Chocolate mint: it’s not just a killer flavor combo, it’s actually a type of plant!
Mentha piperita is a species with the creamy body and faint aftertaste of cocoa. It is lovely steeped in water for a simple tea, and it makes a fine addition to rich desserts.
But why stick with the obvious applications when you can venture into more creative territory?
Rather than add minty flavor to chocolate, let’s add a hint of cocoa to our mint – a mint mojito, that is.
In this recipe, we’ve substituted the typical spearmint with the chocolate variety and added a touch of cocoa to our simple syrup. Paired with the tangy flavor of fresh lime, the result is unbelievably refreshing.
While the cocoa veers away from the usual mojito flavor profile, the presence of lime allows for a rich cocktail that won’t weigh you down.
For the best results, I recommend using a dark cocoa powder. The deeper flavor balances beautifully with the brightness of the lime. Even if you aren’t a dark chocolate lover (or perhaps you’re even a loather) you will be surprised by this drink’s robust flavor.
The small M. piperita plant is available at most garden stores, particularly in the late spring and early summer months. It will live happily in a small pot on a sunny windowsill or porch with regular waterings.
The Recipe
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 1 cocktail | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 10 minutes | 30 minutes |
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If you're a fan of chocolate and mint, then you're sure to love this take on a classic mojito. Cocoa syrup and a chocolate mentha plant kick it up a notch.
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- 1/2 cup granulated Sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 8 chocolate mint leaves (substitute with regular mint if unavailable)
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 1 ounce cocoa syrup
- 2 ounces light rum
- 6 ice cubes
- 2 ounces club soda
- Combine sugar, water, and cocoa in a small saucepot. Place on a burner over medium-high heat, stirring continuously. Allow the syrup to simmer for 3 minutes, until thickened slightly. Let cool, then store in a sealed jar.
- Muddle mint leaves and lime in the base of a highball glass.
- Stir in syrup and rum, then add the ice cubes.
- Top with club soda, garnish with a sprig of mint, and enjoy!
Nutritional Info*
Cooking By the Numbers…
Step One – Prepare the Syrup
This procedure is similar to (but just a bit simpler than) preparing the tangy flavored syrup for our rhubarb mojitos.
Combine the sugar, water, and cocoa powder in a small saucepot on medium-high heat.
You want to stir this continuously while it is cooking – particularly before the sugar is fully dissolved, and after it comes to a simmer.
Otherwise the bubbles will rise quickly, overflowing your pot and burning the bottom of the syrup. And burned syrup on a pot or stovetop is truly a pain to clean (not to mention terribly unappetizing)!
Once the syrup has begun to thicken, after about 3 minutes, turn off the heat and let it cool. After about 15 minutes, you can transfer it to a glass jar and chill it the rest of the way in the refrigerator. This will take about half an hour.
The syrup will hold nicely in the fridge for several weeks, so you can make it in advance if necessary.
This would also work nicely atop homemade ice cream or stirred into a glass of milk, should those who are underage want to try it out!
It also makes an excellent addition to a Vietnamese-style iced coffee, made with DIY sweetened condensed milk. Just adjust the recipe size to suit your syrup needs.
For a non-alcoholic cocktail, check out our recipe for a virgin Mint, Lime and Ginger Splash, or India’s answer to the idea of a thirst-quenching, cooling mojito mocktail: the nimbu pani.
Juice makes a tasty addition to homemade cocktails as well, like our fresh tomatillo mojito.
Step Two – Muddle Mint & Lime for Your Cocktail
Muddle the mint leaves and lime juice in the bottom of a glass. Any shape of cup will do, but the highball is traditional for a mojito.
The muddling process is vital to the drink – as you press the leaves, they release essential oils that provide the bulk of the flavor (check out our post on cooking with essential oils for more about these). As you crush them, you will smell the scent becoming stronger.
Step Three – Add Cocoa Syrup, Rum & Ice
Add your syrup and rum to the glass.
Feel free to adjust the ratios to suit your preferences. Like a strong drink? Up the rum content! Not a fan of drinks that are too sweet? Hold back on the syrup.
Give the ingredients a quick stir, then add in your ice.
If you’re worried about your drink becoming watered down before you can finish it in the hot weather, check out our old school mojito with mint-lime ice cubes.
Step Four – Add Soda & Garnish
Top with a splash of club soda – again, this can be adjusted to your preference. If you prefer a weaker drink, extra soda is the way to go.
Finish with a sprig of mint – it not only looks cool, the extra scent adds to the flavor as you drink as well.
Chocolate need not be heavy or creamy to be delicious. And pairing cocoa with lime can be unbelievably refreshing.
