Do you love the irresistible combination of coffee and chocolate in a Starbucks Cafe Mocha? With this easy copycat recipe, you can recreate the famous drink at home and indulge in the creamy, delicious flavors anytime. Discover the secrets to making the perfect mocha latte, complete with rich espresso, velvety chocolate sauce, and dreamy vanilla whipped cream. Your taste buds will thank you for this homemade coffee shop treat!
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What makes cafe mocha so good?
Whoever thought of this coffee had a great idea! Espresso is paired with a delicious chocolate sauce and frothy milk. This recipe isn’t too hard to duplicate at home. We will show you the simple steps you need to recreate this at home.
Why you should try this recipe
- Authentic taste: Perfectly captures the iconic Starbucks flavor and texture
- Budget-friendly: Save money by making your favorite drink at home
- Customizable: Adjust the chocolate, coffee, and milk to your liking
- Easy to make: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps for barista-quality results
- Versatile: Enjoy hot or iced, with dairy or plant-based milk options
History of the Starbucks Caffe Mocha Coffee Drink
Believe it or not, Starbucks didn’t start as an espresso bar. When the first store opened at Pike Place Market in Seattle in 1971, you could only buy exotic spices, coffee beans, tea, and the necessary equipment to brew drinks at home.
It wasn’t until the early 80s that a Starbucks barista sold the first cup of coffee.
At first, only one item was on the menu: brewed coffee. But before long, the owners began adding espresso specialty drinks.
Cafe mocha coffee was among the earliest additions to the menu. Over the years, Starbucks has offered dozens of new drinks, with varying success, but the popularity of cafe mocha remains to this day.
The reason is simple. Cafe mocha appeals to new and experienced coffee drinkers because it’s easy to drink without overwhelming coffee flavor, becoming the go-to coffee drink for many customers.
Unfortunately, it isn’t cheap! So, stop spending all your cash on Starbucks cafe mochas and start making them at home!
Starbucks Mocha Ingredients
This cafe mocha recipe has two components: coffee and sweetened whipped cream.
For the Cafe Mocha:
- Milk – Provides a creamy base and helps balance the coffee and chocolate flavors
- Chocolate syrup or sauce – Adds rich, chocolatey sweetness to the drink
- Espresso or strongly brewed coffee – The bold, caffeinated foundation of the mocha
Use Hershey’s syrup, but for the best flavor, use an authentic chocolate sauce instead. Ghirardelli and Hollander make chocolate sauces that are especially good for cafe mochas.
For the vanilla whipped cream:
- Vanilla extract – Infuses the cream with a warm, aromatic flavor that complements the chocolate and coffee
- Heavy whipping cream – Creates a luscious, billowy topping for the mocha
- Sugar – Sweetens the whipped cream and helps stabilize it
Regular sugar can make whipped cream a little gritty, so you may want to use powdered or superfine sugar. As a bonus, powdered sugar contains cornstarch, which can help stabilize whipped cream and prevent separation.
Ingredient Notes
If you want to make the coffee treat more authentic and have no espresso maker, consider using an instant espresso, such as Medaglia D’Oro Instant Espresso Coffee, or you can brew some extra-strong coffee by switching to an espresso roast or increasing the amount of coffee you usually brew.
You can buy the same brand of mocha syrup Starbucks uses. The Fontana line is what Starbucks uses, but it only comes in a huge container: Fontana Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mocha Sauce.
One thing is for sure: you can recreate this coffee treat at home for much less than it costs at the store.
How to Make Vanilla Whipped Cream
You’ll want to make the whipped cream first, so it is ready to top the hot mocha drink.
- In a chilled bowl, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form.
- Add sugar and vanilla extract.
- Beat until stiff peaks form.
How to Make Starbucks Cafe Mocha
- If you have an espresso machine with a steamer attachment, steam the milk to 150°F to froth it. Otherwise, heat the milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until it reaches 150°F. Or you can heat it in a small saucepan on the stovetop, stirring constantly. Be careful not to scald or boil the milk. To warm froth milk in the microwave or a pan, pour it into a mason jar, put the lid on it, and shake it vigorously.
- Place the chocolate syrup in a coffee mug.
- Add your shot of espresso.
- Pour the heated milk into the mug. Stir to combine.
- Top with vanilla whipped cream.
- Drizzle chocolate syrup on top of the whipped cream. Or you can sprinkle cocoa powder on top.
Substitutions and Variations of this Starbucks Cafe Mocha Recipe
Feel free to switch out the dairy milk if you want. You can buy specially formulated oat milk online that froths amazingly well or use your favorite dairy-free milk instead. Other types of plant-based milk you may want to try are soy milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, or even almond milk.
