A copycat of the Iced Mocha at Starbucks that can easily be made at home. Espresso and chocolate made iced and topped with fluffy, homemade whipped cream! Takes 5 minutes to make from start to finish.
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Recipe Highlights
- Starbucks Iced Caffè Mocha, or simply Iced Mocha, is a drink made with espresso, mocha sauce, milk, and ice. It’s topped with whipped cream.
- Mocha is a chocolate flavored latte and the main ingredients are chocolate, espresso, and milk.
- This copycat drink recreates the Starbucks recipe so it tastes as close to their version as much as possible. This recipe makes a grande (16 ounce) Iced Mocha.
- Espresso made in an espresso machine or Nespresso will make the best tasting drink.
RELATED: Starbucks Mocha Copycat
Ingredient Notes
- Espresso: Starbucks makes this drink with their classic dark roast espresso.
Whole beans: Starbucks Espresso Roast
Nespresso Original: Starbucks Espresso Roast
Nespresso Vertuo: Espresso Roast - Chocolate syrup: Use store-bought or homemade chocolate syrup but I highly recommend making it at home. You’ll be surprised how good it is and how easy it is to make.
- Milk: Starbucks makes this drink with 2% milk but you can use any milk you like.
- Heavy cream: The whipped cream is made by whisking heavy cream and vanilla syrup together.
- Vanilla syrup: Vanilla syrup is used to sweeten the whipped cream. Use homemade or store-bought.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Whisk heavy cream and vanilla syrup using a handheld milk frother.
It takes about a minute to create fluffy whipped cream. Set aside.
Step 2: Pour chocolate syrup and espresso into a cup. Stir together. Use 2 Nespresso espresso pods or pull 2 shots from an espresso machine.
Step 3: Add milk, then ice.
Step 4: Top with whipped cream.
Use a spoon to add the whipped cream on top of the drink.
Using a Nespresso
The quick and easy way to make espresso at home is with a Nespresso machine.
1 shot of espresso = 1 Nespresso espresso capsule
To recreate the Starbucks drink, you’ll need 2 Nespresso espresso capsules or 1 double espresso capsule.
You can use any espresso capsule but if you want the taste to be as close to Starbucks as possible, use the Starbucks Nespresso capsules.
Nespresso Starbucks Espresso Vertuo capsules
Nespresso Starbucks Espresso Original capsules
Starbucks also makes blonde espresso capsules for both Vertuo and Original machines, which are more popular than the regular espresso capsules.
Expert Tips
- Instant coffee can be used if you don’t have a way to make espresso at home. Combine 1 tablespoon of instant coffee and ¼ cup hot water to replace the 2 shots of espresso in the recipe.
- Good quality chocolate will make the drink rich and flavorful. The secret to my delicious homemade chocolate syrup is the cocoa powder I use. You can use the chocolate syrup to make hot chocolates too.
- Chocolate syrup and vanilla syrup can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
- Like the whipped cream made at Starbucks, this copycat recipe is made with vanilla syrup in the whipped cream but you can easily swap out the vanilla syrup with 2 teaspoons of sugar.
- Instead of buying Starbucks vanilla syrup on Amazon or Ebay (and pay more than double the price), get it at a Starbucks location by asking if they have any to sell. If they have extra in stock, they can sell it to you for about $14.
- Instead of whipped cream, make it with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam!
Questions You May Have
A grande (16 ounces) Iced Mocha is made with 2 shots of espresso, 4 pumps of mocha sauce, 2% milk, ice, and topped with whipped cream.
Water, sugar, cocoa processed with alkali, and natural flavor.
Yes, there’s a caffeine in the espresso and also a little caffeine in the chocolate sauce.
Related
- Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino Copycat
- Peppermint Mocha Latte
- Salted Caramel Mocha Latte
- Quick & Easy Whipped Mocha Coffee
- Mocha Protein Shake
- 15 Best Nespresso Vertuo Pods
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Starbucks Iced Mocha Copycat
INGREDIENTS
Iced Mocha
- ¼ cup chocolate syrup
- 2 capsules Nespresso espresso (or 2 espresso shots)
- ¾ cup 2% milk
- 1 cup ice
Whipped Cream
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla syrup
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pour chocolate syrup and espresso into a cup. Stir together.Use 2 Nespresso espresso pods or pull 2 shots from an espresso machine.
- Add milk, then ice.
- Top with whipped cream.Use a spoon to dollop the whipped cream on top of the drink.
EQUIPMENT
NOTES
- 1 shot of espresso = 1 Nespresso espresso capsule
- To make a 16 ounce (grande) Starbucks drink, you’ll need 2 Nespresso espresso or ristretto capsules. You can also use 1 Vertuo double espresso.
- With the Vertuo machine capsules, only use espresso capsules and not the coffee capsules that make 7.77 ounces.
- Starbucks makes all their lattes with 2% milk but you can use any kind of milk you like.
- Instant coffee can be used if you don’t have a way to make espresso at home. Combine 1 tablespoon of instant coffee and ¼ cup hot water to replace the 2 shots of espresso in the recipe.
- Good quality chocolate will make the drink rich and flavorful. The secret to my delicious homemade chocolate syrup is the cocoa powder I use. You can use the chocolate syrup to make hot chocolates too.
- Chocolate syrup and vanilla syrup can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
- Like the whipped cream made at Starbucks, this copycat recipe is made with vanilla syrup in the whipped cream but you can easily swap out the vanilla syrup with 2 teaspoons of sugar.
- Instead of buying Starbucks vanilla syrup on Amazon or Ebay (and pay more than double the price), get it at a Starbucks location by asking if they have any to sell. If they have extra in stock, they can sell it to you for about $14.
- Instead of whipped cream, make it with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam!
So good and easy.
love it. tastes so much like the original. pretty sure i burned my espresso as always lol but the recipe is on point.