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This post is sponsored by Javy Coffee. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
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What’s your go-to order at the coffee shop? For me, for as long as I can remember, it’s a Cafe Mocha.
While I love taking advantage of seasonal options such as Pumpkin Spice Lattes or indulging in the dessert drinks such as a good Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino (yes, mocha!), I always go back to my simple mocha. I think it’s hard for any coffee shop to mess this drink up, though I’ll admit I do have my preferences for which places serve the best mocha coffees! I love comparing! A cafe mocha latte to me is like me comparing pizzas and butter chickens at different restaurants!
A mocha coffee is a hot drink, similar to a hot chocolate but with the coffee. Conversely, a mocha is like a latte with the touch of chocolate! Apparently, the mocha cafe was one of the original specialty drinks on the menu. I see why! For me, it’s stood the test of time in that I always want to get back to relive my favorite drink. I’ve become so obsessed that it became a mission to perfect it at home!
This has honestly been one of the hardest recipes for me to get right! I’ve really tried hundreds of variations to make it just the way I like it! I’ve driven my wife, my sister, and Instagram nuts showing all these mochas (by the way, if you want glimpses of my cooking adventures, then I recommend you follow me there! I also include recipe sneak peeks so you really get the inside scoop!), and I make one nearly every day at this point. I’m sure you’re going to love seeing how to make cafe mocha better than Starbucks right in your home!
This mocha coffee recipe is great because you won’t need a coffee maker or hot chocolate mix! Just whip out a sauce pan (or your microwave!), add your frothed milk, and look for some simple pantry staple ingredients! You can make this in no time, and the results will be excellent!
Be sure to watch the video so you can follow along with the homemade cafe mocha recipe - I always find that with cooking it’s more tangible to watch instead of reading alone! Subscribe to me on YouTube if you haven’t yet so you’re notified when the videos go live - I’m currently uploading a new recipe every Monday and Friday along with on the blog!
Tips for the Best Homemade Cafe Mocha Recipe!
- Make sure to stir the milk occasionally to ensure it does not burn while coming up to a simmer.
- Keep a close eye once the milk is simmering to ensure it does not boil over, lower the heat once simmering.
- If using my homemade chocolate mocha syrup, warm in the microwave for a few seconds before topping.
- Use an icing bag to create awesome designs for the whipped cream topping.
Tools Needed
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Measuring spoons
- Microwave safe container
- Spoon
Ingredients for Homemade Cafe Mocha
Let’s review the ingredients we’ll need for our better than Starbucks Homemade Cafe Mocha recipe! Remember, the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD with all ingredient quantities is at the bottom of this post! You can easily scale this recipe to make as much syrup as you’d like!
- Your choice of milk: Starbucks will use 2% milk in their standard recipe, and that’s what I’ll be using here. If you want, you can use full fat milk or a lower fat milk. In fact, you can use a dairy-free milk. However, keep in mind that tastes and textures will be different. If you want a richer and creamier mocha, then For best results, I would recommend 2% milk, but you can change it up based on your dietary preferences. Let me know what works for you in the comments!
- Instant Coffee or Liquid Coffee Concentrate: I’ll be show how to make a mocha with instant coffee today. I’m using a liquid coffee concentrate (psst! Click that link for a 15% off discount!) that was sent to me by Javy Coffee. Thank you very much Javy for sending me this product, I’m absolutely hooked! Javy is quite literally instant coffee in liquid form. All you gotta do is add a bit to water and voila! Coffee without brewing! This stuff is pretty strong, but it’s so much fun to use for cooking or just to make some coffee shop-quality lattes at home! You can adjust the amount of coffee concentrate you’d like depending on how strong of a coffee flavor you want in your syrup. Of course, if you don’t have coffee concentrate, you can also use instant coffee or espresso powder for this recipe, and I would recommend a light roast. I’m actually using half liquid concentrate and half instant coffee in this mocha coffee, so if you don’t have the liquid concentrate, just use all regular instant coffee!
- Cocoa powder: Basic cocoa powder works just fine here, use whatever cocoa powder is in your pantry.
- Your choice of sweetener: I’m using simple table sugar for this recipe. I’ve tried with every sweetener under the sun: honey, agave syrup, maple syrup… Use whatever you feel like, but table sugar is accessible to everyone and easy to scale, which is why I’ve used it here! We’re combining sweetener and cocoa powder so that you don’t need to use a pre-made hot cocoa mix!
- Whipped cream: Whenever I’m asked “Do you want whipped cream on top?” I’ve never said no! I love my cream, so of course I’m going to use it here! I’m using my Homemade Whipped Cream recipe to garnish the mocha, but if you don’t feel like making it then feel free to use an aerosol can for your whipped cream. You’ll step up your game from the coffee shop by making your own though, so I definitely recommend it! You can easily make it in a stand mixer!
- Chocolate syrup: Again, I’m taking things up a notch by using my own Chocolate Mocha Syrup that will be free of any artificial flavors or preservatives from a store-bought one! You’ll taste rich chocolate in every sip! However, if you don’t feel like making it, then go ahead and use your favorite store-bought one.
- Vanilla extract: This is optional. I didn’t use it here because there’s already vanilla in the whipped cream. If you’re not topping your mocha with whipped cream - or you’re a huge vanilla lover! - then feel free to add a drop or two of vanilla extract into your mocha! I just didn’t want the vanilla flavor to overpower the chocolate flavor!
How to Make Homemade Cafe Mocha
- Add milk to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir/whisk occasionally to ensure the milk doesn't burn at the bottom.
- Add instant coffee/espresso powder, cocoa powder and Javy coffee if using. Mix well using a whisk until combined.
- Add sweetener of choice and taste to adjust sweetness. Once the mocha is warmed through, serve immediately
- Top with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
The Microwave Method for a Hot Mocha
You may be asking if you can make this in the microwave! You sure can, and this is actually how I usually make it! It is quite faster, but I think it actually dirties more dishes, so that’s a downside! But here’s how I do it in the microwave:
- Add the milk in a microwave safe container and warm for 2:30 to 4:00 minutes or until hot.
- In the meanwhile, add instant coffee/espresso powder, cocoa powder, Javy coffee and sweetener of choice in cups.
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