Head on out to your nearest garden store and pick up a beautiful chocolate mint plant, and you’re on your way to a whole new level of mentha bliss!
Tell us about your favorite ways to use your M. piperita plant in the comments.
Got the mojito bug, now that you’ve started experimenting? Check out our round up of recipes from some of our favorite bloggers.
Photos by Kendall Vanderslice, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details.
*Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Kendall Vanderslice
Kendall’s love of food has taken her around the world. From baking muffins on a ship in West Africa and milking cows with Tanzanian Maasai, to hunting down the finest apfelstrudel in Austria, she continually seeks to understand the global impact of food. Kendall holds a BA in Anthropology from Wheaton College and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University, and has worked in the pastry departments of many of Boston’s top kitchens. Based in Somerville, Massachusetts, Kendall helps to run a small community supported bread bakery and writes about the intersection of food, faith, and culture on her personal blog, A Vanderslice of the Sweet Life.
This drink sounds delicious and I’ve been trying to find a recipe that uses mint so I can use fresh mint from my first mint plant. I actually bought the plant because I love the smell of mint, but I also wanted to try using it in some recipes. When I purchased this plant, the gardening store also had chocolate mint plants. I smelled the chocolate mint plant and I thought it smelled delicious. I wanted to buy one of those plants too, but since I only had enough money to buy one of them, I purchased the peppermint plant instead. When I went back to the gardening store, the chocolate mint plants were sold out. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Now I can finally use my mint.
I have never tried anything quite like this, but I think you are singing my song. It sounds like a fantastic twist on an after dinner drink, with all my favorite flavors combined. It even looks refreshing in the pictures, which is great. Something light, not heavy, with just the right amount of sweetness to finish off the meal perfectly. Yum.
I like experimenting with cocktails, especially the after dinner variety, so this sounds like fun.
Thanks for sharing this one, it was extremely informative.
I can definitely see myself drinking Mentha piperita infused water, I’m a big fan of them and this combination just seems irresistible for me.
I also have to admit that this is a quite strange mixture, but as a fan of mojitos, (and a chocolate enthusiast) I’m really looking forward to try this one, especially since it’s summertime already.
As a certified (not really) chocoholic, I can say that this is definitely on my to-try list. I’m itching to feel the flavor of chocolate mix with the refreshing tang of lime. Is there any room for alcohol in this concoction, by any chance?
Read the recipe because it calls for rum. You must have just missed that part. It’s a cocktail not a mocktail. 😛
I never would’ve guessed Chocolate and lime would go well together, I tried out this mojito and it tastes really good. I’m familiar with the taste of mint chocolate and that’s delicious, but this is a great cocktail that’s easy to make as well.
I’m glad to hear you tried making it already! I served it at a party last week and all my guests were skeptical, but then they ended up begging for more!It is a surprisingly light and delicious combination.
I don’t drink. I may try this minus the rum though. Come to think of it I should find an appropriate substitute for te sugar called for in the recipe as well, but I may just leave that alone so I can taste it as is. If I like it I can work out a substitute for the sugar later. I’m not being nit-picky, I’m a type 1 diabetic. I have to be careful with my sweet indulgences if I want to be healthy.
I’m not much of a cocktail drinker, but I think I can make an exception to this I’m a certified chocolate lover, so any excuse to use it in any recipe is a sure hit to my taste bud. Additionally, when I have extra money and I’m in the mall, I like combining mint-flavored ice cream with any chocolate-base ice cream at my favorite gelato store. Thus, combining these two flavors together in one drink is truly an awesome combination. Although the weather in my country is no longer as hot and is starting to cool with tropical depressions threatening us, I still think this would make a good after-meal drink.
It is definitely very refreshing! I hope you like it!
This is a perfect beverage especially during summer. The way it looks makes my mouth water. For all of you who haven’t tried this, it’s a must. This will definitely make your day more fun and relaxing. If you’re looking for cold beverage to spice up your hot summer or quench your thirst in alcohol and sweetness, this is perfect for you. I would definitely give this a try!!!
I just lucked out! I purchased a chocolate mint plant. I’m an extreme mojito freak. A mojito with chocolate mint, a no brainer. Yours is the first recipe I was attracted to. I am gathering all the ingredients and plan to mix a nice pitcher full. The recipe looks delicious. I will let you know how they turned out. I doubt that I will be disappointed.
Thank you ,
Randee
I can’t wait to hear how you like it!
really cool can’t wait to try this .)
I never tried something like this before but since I love peppermint tea, especially, when it is fresh plus the fact I love chocolate, I think I would really like it. Thanks for sharing the recipe!