Nothing beats waking up to the smell of coffee beans and chocolate wafting through your home. It's what we love so much about making mochas at home.

The first time we did it, we had no idea what we were doing. We added cocoa powder and almond milk to our coffee and decided to top it up with spices and whipping cream.

We were both floored by how delicious it turned out—and we've been loving experimenting ever since.

 
What Is a Mocha? 

A lot of you must have seen café mocha or mocha latte on the menus of a variety of restaurants or cafes all over Edmonton, especially places like Transcend Coffee Roasters, Cococo Chocolatiers and The Moth Cafe. But for those of you that haven’t tried it yet, let us tell you what it is.

Mocha, café mocha, or mocha latte (all the same thing) is a chocolate-flavoured latte. The classic or traditional Mocha is made of three ingredients (coffee, chocolate, and milk) and usually made using espresso. Since it's a latte, though, it can be created with a lot of subtle variations.

Now that we have that out of the way let's begin!
 

What You Need for The Best Mocha

To make the best mocha, you need to pay attention to five things: coffee beans, chocolate/cocoa, milk type, heavy cream and spices.

Premium Roasted Beans

Just like fresh produce and meat, coffee beans lose their flavour and aroma shortly after they're roasted and packaged. So, when you drink a cup of coffee from a bag that's been sitting in your pantry for more than three weeks, you're probably missing out on some of the best parts of what makes coffee great!

High-Quality Chocolate/Cocoa

Chocolate is the second most crucial component in making that perfect Mocha. Choose a high-quality variety rich in flavour and complement your coffee beans perfectly in making the best Mocha. If you’re looking for a quicker to prep alternative that doesn't require melting chocolate, try cocoa powder.

Milk Type

Go for the creamy, warms your belly kind of milk, the one that is high in fat. But don’t be disheartened, you can always make it with dairy-free alternatives or low-fat milk, and it would taste equally delicious.

Heavy Cream & Whipping Cream

This is purely optional and depends on your choice. So, we will save this one for your taste.

Spices

In our own personal experience, the best mocha isn't without spices. We use cinnamon, cardamon, and a touch of nutmeg and paprika. These are added to taste. You must experiment.

How to make professional Mocha at home? 

Prep time – 5 minutes

Cook time – 5 – 6 minutes

Total time – 10 – 11 minutes
 

Mocha Recipe Ingredients (Quantities for making one cup)

1 – Coffee – 30grams

2 – Chocolate or cocoa powder – 2 tbsp

3 - Milk – 50ml cup and Heavy cream – optional (you can add one tbsp for that licking your lips taste)

4 – Spices – ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of cardamom, 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon of paprika

5 – Grated Chocolate – purely optional
 

How is Mocha made? (Steps for a quick mocha latte) 

1 - Pour hot coffee in a mug. Add cocoa powder and stir again until completely dissolved. Add hot milk and stir again. Add heavy cream as per your choice and stir again until completely dissolved. Add your spices. Mix everything well, so that no lumps are formed in the mixture

2 - Now pour whipping cream on top of mocha mixture slowly while mixing continuously with a spoon or fork so that it blends seamlessly with coffee mixture

3 - Sprinkle some grated chocolate on top of mocha latte, if you want to add some sweetness

Bam! Here is your café styled Mocha at home. Easy to make and yummy to drink!

But, before you jump onto making this delicious recipe, we have saved a few tips that will make sure that your coffee tastes just the way you would expect.
 

Tips for making tasty Mocha at home

Choose the right coffee for your Mocha

If you're looking for the perfect mocha, there's one ingredient that will make or break your drink: coffee.

A delicious mocha is all about finding a coffee that blends well with cocoa. Here are some suggestions for great blends that will make the perfect cup of mocha: Exotic Toledo from local roaster BeanZilla. It has notes of caramel, chocolate and toasted nuts. El Salvador Black Honey processed from Alternate Route Coffee Co. It has notes of blackberries, brown sugar and caramel. ACE NO. 2 from Edmonton roaster ACE Coffee Roaster. It has notes of berries and caramel.

Select the best Chocolate or Cocoa Powder for Mocha 

Choose the right chocolate. There are three main categories: syrup, melted chocolate shavings, or melted chocolate powder. If you want a smooth and creamy texture, we recommend using syrup or melted chocolate shavings. You can also make your own chocolate sauce with cocoa powder, coconut sugar, and water (which is our personal favorite). However, melted chocolate gives you more variations and options to try and experiment from.

Finally, use raw organic non-fermented cocoa powder if possible as that ads an overpowering flavor to your mocha

Add a pinch of salt 

To balance the flavour notes of chocolate, try adding a pinch of salt. But, again, don’t overdo it, as ultimately, it is about striking a balance.

Whipped cream 

Try layering a scoop of whipped cream on top if you are trying to impress the guests or even yourself with the finished product. Not just it looks spectacular, it also gives your coffee that extra richness.

Froth your milk (alternative) 

If you do not have a steamer and do not want to add directly to the saucepan, maybe because you multi-task in your mornings, then microwave at 160oF (70oC) for up to 2 minutes.

Use Freshly Ground Cardamom 

We usually buy cardamom whole and manually grind it ourselves in a wooden mortar. We believe this is the most traditional and authentic way to prepare the spice, and we think you'll taste the difference.

Now, you know all you need to know, so give it a try and let us know in the comments below how it turned out!! Also, if you are someone who seeks new things and would want to give different variations a try, we have put together a few of the variations you can try.
 

Mocha Recipe Variations 

Caramel Mocha 

If caramel is your jam, then you can add a tablespoon of caramel when you add coffee and milk. You can also mix it up with salted caramel.

Peppermint Flavored Mocha 

If you're feeling the holiday spirit and want a mocha that tastes like Christmas, add some crushed candy cane to your mocha recipe. Then pour in coffee and milk to the sauce and whisk until smooth.

White chocolate Mocha or White Café Mocha 

If you are a fan of white chocolates, you should replace your cocoa, water, and sugar with melted white chocolate shavings (you can also add a teaspoon of sugar if you have a sweet tooth).

Before we leave, we have answered a few FAQs, and well, if there are any more that you might have, feel free to drop in your questions below, and we will get back to you with our army. 
 

FAQs

How much caffeine is there in Mocha?

Well, the one cup recipe above has about 30grams approximately. And if you want to skip caffeine, you can use decaf to make your mocha.

Can I make an iced mocha latte?

Yes, absolutely, but it calls for a slight variation to this recipe. So, for iced Mocha, stay tuned; we will upload a recipe soon.

Is mocha the same as hot chocolate?

A lot of times, people confuse it with hot chocolate. While Mocha contains chocolate but has a coffee base, so, it is rather a drink that is made from combining coffee and chocolate, making it quite different from hot chocolate.

What’s the difference between a mocha and latte? 

One major factor is the use of chocolate. The former contains chocolate while the latter does not. The other is that the latte has more foam than a mocha.
 
Still got suggestions, questions, or recommendations? Then, let’s talk in the comments.