With just 3 simple steps and 5 minutes, I'll show you how to make an easy Iced Mocha with cocoa powder that tastes just like your favorite coffee shop! With tips on how to make espresso without a machine and choosing the right milk for coffee shop quality, I'll teach you how to make the perfect Iced Mocha at home.
I most enjoy this delicious and easy Iced Mocha recipe in the late Spring and Summer months when it's warm outside. It's perfect for drinking on the porch in the morning or with a decadent Sunday brunch, as it's sure to impress guests!
Looking for more coffee and drink recipes? Browse all of my homemade drink recipes here.
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What is an iced mocha?
An Iced Mocha is a frozen espresso drink that combines espresso, chocolate, and cream or milk served over ice for a cold caffeinated treat. This style of mocha originates in the United States, with inspiration from Italian espresso culture and coffee from Yemen that often has natural chocolate undertones.
It's a super popular Summer espresso drink and just like our Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso recipe and Mango Popsicles, we find the homemade version has a fresher, smoother flavor with simple, familiar ingredients.
How to make it
If you have these 4 simple ingredients and just 5 minutes, you can make this easy Iced Mocha recipe!
Ingredient Notes
This recipe is way simpler than most people think, and no chocolate syrup is needed! Just 4 basic pantry staples for a really incredible homemade Iced Mocha!
- Cocoa Powder - Because this recipe is so simple, the taste and quality of your cocoa powder matters for that rich chocolate flavor! My favorite is Viva Naturals Cacao Powder.
- Sugar - Any granulated sugar will do and there is no need to use simple syrup. I like traditional white sugar for a classic cafe-style iced mocha flavor. If using coconut sugar, you may need an extra couple teaspoons since it is naturally less sweet.
- Milk - Starbucks makes their espresso drinks with either whole milk or barista oat milk. These milks have 7-8 grams of fat per cup. If you want a true Starbucks copycat and an extra rich mocha, use whole milk, barista oat milk, or a combination of other non-dairy milks plus plant-based creamer for the same creaminess. I like to use unsweetened almond milk plus Nutpods creamer for dairy-free and oat-free variation. You can also use lite coconut milk or soy milk.
- Espresso - Starbucks has very concentrated espresso, with 0.75 ounces per shot. Most espresso shots are 1 - 1.5 ounces. To make a Starbucks copycat, use strong espresso. Check out our French Press Espresso and AeroPress Espresso recipes if you don't have an espresso machine.
- Ice - I like to use crushed ice but cubed ice or ice chips are fine too.
Top with store-bought or homemade chocolate syrup, chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, or chocolate shavings if you like!
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
Equipment
The only equipment needed for this recipe is whichever device you use to make espresso. If you use instant espresso powder, you don't need any equipment at all!
However, we found that making espresso with a French Press or Aeropress was preferable to instant espresso if you don't have an espresso machine.
Step-by-Step Instructions
There are only three easy steps to make an Iced Mocha at home. You can even make a Mocha Mix ahead of time if you like!
- Make Mocha Mix: In a mug or jar, whisk together sugar and cocoa powder.
- Make Mocha Concentrate: Add the hot espresso and continue whisking until the sugar and cocoa powder are fully dissolved.
- Put it all together: Add the milk, stir together, then pour over a cup of ice and enjoy! You can also use a drink shaker for extra foam if you have one.
Hint: To make a dry Mocha Mix, mix equal amounts of sugar and cocoa powder. Then use 2 tablespoons of mix per mocha, and dissolve it in the hot espresso as explained in the instructions say above.
Expert Tips + Troubleshooting
Here are some common Iced Mocha problems and how to fix them:
The mocha mix won't dissolve.
If there is still mocha mix residue in your espresso, either your espresso is not hot enough or there is not enough liquid for it to dissolve into. First, try microwaving your espresso in 20 second increments, stirring in between, or heat on the stove while stirring until the mocha mix dissolves. If it still does not dissolve, add 1-2 tablespoons of hot water and continue mixing.
Your mocha tastes watery.
You probably need a milk with a higher fat content. Check our Ingredients notes above to learn more about the milk Starbucks uses. You want a milk with a fat content of 7-8 grams per cup for a thick and creamy iced mocha.
It's note quite like Starbucks.
Starbucks uses concentrated espresso and a milk that has a high fat content. Check our Ingredients notes to choose ingredients that most closely resemble Starbucks. You also may want to consider adding a little extra sweetener, since Starbucks usually serves Iced Mochas extra sweet!
Recipe FAQs
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this Iced Mocha recipe. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Store any leftover Iced Mocha in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
An iced mocha is made of cocoa powder or chocolate syrup, sugar, milk, and espresso poured over ice.
An iced latte can be any flavor, while an iced mocha is always chocolate or cocoa flavored.
More coffee + espresso recipes
Looking for more coffee and espresso recipes? Try these:
- Cold Brew Concentrate Recipe - smooth, make-ahead summer coffee
- Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso - simple enough for weekdays, no simple syrup needed
- Pumpkin Spice Latte - a cozy fall classic
- Pumpkin Coffee Creamer - easy way to add fall flavor
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the comment section below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
Iced Mocha
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 shots espresso (¼ cup, 60 ml)
- â…“ cup creamy milk of choice (80 ml, check the notes for our suggestions)
- 1 cup crushed ice plus more if you like
Instructions
- Make Mocha Mix: In a mug or jar, whisk together sugar and cocoa powder.
- Make Mocha Concentrate: Add the hot espresso to the mocha mix and continue whisking until the sugar and cocoa powder are fully dissolved.
- Put it all together: Add the milk, stir together, then pour over ice and enjoy! You can also use a drink shaker for extra foam if you have one.
M says
You don't say how much expresso to add to the mix
Jamie says
Thanks for the note! It's fixed 🙂
Michele says
I really like that this iced mocha recipe is made from scratch and doesn’t use chocolate syrup. It still tastes super rich and delicious.
Cindy says
Just YUM! This Iced Mocha recipe rivals Starbucks but is less sweet which I think is a good thing. It was definitely sweet enough. It’s better than any other random coffee shop iced mocha I’ve had. I want to get an Aeropress now so I can make it when I’m traveling! No bad coffee for this girl.
Jamie says
Sounds delicious! Thank you for the review Cindy!