How to Make a Mocha

What is a mocha? This popular drink combines espresso, milk and chocolate into one deliciously rich sip. How to make a mocha at home!

What could be better than combining the flavors of coffee and chocolate? Mocha is one of the most famous espresso drinks, perhaps because it’s so rich and chocolatey it looks like chocolate pudding. Did you know that you can make a barista-quality mocha in the comfort of your own home? This one comes out like that of a coffee: no shortcuts like a hot chocolate mix or whipped cream. Let us begin!

What is a mocha?

A mocha Where mocha latte is a drink made from espresso and frothed milk flavored with chocolate syrup. There are many variations on what exactly constitutes this espresso drink: the decision is up to the barista! This drink can be prepared with different amounts of espresso, frothed milk and chocolate syrup. Mocha became popular in America with the Starbucks culture starting in the 1980s.

This recipe explains how to make a mocha… the real way! It is prepared like a latte or cappuccino with frothed milk. Some recipes use a hot chocolate and coffee mix: basically a cheat version. This one is much tastier: and easy to prepare. Instead of a chocolate syrup we opted for one real Chocolate chips and maple syrup for the sweetness. Here’s how!

Start with an espresso

The first part of a mocha is the espresso! Technically, you can use very strong coffee in this drink as mochas can be freer. But the most authentic form of this coffee drink is espresso! Here’s what you need to craft it:

The milk for a mocha

The other main ingredient in this espresso drink is milk! But not just any milk. This is what you should know about the best milk for a mocha:

• Very important: Use fresh milk if possible! Even milk that is approaching its expiry date does not foam.
• The best milk for a mocha? whole milk. It froths best because it contains the most milk fat. You can also use 2% milk. It works well enough, but you lose some of the richness.
• Fancy a vegan mocha? use oat milk. Oat milk froths the best of all dairy products and tastes great. See How to froth milk for more information.

Froth milk for a mocha: with an espresso machine

If you have an espresso machine, you can use it to froth milk for a mocha. The frothed milk brings the latte into the mocha latte. But unlike our Perfect Latte, you don’t have to worry as much about getting the perfect microfoam texture that feels like wet paint. In fact, this mocha has a fluffier foam and is more like a cappuccino. How to steam milk with an espresso machine (or go to How to steam milk):

• Hold the steam wand just below the surface of the milk until doubled in size and very fluffy.
• Lower the steam wand slightly until the milk reaches 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer or judge if your hand can’t hold the pitcher for more than a few seconds.

How to Froth Milk for a Mocha (Cheat Method!)

Most people don’t have an espresso maker: that’s AOK for a mocha! You can heat the milk and froth it with different tools. See How to Froth Milk for more details, but here are our top tips for the home barista:

• Portable milk frother. A portable milk frother is only $10 and works great! This makes the milk extremely foamy, which is perfect for this mocha.
• French press. If you have a French Press for making coffee, it’s perfect for making froth! It makes a nice frothy lather with bubbles that are slightly larger than the frother.
• Whip. The most basic tool! The milk foams quite well: it has slightly larger bubbles, but it’s perfectly acceptable here.
• Covered glass. Simply pour the milk into a covered glass and shake. Very easy!

How to make a mocha at home

There are many variations of a mocha, and it will come out differently depending on the equipment you use above. That’s good! A mocha is a little more of a free-form drink than the sophisticated latte, flat white, cappuccino, or macchiato. Don’t worry too much about steam and foam. The best is the chocolate!

• Place the chocolate chips in a mug, then add the espresso. The heat of the coffee melts the chocolate.
• Steam milk and syrup (with espresso machine): Add a little maple syrup or plain syrup for just the right amount of sweetness.
• OR Heat milk and syrup on the stove and then froth (non-machine method). Heat the milk in a saucepan until it reaches 150 degrees Fahrenheit, perfect: Here the milk will be warm to the touch but not boiling. Then, using your preferred method, froth the milk until very foamy.
• Surcharge. Pour the milk foam into the chocolate espresso and serve! And that’s it! how do you make one real Mocha that’s rich, chocolatey, and tastier than any you’ve had. (Promise.)

Varieties of mocha

There are several ways to vary a mocha, both hot and cold! Here are a few different options after trying the default:

This mocha recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten free. For vegans, plant-based and dairy-free, use the oat milk variety.