Starbucks uses 2% milk to make the Cafe Mocha Latte. Using skim milk and 1% milk will make it less creamy. Whole milk will make it creamier. Or you can make it a breve with half-and-half.
No espresso machine? No problem. This drink is just as good when using instant espresso powder (Medaglia D Oro Coffee is particularly good,) Moka pot coffee, or any strong-brewed coffee.
Play around with the flavors to find a new favorite. Add a few drops of mint extract for a Minty Cafe Mocha or a squeeze of caramel sauce for an Easter Egg Latte.
Make an iced mocha by not frothing the milk and using room temperature or cold espresso or coffee. Pour all the ingredients into a glass of ice, stir, and enjoy!
What Pairs Well with a Mocha Latte?
Since this drink is rather sweet, avoid serving anything overly sugary. Biscotti is a lovely choice.
Chocoholics will love nibbling on a square or two of high-quality semi-sweet chocolate. Here are a few ideas for you: Chocolate Chip Almond Biscotti, plain biscotti, or even dark chocolate squares.
How to Store Mocha Coffee
You can store each component of the drink in the fridge separately.
- Brewed coffee will last up to five days in a covered container.
- You should use the whipped cream within a few hours of making it.
How to Reheat a Cafe Mocha
Reheat the coffee in the microwave on high for 70 seconds. Whisk the whipped cream to reform soft peaks.
See our recommended coffee products to make coffee-house quality drinks at home.
Love Starbucks? Check out these copycat recipes!
- Caramel Macchiato
- Flat White Coffee
- Oleato Caffe Latte with Oat Milk
- London Fog Latte
- Peppermint Mocha
- White Chocolate Mocha
Homemade Coffee Syrup and Creamer
More Popular Drink Recipes
- Chick-fil-A Coffee Drinks – Frosted Coffee
- How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
- Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino
- Make an Orange Julius
- McDonalds Smoothie
Be sure to check out more of my easy recipes for drinks and the best Starbucks recipes here on CopyKat.
Starbucks Cafe Mocha Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
Cafe Mocha
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
- 2 ounces espresso or strong coffee
Vanilla Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cafe Mocha
- If you have an espresso machine with a steamer attachment, steam the milk to 150 degrees. If not, follow the next step for heating the milk.
- Heat the milk in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, until it reaches 150 degrees. Or heat it in a small saucepan on the stove top, stirring constantly. Be careful not to scald or boil the milk.
- Place the chocolate syrup in a coffee mug.
- Add espresso.
- Add the heated milk.
- Top with vanilla whipped cream.
- Drizzle chocolate syrup on top of the whipped cream.
Vanilla Whipped Cream
- In a chilled bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Add sugar and vanilla extract.
- Beat for an additional minute or until stiff peaks form.
Video
Notes
- ☕ COFFEE TIP: Use fresh espresso for best flavor
- 🥛 MILK TIP: Steam milk to exactly 150°F
- 🍫 CHOCOLATE TIP: Quality chocolate sauce makes a difference
This was delicious. I don’t have an espresso maker, so I used an Espresso blend ground coffee in a French press, using less water than I would have for coffee, and letting it steep for about 7 minutes. I frothed the milk by putting the steamed milk in a jar with a lid and shaking it vigorously. I had a simple vanilla syrup that I made a few days ago, so I added some to the heavy whipping cream instead of sugar and vanilla, and used store bought Hershey’s chocolate syrup. I was happy that I didn’t need any fancy equipment and with a simple French press, a whisk attachment on a hand mixer, and a jar with a lid, and I was all set. I have frothed milk using a French press too, but the volume has to be deep enough for the strainer to submerge, and this wasn’t quite enough, so I tried shaking it in a jar instead this time. It took a little longer and made slightly larger bubbles in the foam, and wasn’t quite as frothy and foamy, but it still worked well enough. This was so decadent, it was like having dessert for breakfast. I will be making this again. I might have dolloped more whipped cream on top than necessary, because by the time I whipped the cup of heavy cream, it made enough for several drinks, but it sure was delicious.
It tasted exactly like the one I had at Starbucks! It also has minimal ingredients. 👍😃👍😃👍
I have been trying to make Mocha myself at home for so long. I like the taste of my coffee, but never quite nailed the Starbucks taste. Today I changed it to the proportions that you suggested (I used a shot of Folgers and Hershey’s chocolate syrup, and almond milk), and Oh my god! It was awesome! Can’t wait to try it with the Giradelli Chocolate syrup and the Medaglia D’Oro Instant Espresso coffee.
Thank you for the recipe!