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Easy Homemade Mocha

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How to make an easy and delicious homemade mocha, no espresso machine or hot chocolate mix needed.

I’ve shared a bunch of easy coffee recipes on the site in the past, my Iced White Chocolate Mocha, Chai Tea Latte, Pumpkin Spice Latte, and Caramel Macchiato, but this homemade mocha might be the easiest of them all.

It’s sweet, chocolatey, and takes hardly more time to make than adding cream and sugar to your morning coffee so it can be the thrown-together treat that gets you through a crazy busy morning or something to sip slowly on a lazy Sunday morning.

Homemade mocha in a glass cup.

Ingredient Notes

  • Homemade chocolate syrup: Instead of using store-bought chocolate syrup or hot chocolate mix as many recipes do, you’ll make a quick syrup of cocoa powder, sugar, and water to flavor the mocha base.
  • Coffee: True mocha lattes are made with espresso, but we’ll stick to regular coffee for this homemade version since that’s what most people have available. Use whatever coffee you have on hand, decaf works fine. 
  • Your choice of milk: By default, Starbucks uses 2% milk in their coffee drinks, but you can use any milk you’d like including non-dairy milks. The higher fat your milk, the richer and creamier your drink will be.
  • Heavy cream: Cream is optional, but a little splash adds a really delicious richness to the coffee. You can also use half and half if that’s what you keep on hand. For leftover heavy cream, check out my post What to Do With Leftover Whipping Cream for storage tips and recipe ideas for the leftovers. 

Homemade mocha being poured into a cup.

How to Make A Homemade Mocha

  1. In a small pot or microwave-safe cup, stir together sugar, cocoa powder, and water. Heat on the stove or in your microwave, and stir until sauce is completely smooth.
  2. Add coffee and milk and continue to heat until steaming. If making on the stove, you can whisk the mixture vigorously until foamy. Pour into a cup, top with whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!

Mason Jar Method

Combine all ingredients in a mason jar. Screw on lid securely and wrap top with a towel (in case your jar leaks). Give a few very good shakes, until everything is well-mixed and milk is foamy. Pour into a mug and microwave for 30 seconds or until steaming.

Mocha Variations

  • Peppermint Mocha: Crush a full-size candy cane in a plastic bag and add it to the sugar/cocoa powder/water mixture and stir until completely dissolved. 
  • Caramel Mocha: Add a heaping tablespoon of caramel or salted caramel when you add the coffee and milk. You can also use dulce de leche for a dulce de leche mocha. 
  • White Chocolate Mocha: Use chopped white chocolate instead of the homemade chocolate syrup. For full measurements, find the recipe here. 

FAQ

Can I make this an iced mocha?

It’s really easy to make an iced mocha at home, but for best results, the method you’ll want to use is slightly different than this recipe. Go check out my Iced Mocha Recipe if you’re craving your mocha cold today. (That recipe will also walk you through making your mocha a frappuccino if that’s more your jam.)

Cup of cafe mocha with a spoon.

Is there caffeine in a mocha?

Yes. This particular recipe has about 95 mg of caffeine. But if you’d like to skip the caffeine, you can use decaf coffee.

Can I double this recipe?

Absolutely. This recipe scales up with no preparation changes needed. To change the recipe yield, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.

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Homemade mocha in a glass cup.

Easy Homemade Mocha

How to make an easy and delicious homemade mocha, no espresso machine or hot chocolate mix needed.
4.92 from 48 votes
Print Pin
Course: Beverage, Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 3 minutes
Servings (Hover or Click to Change Yield): 1
Calories: 139kcal
Author: Tracy

Equipment

  • Mason jar with lid, optional
  • Kitchen towel, optional

Ingredients

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons (12g to 25g) granulated sugar to taste
  • 1 tablespoon (5g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon water omit if making using the mason jar method
  • 1 cup hot coffee
  • ¼ cup milk any percentage
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream optional
  • Whipped cream for topping, optional

Instructions

Stovetop or Microwave

  • In a small pot or microwave-safe cup, stir together sugar, cocoa powder, and water. Heat on the stove (or in your microwave for about 15 seconds), and stir until sugar and cocoa powder dissolve and sauce is completely smooth.
  • Stir in coffee and milk and continue to heat until steaming (about 30 seconds in the microwave). If making on the stove, you can whisk the mixture vigorously until foamy. Pour into a cup, top with whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!

Mason Jar Method

  • Combine all ingredients except the water and optional whipped cream in a mason jar. Screw the lid on securely and wrap top with a towel (in case your jar leaks). Give a few very good shakes, until everything is well-mixed and mixture is foamy.
  • Pour into a mug and microwave for 30 seconds or until steaming. Top with whipped cream if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Approximate nutritional information was estimated using non-fat milk and does not include whipped cream.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag @BakingMischief or hashtag it #BakingMischief.

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Comments

  2. Kyra says

    5 stars
    This is an awesome dessert! I decreased the sugar for a lunchtime pick-me-up and got a chalky mouthfeel from the cocoa powder. Do you know of any way around that? I’m using Hershey’s, is there a better brand I should try?

    Of course, when I follow the recipe, it turns out delicious!

    Reply

  3. Amalia says

    5 stars
    Just made this amidst midterms week, it’s stressful and a little dreary outside, so I was delighted when it came out wonderfully!!! Awesome recipe, I had no whipping cream but substituted extra milk, it probably would have been creamier and thicker, but nonetheless, I LOVE this recipe 😀

    Reply

  4. Andromeda says

    I microwaved a 1/4 cup of almond milk to make it warm for the sugar to dissolve, whisked in the dry, with a tablespoon of a dairy free half and half I have, but any dairy free coffee creamer adds that thickness, and added that to a cup of coffee. Delicious! Sad I don’t have dairy free whip today! Thanks!

    Reply

  5. Deb says

    I put everything in the Mason jar, but used an immersion blender. I didn’t have any heavy cream, but used a dollop of unsalted grass-fed butter. It works great.

    Reply

    • Tracy says

      Hi, Mary, you can, but the cocoa powder tends to separate and sink to the bottom when it sits in the fridge, so you’ll need to give everything a good stir after you heat it back up. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

  7. Steph says

    Can you substitute something more low calorie for heavy cream? Walmart had best k cups of this, 18 for under $6. They discontinued them. Makes me sad. 70 calories, 2 grams sugar

    Reply

    • Tracy says

      Hi, Steph, you can omit the heavy cream completely and experiment with low-calorie/low-carb sugar replacers if you’re a fan of those to get this under 100 cal. The cream just adds a bit of fatty richness but is technically optional.

      Reply

  9. Hannah Higens says

    This tasted so good and like an actual mocha you’d order from a coffee shop. I’d just recommend not adding any extra sugar because it tasted very sweet.

    Reply

  10. Rilynn says

    Oh my gosh! My brother and I wanted to try this cause it was a cold day and what better to drink on a cold day than a hot delicious mocca. We made the recipe and both love it! Will be using again.

    Reply

  11. Shashi at SavorySpin says

    I have an unhealthy obsession with Starbucks’ mocha and this here just might be what I need to curb it! Hey Tracy, I decided to stalk… er stop by your blog after meeting you at the Mediavine conference and love this space of yours and LOVE this recipe! I’ve tried coming up with my own version of a decent mocha but never have I added heavy cream to it – so this is what I’m gonna try this weekend! Hope you are well and made it back safely!

    Reply

    • Tracy says

      LOL, I hope you enjoy it, Shashi! And I’m so glad I got to meet you at the conference. That was such a fun couple of days!!

      Reply
4.92 from 48 votes (31 ratings without comment)

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