For many coffee lovers with a sweet tooth, chocolate, and coffee make the perfect marriage. Combine smooth, foamy milk with bold espresso and sweet, creamy chocolate, and you have a mocha. This has been a popular drink at many coffee shops for years, but paying your favorite barista to make them can add up quickly.
Luckily, mochas are easy to make at home, and you can add as many decadent toppings as you desire. Typically served with milk froth on top, mochas can be jazzed up with whipped cream, sprinkles, or cocoa powder.
How to Make a Mocha:
A Note on the Espresso
Use the espresso method you’re most comfortable with or have on hand. You can also buy it on our official shop, expresso shots powder; you will add hot water only. Remember that it’s always recommended to use finely-ground coffee for making espresso, whether pre-ground or you’re grinding your beans. If you have an espresso machine or portable espresso maker, pull a shot as usual. If not, don’t worry! You can also use strong coffee or a Moka pot.
1. Prepare your coffee.
Pull your shot, set up your Moka pot, or brew a full cup of coffee using your favorite brewing method. We prefer pulling short ristretto shots for mochas with espresso because the concentrated flavor holds up well to chocolate. This will yield about 1.5 ounces of liquid. With strong coffee, we recommend about 2 ounces.
2. Heat your milk.
Add eight ounces of milk to a microwave-safe bowl or cup. Heat for 1 minute and remove from the microwave. Alternatively, you can heat milk in a pan on the stovetop. Keep the heat medium and frequently stir, turning off the burner before the milk boils.
We think the perfect temperature for a mocha is between 160-170° Fahrenheit. You can make it hotter or colder if you like but don’t burn the milk, and we wouldn’t recommend going below 140°.
3. Froth your milk.
If you have a milk frother, this step will be easy. Otherwise, you can froth your milk using a whisk. Place it between your palms and roll it back and forth until you create enough foam.
4. Add chocolate syrup.
Pour two tablespoons of your favorite chocolate syrup into the bottom of a coffee mug. For an extra coffee shop look, drizzle syrup along the inner edges of the cup.
5. Add the espresso.
Pour your brewed espresso or strong coffee into the mug. Stir to dissolve the chocolate.
6. Add the hot milk and foam.
Holding back the foam, pour the steamed milk into the espresso. Top with foam and embellish with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or sprinkles. For extra coffee flavor, sprinkle on some homemade espresso powder!
Too hot outside?
Make it an iced mocha! Follow all the steps listed above except Step 2, and when you add the milk to the cup, throw ice cubes in there first.
