This delicious homemade mocha is made with strong coffee from a coffee machine, Nespresso, or Keurig, and chocolate syrup. Make it even better with a topping of quick and easy whipped cream that’s made in seconds.
Recipe Highlights
- Mocha, also known as caffè mocha, is a chocolate version of a latte. It’s made with espresso, chocolate, and milk. Don’t have an espresso machine? This recipe shows you how to make mocha at home using strong coffee instead of espresso.
- Homemade chocolate syrup is recommended but you can also use store-bought syrup or cocoa powder and sugar. Ingredient amounts for different chocolate options are included in the recipe.
- The drink is topped off with a decadent whipped cream topping that’s incredibly quick and easy to make at home.
Want more mocha recipes? Make Iced Mocha, Salted Caramel Mocha Latte, Peppermint Mocha Latte, Whipped Mocha, and Mocha Frappuccino at home!
Ingredient Notes
- Strong coffee: Coffee made in a coffee machine, Nespresso, or Keurig will all work. Nespresso will best recreate mocha made in coffee shops since its espresso-style coffee is a lot like espresso you would get from an espresso machine.
- Chocolate syrup: The recipe uses homemade chocolate syrup since it’s simply delicious but you can use store-bought syrup. If you have cocoa powder and sugar, you can use that instead of the syrup.
- Milk: Any kind of milk will work for this recipe.
- Heavy cream: This is to make the whipped cream topping.
- Sugar: White, granulated sugar is used to sweeten the whipped cream. The finer the sugar, the easier it will be to whip into the heavy cream so white sugar is a better option than raw or brown sugar.
- Salt: My favorite sea salt that I use for all my recipes. It’s adds a little something to the whipped cream topping, balancing it out from being too cloyingly sweet.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make cream topping.
Sugar, salt, and heavy cream are whipped together using a handheld milk frother. It should take seconds to get nice and fluffy.
Step 2: Froth milk. Heat milk on the stovetop or microwave then use a French press to froth. Or use an electric milk frother that will heat and froth at the same time. If you have an espresso machine, use the steam wand to froth the milk.
Barista’s Tip: Frothing or steaming milk texturizes the milk with tiny air bubbles which makes the drink a little sweeter and creamier than just using heated milk.
Step 3: Assemble drink. Pour hot coffee into a mug.
Step 4: Add frothed milk.
Step 5: Stir in chocolate syrup.
Step 6: Top with whipped cream. Stir before drinking. Optional garnish: drizzle with chocolate syrup.
Expert Tips
- Mocha that’s made in coffee shops are made with espresso, steamed milk, and chocolate syrup. To get homemade mocha tasting as good as the ones in cafes, prepare the ingredients the same way baristas do by making espresso-style coffee, and steaming or frothing the milk.
- Homemade chocolate syrup is a cost-saver but store-bought is a time-saver.
- To make mocha super quick, stir in a bit of a milk chocolate bar or milk chocolate chips to your coffee! It will take a little longer to melt into your coffee than syrup though.
Questions You May Have
1 or 2 shots go into mocha. At Starbucks, 1 shot of espresso goes into a short and tall drink size and 2 shots are in a grande and venti, just like all their other espresso-based drinks. At most coffee shops, 2 shots of espresso is standard in an espresso drink like mocha.
2% steamed milk with a some foam, espresso, mocha sauce, and whipped cream (with vanilla syrup) are in a Starbucks’ mocha. The mocha sauce is made with water, sugar, cocoa processed with alkali, and natural flavor. There are 2 pumps of mocha sauce in a short, 3 pumps in a tall, 4 pumps in grande, and 5 in a venti.
Mocha is essentially a latte with chocolate added. Take out the chocolate and the drink is a latte. Add the chocolate and it’s a mocha.
Yes! I recommend using this high quality cocoa powder, which is key to making my delicious homemade chocolate syrup recipe. See the recipe below for how much to use.
Use a pod or capsule to make a strong cup of coffee.
Related
- 17 Delicious Latte Recipes
- Simple Homemade Syrups for Coffee and Tea
- Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine Review
- Super Simple Iced Mocha
- Most Popular Coffee Drinks and How They’re Different
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Easy Homemade Mocha
INGREDIENTS
Mocha
- 1 cup strong coffee
- 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
- ¼ cup milk
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make whipped cream topping.Sugar, salt, and heavy cream are whipped together using a handheld milk frother. It should take seconds to get nice and fluffy.
- Froth milk.Bring milk to a simmer on the stovetop, making sure it doesn't come to a boil since it can easily burn, or microwave it for 30 seconds. Pour heated milk into a French press, put the lid on, and move the plunger up and down, making sure to hold down the lid. Or, heat and froth milk at the same time using an electric milk frother. If you have an espresso machine, froth milk using the steam wand.
- Assemble drink.Hot coffee, frothed milk, and chocolate syrup go into a cup. Stir. Top with whipped cream. Optional garnish: drizzle chocolate syrup on top of the whipped cream.
EQUIPMENT
NOTES
Tips:
- Instead of chocolate syrup, add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and 2 teaspoons of sugar.
- Mocha that’s made in coffee shops are made with espresso, steamed milk, and chocolate syrup. To get homemade mocha tasting as good as the ones in cafes, prepare the ingredients the same way baristas do by making espresso from a Nespresso or espresso machine, and steaming or frothing the milk.
- Homemade chocolate syrup is a cost-saver but store-bought is a time-saver.
- To make mocha super quick, stir in a bit of a milk chocolate bar or milk chocolate chips to your coffee instead of chocolate syrup. It will take a little longer to melt into your coffee than syrup though.
I made this it was easy and awesome