PEPPERMINT MOCHA FRAPPE

I stick (Mostly) to black coffee. I'm not against milk and sweeteners, that's just how I like it. My grandfather was one of those people who put cream and six packets of sugar in his tea cup of coffee and my parents didn't want drinking mine that way. My grandfather had dentures, after all. He didn't have to worry about his teeth falling out unless he wanted them to.

Anyways... I had started drinking coffee at the age of three. If you know my father, this makes perfect sense. I learned to strip down and reassemble any coffee pot in my path at a very young age. Not to mention brew a pot. When I turned five my parents put their foot down and decided to discourage me from my coffee drinking, and so they told me I could only drink coffee if it was black! Their plan failed and I still like it black to this day. Unless of course, it's in something delicious like a peppermint mocha! (What can I say? I'm seasonal!)

Things you need: A good quality blender

PEPPERMINT MOCHA FRAPPE:

2/3 c almond milk
1 Tbsp cocoa powder made into a slurry with a little warm water
2 Tbsp honey or other Paleo sweetener (such as palm sugar or pure maple syrup)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
2 tsp instant coffee or 1 shot espresso
1 serving grass-fed whey protein
ice

Okay, everything in the recipe is optional, make it how you like it! Start (very) small with the peppermint extract! If you add too much your frappe will taste bitter. Add more or less chocolate if you'd like.

#1: Put everything into a blender and blend until smooth.

Paleo variations: Add 2 tsp of cocoa nibs for a chocolate chip frappe!

Non-paleo variations: Top with a dollop of whipped cream or your favorite yogurt. You can also add yogurt to your frappe in place of the whey protein. I would recommend plain or vanilla.