Mocha Recipe: How to Make a Café Mocha (Hot and Iced)

A café mocha is a latte with chocolate: espresso, chocolate sauce and steamed milk, often topped with whipped cream. It’s sweet, rich and a good drink for people who are new to coffee. Café mocha, iced café mocha and mocha frappe are all on the list of standard drinks in TESDA’s Barista NC II training.

Here’s how to make one, with amounts, plus iced and blended versions.

Café mocha ingredients

Starbucks’ home recipe for one serving:

Three tablespoons makes a sweet, chocolatey drink. For a stronger coffee taste, use a double shot or less sauce.

How to make a café mocha

1. Pull the espresso into a mug. No machine? A moka pot makes strong coffee that works well.
2. Stir in the chocolate sauce until it’s fully mixed with the hot espresso.
3. Steam the milk, as for a latte. See how to steam milk.
4. Pour the milk in slowly until the mug is nearly full.
5. Top it off with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if you like.

Easy homemade chocolate sauce

Whisk equal amounts of unsweetened cocoa powder and sugar with about the same amount of hot water over low heat until smooth. Add a pinch of salt. Taste and add more sugar if you want it sweeter. Let it cool, keep it covered in the fridge, and warm or stir it before use. Using local tablea instead of cocoa powder gives a richer, more Filipino-style chocolate.

Iced mocha

1. Stir the chocolate sauce into a hot double espresso until it dissolves.
2. Fill a glass with ice and pour in cold milk.
3. Pour the chocolate espresso over the top and stir.

Mocha frappe

Blend a double espresso, chocolate sauce, cold milk and a cup of ice until smooth. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate. A strong, cooled espresso keeps the coffee flavor from being lost in the ice. For more cold drinks, see our iced coffee recipes.

Mocha vs cappuccino vs latte

See cappuccino vs mocha and latte vs cappuccino for more, or our flavored latte recipes for other flavors.

For cafés

A mocha uses your normal espresso and milk with one extra ingredient, so it’s an easy menu addition. Pump the sauce for consistency and write the amount for each cup size into your recipe. Our guide to coffee shop menu ideas has more. Chocolate pairs well with a bold, dark espresso. Try our CB’s Finest, and cafés buying 10 kg or more can see wholesale pricing. More lessons are in the Caffeine Brothers Coffee Academy.

Sources

• Starbucks at Home: Caffè mocha recipe
• TESDA: Barista NC II Training Regulations (café mocha, iced café mocha and mocha frappe as standard drinks)