Starbucks Cafe Mocha is a creamy and delicious combination of coffee and chocolate. You can recreate this famous coffee drink at home with this easy copycat recipe. This homemade mocha latte will taste just like it does at Starbucks.
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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, and tea along with 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, there was only a single item 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 any 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!
What is a Cafe Mocha?
Cafe Mocha is a drink for anyone who loves coffee and chocolate together. It starts with chocolate syrup, a shot (or two!) of espresso, steamed milk, and topped with sweetened whipped cream. All of which can be made in the convenience of your own home.
The best part of making it at home is that you can add extra chocolate (or whipped cream!) to your drink.
What Makes this Starbucks Cafe Mocha Recipe Unique
Coffee and chocolate are two things that go amazingly well together. Both have a slight bitterness, but the sweetness of the chocolate sauce helps to tamp down any harshness.
Combined with the steamed milk and vanilla whipped cream, this coffee-based drink is perfect for whenever you feel a little pick-me-up without feeling like you are overindulging yourself.
Starbucks Mocha Ingredients
There are two separate components to this cafe mocha recipe – coffee and sweetened whipped cream.
To make the coffee, you will need:
- Milk
- Chocolate syrup or sauce
- Espresso or strongly brewed coffee
Go ahead and use Hershey syrup, but for the best flavor, use a real chocolate sauce instead. Ghirardelli and Hollander make chocolate sauces that are especially good for cafe mochas.
The ingredients for vanilla whipped cream are:
- Heavy whipping cream
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
Regular sugar tends to make the whipped cream a little gritty, so you may want to use powdered sugar or superfine sugar. As a bonus, powdered sugar contains cornstarch which can help to stabilize the whipped cream and keep it from separating.
Ingredient Notes
If you want to make the coffee treat more authentic and you don’t have an espresso maker, consider using an instant espresso such as Medaglia D’Oro Instant Espresso Coffee
.
You can buy the same brand of mocha syrup Starbucks uses. The Fontana line is what Starbucks uses, but it only comes in a really large container: Fontana Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mocha Sauce
.
One thing is for certain, you can recreate this coffee treat at home for a lot less than what 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 degrees. Otherwise, heat the milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until it reaches 150 degrees. Or you can heat it in a small saucepan on the stovetop, stirring constantly. Be careful not to scald or boil the milk.
- Place the chocolate syrup in a coffee mug.
- Add your shot of espresso.
- Add the heated milk.
- Top with vanilla whipped cream.
- Drizzle chocolate syrup on top of the whipped cream.
Substitutions and Variations of this Starbucks Cafe Mocha Recipe
Feel free to switch out the cow’s milk if you want. You can buy specially formulated oat milk online that froths amazingly well or use your favorite non-dairy milk instead. Other types of plant-based milk you may want to try are soy, coconut, cashew, or even oatmilk.
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 your choice of 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.
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What Pairs Well with a Mocha Coffee?
Since this drink is rather sweet, stay away from serving anything overly sugary. Biscotti is a lovely choice.
Chocoholics will love nibbling on a square or two of high-quality semi-sweet chocolate. Try combining both by baking these Chocolate Chip Almond Biscotti.
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.
Love Starbucks? Check out these copycat recipes
Homemade Coffee Syrup and Creamer
More Popular Drink Recipes
- Chick Fil A Coffee Drinks – Frosted Coffee
- How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
- Iced Mocha
- 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
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.
Steph
Stephanie,
When I order it at Starbucks, I get non fat milk and no whip cream. Do they steam milk? If so how do I do this? Also, do you stir all ingredients together? Thanks for your response.
Stephanie
To get the milk frothy you can heat it and put it a jar with a lid and shake it. Typically they layer their drinks, pour in the coffee, the steamed milk, and then add on the toppings.
Emily
I just tried this and oh my lord it was sooooo good it taste just like the one from Starbucks! I definitely recommend.
Kelly
It is dil
Carrie Roberts
Any suggestions for sugar free mocha sauce that actually tastes good like in Starbucks skinny mocha? Trying to replicate at home. Also do you stir the coffee with the milk after all in the cup?
Sue Miller
I’ve been trying to get the recipe for Starbuck’s oatmeal raisin cookies. Now I’ve made a lot of oatmeal cookies in my many years of baking but their cookies have a distinctive flavor that I can’t figure out. They are moist but still chewy & have a lovely flavor. Any help would be appreciated.
Stephanie
Thanks for your suggestion. I will have to check these out.
Catherine
Try Fannie Farmer Oatmeal Cookii recipe — I use half butter and half lard; and they are the best!!!!!
Sherry L.
Love this recipe but how do I make a “shot” of espresso from the Medaglia D’Oro Instant Espresso Coffee?
Stephanie
I would add 1 teaspoon to 3 to 4 ounces of really hot water.
Sherry L.
Thank you so much for your quick reply. So that is equal to 3-4 shots. So 1/4 tsp to one ounce of water would make a shot?
Stephanie
Yes 1/4 teaspoon is what I would add to 1 ounce of water.
David Bickel
I’m going to use either my Keurig or use instant coffee.
Jodi
Looking forward to trying this 🙂 Any tips for using a milk alternative, sounds or almost milk? Or proper way to steam if you dont have a machine? Thanks so much!
Stephanie
If you want to go vegan I would try a nut milk.
Nick wilson
I can’t find fontana chocolate sauce anywhere, no longer for sale on Amazon! Is there a similar alternative?
Stephanie
Oh I have heard it was removed. I’ll have to see what else I can find.
Lisa Moore
Did Amazon ever stop selling the chocolate or if so is there a alternative?
Stephanie
Everyone stopped selling the Starbucks Fontina brand, they elected to make it not available to the public any longer. I would go with Ghiradelli chocolate sauce now. It is known for being high quality.
Brooklyn Girl
Your site and recipes are amazing. Thanks.
Shani mantra
I just made this today ❤️it was soooooo gooood !!!!????
Lauren I Kowalczewski
I was so cold and rainy here in Michigan last night….Sis and I stopped at Tim Hortens for something hot. She got a hot chocolate and got me the hot choco mocha…Ohhhhh, my!!
It was made in Heaven!! I sipped it allllll the way home.
Thanks so much for all of your brilliant recipes.
Sharon Umpleby
I can’t hardly access these sites because the sites don’t stay on long enough for me to copy the recipe ????!!!!
Claudia Krusch
It looks sooooo good! So much better than the one at Starbucks! I can’t wait to try it!
Alecia
Mocha was my entry into the coffee world! I was a coffee house girl back then but I still love the mix of sweet cream, rich chocolate and hot coffee
Stephanie
This drink is like the gateway drink to more fancy coffee drinks.
Liz Mays
You can’t go wrong with chocolate as the key here. This sound pretty fabulous!
Emily
Oh yes, I need this so much today!
MommyJenna
I’m not a coffee drinker but I know several friends that would LOVE this. And their husbands probably will too 😉
Rebecca Bryant
girl you talking my language here. I spend way too much time at Starbucks buying foofoo drinks. I so needed this.
Ashley @Irishred02
This is my friend’s favorite drink! I will have to tell her to try and make it at home
Kristin Stout
You help me cook dinner AND save me money?? You’re AWESOME!