This easy Iced Mocha recipe is so simple to make, you’ll only need about five minutes to throw it together.
Hey, friend. As you might know, I have a ton of coffee recipes on the site, and I’ve gotten a bunch of questions about turning some of them into iced versions of themselves.
Doing that is a tiny bit more complicated than just pouring them over ice, so I went through my coffee archives and created iced versions of the most-requested drinks, because summer is coming fast, and cold coffee makes it just a little more bearable.
Today we’re covering one of my faves, a homemade Iced Mocha.
A Super Easy Iced Mocha Recipe
Like homemade mochas, iced mochas are incredibly simple to make at home. You just need milk, cocoa powder, sugar, cold coffee, and a little optional whipping cream for added richness.
If you have cold coffee on hand (more on that later if you don’t), it will take you about five minutes to throw everything together, pour over ice, and satisfy those caffeine and chocolate cravings. <3
Ingredient Notes
- 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.
- Homemade chocolate syrup: Instead of using store-bought chocolate syrup or hot chocolate mix as many homemade recipes do, you’ll make a quick syrup of cocoa powder, sugar, and water to flavor the mocha base.
- Heavy cream: Cream is optional, but a little splash adds a really delicious richness to the coffee. For leftover heavy cream, check out my post What to Do With Leftover Whipping Cream for storage tips and recipe ideas for the leftovers.
How to Make an Iced Mocha at Home
1. First, you’ll whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, and a little milk on the stove over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and you get a smooth chocolate syrup.
2. Then you just mix a bit more milk and cold coffee into the syrup, stir, and pour over ice.
3. Top with whipped cream if desired, and if you’d like to garnish your mocha with fudge sauce as I did in the photos, this is the fudge sauce recipe I used.
How to Quickly Chill Coffee
As mentioned above, you’ll want to use cold coffee in this recipe because pouring a warm mocha over ice is just going to water it down too much. If you can plan ahead, pop some leftover coffee in the refrigerator the night before, and you’ll be good to go come morning.
But if you need an iced mocha now and don’t have any cold coffee in the fridge, here’s what you can do:
- Brew a pot of coffee at double strength and pour over a cup of ice (about 1 heaping cup of ice per 1 cup of coffee). The ice will melt, chilling the coffee while bringing it down to normal strength. Freeze any leftover coffee into ice cubes that you can use next time without worrying about watering down your coffee.
- OR pour hot coffee into a large cup and place it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes until it has cooled to at least room temperature. Don’t forget about it though! 😉
I Want a Mocha Frappuccino
And finally, if mocha frappes are more your thing, not a problem. Instead of pouring your mocha over ice, blend it with 1 1/2 cups of ice. I also recommend upping the sugar a bit. Since you are blending in ice, it’s going to be much less sweet than the over-ice version.
And pro tip: for extra goodness, swirl fudge sauce around the glass before pouring in the frappuccino. It’s beautiful AND delicious.
FAQ
Can I make this in the microwave instead of on the stovetop?
Absolutely. You can make the chocolate syrup in the microwave instead of on the stove by combining 2 tablespoons of the milk, the sugar, and the cocoa powder in a microwave safe cup. Microwave until steaming, about 30 seconds, and stir until completely smooth. Then follow the rest of the recipe as written.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes! The 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.
How much caffeine is in a homemade iced mocha?
It will vary from recipe to recipe, but in this homemade version, there is 1 cup of coffee which averages about 96 grams of caffeine.
More Iced Coffee Recipes
More Starbucks-inspired Recipes
Iced Mocha Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup milk any percentage, divided
- 1 to 2 tablespoons (12 to 25g) granulated sugar *
- 1 tablespoon (5g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup cold coffee *
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream optional
- Whipped cream optional for topping
- Chocolate syrup optional for topping
Instructions
- In a small pot, combine 2 tablespoons of the milk, sugar, and cocoa powder. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to simmer and is well-combined and smooth.
- Remove from heat and whisk in cold coffee, remaining 2 tablespoons of the milk, and optional heavy cream.
- Pour over a 16-ounce cup (or mason jar) of ice, top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup if desired, and enjoy.
Notes
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
Kate says
Just like most – looking for an iced coffee to meet the coffee shop quality. FOUND IT!
This has been a wonderful morning treat for me and my girls who always like to sneak in a sip or 5 of my coffee.
Thanks for sharing it with us. YUM!
YourMother says
This recipe was amazing! I made it for my 14 year old daughter whom is an incredibly picky eater and she loved it! definitely trying more recipes from this site!
Kate says
How do you use hot chocolate packet for this recipe?
Tracy says
To use hot chocolate mix, omit the sugar and cocoa powder, and heat the mix with enough milk that the powder dissolves completely. Then follow the rest of the recipe as written.
Freya says
This is a great recipe thank you!
I’m not a big fan of coffee but love mochas.
I used a Nespresso Melozio and put it in the fridge for a bit, then made the chocolate syrup, and it worked out great.
It tastes just like one you could buy from Costa or Starbucks!
Ariana says
Just made this, it was delicious!
dan says
Pretty good! also stores decently in the fridge, so I can make a large pot and have it throughout the week!
Would recommend.
But, remember, ice takes up space so if your cup is filled with ice, you may only be able to fit a few ounces of the drink inside.
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Lauren H says
I just tried this and oh my gosh, DELICIOUS! I added a little caramel into it and all together this is the easiest recipe I’ve made from Pinterest! Thank you for sharing!
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed it, Lauren! A little caramel sauce sounds DIVINE!!
Meg says
I have been looking for a mocha Frappuccino recipe for months and have tried 1/2 dozen or more but none tasted like the store bought I had become used to. When I saw your recipe I thought I’d try it and now I will search no more. This recipe is fantastic and now is my go to – I’m so excited for all the money and calories I’m going to save. My one change is to omit the ice and instead chill overnight. THANK YOU for sharing.
Tracy says
So, so glad you enjoyed it, Meg!!
Tanya says
Can you make this ahead of time and keep in the frig? I drink a lot of ice coffee and looking for something I can make in a big batch and drink all day.
Tracy says
Absolutely. Just don’t pour it over ice till you’re ready to drink it and you’ll either need to shake it or stir it before pouring because the syrup will settle and separate a little as it sits.
Suzanne says
This looks so good! Can I use a non-dairy milk too?
Tracy says
Absolutely! Any non-dairy milk will work just fine.
Diana says
i just got my first blender and have been looking for a Frappuccino recipe that is easy and delicious. This one is perfect! I even left out the cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream to save calories and it was still wonderful. Thank you so much!
Tracy says
So happy to hear this worked out for you, Diana!!
cat says
I CANT THANK YOU ENOUGH!!
I haven’t been able to find a good enough recipe to replace my iced coffee from Starbucks or Dunkin. this hits the SPOT! and super easy!
thank you so much again!
I’ll try your frappe recipe later.
Tracy says
Oh, yay! That makes me so happy to hear, Cat!!!
Rachel says
thank you so much for taking the time to give us this delicious recipe
Amanda says
This is fantastic. Will use a bit less sugar and make sure I have whipped cream handy next time!
I used a frother to help get the solid chunks of cocoa outta there that were stubborn!
Abby says
Yummy! Really good for a late afternoon pick me up!
Fiona Manoon says
Loved it !!
Much needed recipe.
This could be the best drink to have in this hot weather.
Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing recipe.
Keep Blogging !!
Tracy says
Thanks so much, Fiona! So glad you enjoyed it!!