Winter is coming. That can only mean one thing. No, we aren’t talking about White Walkers in Westeros, we’re talking about peppermint mocha at Starbucks!

That’s right: While pumpkin spice lattes might be the darling of fall, nothing beats the winter blues quite like a peppermint mocha from Starbucks. Made with mocha sauce and peppermint-flavored syrup, then topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls, it’s a sweet and decadent way to celebrate the season.

But you don’t have to drive to Starbucks to satisfy your peppermint mocha craving. With this copycat recipe from Food.com, you can recreate your favorite coffee shop treat right at home.

First, you make a rich mocha syrup by combining baking cocoa with warm water. You can use any unsweetened cocoa powder for baking, such as Hershey’s, Ghirardelli, or similar.

Brew espresso, either with an espresso maker (or a combo espresso/coffee machine such as this one on Amazon for $179.99) or by using this handy guide for making espresso at home without an espresso maker.

For the signature peppermint syrup from Starbucks, you can purchase the syrup direct from your local store or online. You can also substitute with peppermint syrup from other brands, such as Torani or Monin.

You can also easily make simple syrup at home. You only need to dissolve sugar in boiling water on the stove with an easy-to-remember 1:1 ratio. You can flavor your simple syrup any way you wish (think vanilla, caramel or almond), but for the peppermint mocha drink, you would of course want to flavor with it mint leaves. If you don’t have fresh mint available to you, you can also use peppermint extract (find it in the baking aisle). For a yummy variation, you can also make a chocolate mint syrup with this recipe from Good Cheap Eats.

Now, you only need steamed milk, whipped cream and peppermint candy pieces for topping! Or top with chocolate candy curls like these from Walmart. And enjoy!

Article written by Bridget Sharkey for Simplemost