: when you're blending either use the smoothie setting on your blender or pulse it on low-medium for 30-second spurts until everything is done. You want to make sure you're giving the heavier unblended ingredients a chance to sink back to the blender blades on the bottom.
Add to a festive mug and top with garnishments (whipped cream and candy cane for me)!
Notes
- If you're getting chunks of date in your drink, try soaking them in warm water when you make it again (or do this beforehand to avoid chunky dates, it really just depends on your blender) - If you want more of a peppermint flavor, add a couple of drops of food grade peppermint oil - Play with add-ins and add-ons like protein powder in your drink or whipped cream and crushed candy cane on top!
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