Mocha Latte

Making a Mocha Latte at home is simple! All you need is strong coffee or espresso, homemade chocolate syrup (recipe below), whipped cream, and some chocolate shavings for garnish if you're feeling fancy! This homemade mocha latte recipe comes together in a flash and I promise, even your barista will be jealous of the end result!

Don't you love it when everyone says, "Make coffee at home to save money??"

How about we change the narrative to, "Make coffee at home because it tastes WAY better!" (and as a bonus it will save you some coin!)

It's way better than the Starbucks version and much tastier than something prepackaged from the grocery store.

With so many variations and hacks, anyone can make a mocha latte at home. So what are you waiting for? Get the milk and chocolate syrup out, and let's get started!

Start With A Strong Coffee Base (Espresso!)

A great cup of coffee starts with a strong espresso base.

There are a number of ways to make espresso, so do whatever works best for you! 

A dark, strong, coffee will help to ensure that there's balance between the coffee flavor and chocolate flavor.

If you're using regular espresso, make sure to use about two ounces of espresso for every six ounces of water.

If you don't have espresso on hand, a strong and dark roast coffee will also work great.

Do I Need An Espresso Machine?

Nope! you do not need a fancy espresso machine to make a mocha latte at home.

If you want to make espresso at home without spending too much money, there are a few different ways you can do it.

If you have a moka pot or an aeropress coffee maker, those will get you pretty close to regular espresso.

Do I Have to Use Espresso?

If you don't have access to espresso, strongly brewed coffee is also fine.

The cheapest option would be to brew quite strong coffee in a normal coffee pot which won’t taste exactly the same but it should work okay.

I'd recommend using a French press but you can use a regular pot to make coffee too, or a dark roast from Keurig. Just be sure you're using finely ground coffee as it will maximize the amount of flavor.

Store-bought espresso powder or instant coffee works as well!

Next, Homemade Chocolate Sauce

The homemade chocolate sauce recipe that I share here is the secret to making a crazy good mocha latte.

If you don't have time to make the chocolate sauce ahead of time, no worries, but I highly recommend you give this a try when you can!

Using top notch cocoa powder and sweet vanilla extract makes this chocolate sauce the BEST you'll ever have.

Chocolate Syrup Recipe

You can definitely use store-bought chocolate sauce but I'm telling you, the homemade stuff makes this latte absolutely unforgettable!

This homemade chocolate syrup recipe tastes so much better than store-bought and is SO easy to make!

All you need is high quality cocoa (seriously, use the best you can find, like Valrhona or Guittard), sugar, instant espresso powder, water, vanilla extract, and a wee pinch of salt to round it all out!

How To Make Homemade Chocolate Syrup

First, combine the cocoa, sugar, salt and instant espresso powder in a medium saucepan.

Then, add the water and stir until everything is combined.

Next, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Once it reaches a boil, let it cook for 1 minute.

Finally, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. That's it!

Your homemade chocolate syrup is now ready to enjoy.

This syrup will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge in a glass jar so you can grab some at any moment.

Aside from using it to make the most incredible mocha latte of your life, pour it over ice cream, use it as a topping for cakes or brownies, or just enjoy it straight up with a spoon!

Back To The Mocha Latte

Heat Milk And Chocolate Syrup Together

The base of this mocha latte comes from hot milk and the homemade chocolate sauce.

Pour the milk into a pot and add the chocolate sauce. Stir together and heat thoroughly.

You can use a microwave for this step as well if you don't feel like cleaning a pot.

Once it's heated through, add the hot chocolate milk to the espresso in a mug. The espresso chocolate mixture will come together with a quick stir and you're just about finished!

Be sure you're using a mug that leaves plenty of room for frothed milk or whipped cream! That's super important.

Top With Homemade Whipped Cream And Chocolate Shavings

The best mocha latte is the one that's topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. It's the perfect combination chocolate, and creaminess.

If you don't want to use whipped cream, you can make more hot milk (without chocolate) and make steamed milk or use a milk frother to create a lather of frothed milk on top of your drink.

I would argue the whipped cream is the best way to enjoy a mocha latte though!

So if you're ever in the mood for a delicious mocha latte, make sure to top it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. You won't regret it.

You Can Also Use Frothed Milk

Feel free to keep this recipe a bit lighter by replacing the whipped cream with frothed milk!

To make that perfect foamy milk topping, you'll need a milk frother of some kind (here, I'm making my whipped cream with my trusty $10 frother)

The Best Way To Froth Milk

I use this tiny electric whisk, but any other version will get you to the same place. It's WAY cheaper than buying a steamed milk frother. You don't need anything fancy here!

You can even get by with a Mason jar, and vigorously shake milk until foamy.

To froth the milk all you need to do is grab a separate cup or mug, make sure it's on the bigger side as the milk doubles in size once it's frothed.

Microwave ¼ cup of milk for 20-30 seconds until hot. Grab your frother and froth the milk until foamy and thick.

Last but not least, the finishing touch to your mocha latte is a drizzle of more chocolate sauce...

...and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings.

Your homemade mocha latte is ready to be enjoyed!! Take it from me, it is best served hot with a side of donuts...or biscotti.

How To Make An Iced Mocha Latte

If you're anything like me, you love coffee. But sometimes, even the thought of turning on the stove to heat up milk is enough to make me skip my morning cup.

Or, it's summer and the last thing you want is HOT coffee!

Luckily, there's an easy way to make a delicious cold mocha latte right at home.

All you need is cold milk, chilled coffee/espresso, and your homemade chocolate sauce. Simply combine all of the ingredients by whisking or shaking together in a Mason jar.

Pour over ice into a glass and enjoy!

What Is The Difference Between A Regular Latte And A Mocha Latte?

The main difference between a latte and a mocha latte is that a mocha latte contains chocolate. This can be in the form of chocolate syrup, cocoa powder, or even melted chocolate.

So if you're looking for a coffee with a little something extra, a mocha latte is the way to go.

Since the coffee is cut with chocolate flavor, mixing strong brewed coffee in this recipe is important. It really is an espresso based beverage so the stronger the coffee flavor, the better!

How To Make A Vegan Mocha Latte

The only ingredient that makes this recipe non-vegan is the milk, so in order to make this vegan, you just need to make it dairy free!

For a vegan mocha latte, you can use any plant based milk in place of dairy milk.

You could use soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, cashew milk...whatever you have on hand!

Instead of adding whipped cream on the top, you can use vegan whipped cream, Coco-whip or make homemade coconut based whipped cream.

To Make a Peppermint Mocha Latte...

Add a ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract to the milk after it is heated and decorate with a candy cane!

Perfect for the holidays.

Do I Have To Make My Own Chocolate Sauce?

No, but I'm telling you, the homemade chocolate sauce MAKES this drink. If you are in a pinch, prepared hot chocolate mix could be used or Hershey's Chocolate Syrup.

If you’re looking for a delicious pick-me-up, look no further than this easy mocha latte.

This rich and decadent drink is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth while giving you the caffeine boost you need to get through the day.

So next time you’re in the mood for a treat, give this recipe a try!

More Great Drink Recipes!

Homemade Sweet Cream Cold Foam

Pumpkin Cold Foam

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

Hot Chocolate Bombs

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