Cacao Mocha Recipe Made With Real Cacao (Hot or Iced)
A cacao mocha is espresso or strong coffee with 100% cacao melted into it, topped with steamed milk. It tastes like a café mocha made with real dark chocolate instead of syrup. It takes five minutes and three ingredients.
Most mochas use chocolate syrup or sweetened cocoa powder. This one uses whole cacao: one ingredient, no sugar unless you add it, so you choose how sweet it is. If you've never melted cacao into coffee before, start with our guide to putting cacao in coffee.
Ingredients (1 mug)
- 15–20 g of 100% cacao, about a fifth of a 100 g bar. Use less for a lighter mocha. Ours: 100% cacao for coffee.
- 1–2 shots of espresso, or 4 oz of strong brewed coffee
- 6–8 oz of milk: whole, oat, almond, whatever you like
- Optional: 1–2 tsp maple syrup, honey or brown sugar; a pinch of salt; a pinch of cinnamon
How to make a hot cacao mocha
- Chop the cacao. Break or chop it into small pieces so it melts fast.
- Melt it in the espresso. Put the cacao in your mug, pull or pour the hot espresso over it, and stir for about 30 seconds until completely smooth. It should look like a glossy chocolate sauce.
- Sweeten now, if you want to. Stir in the sweetener and the pinch of salt while it's hot.
- Add the milk. Steam or froth the milk (or heat it in a small pan and whisk), then pour it in.
- Taste. Too strong? Add more milk. Not chocolatey enough? Use a bigger piece tomorrow.
No espresso machine? Use 4 oz of strong coffee from a moka pot, French press or drip. Melt the cacao into the coffee the same way.
How to make an iced cacao mocha
Cacao butter firms up in cold liquid, so always melt the cacao in something hot first.
- Melt 15–20 g of cacao into a hot shot of espresso (or 2–3 tbsp of hot coffee) until smooth.
- Stir in your sweetener while it's still warm.
- Fill a glass with ice, pour the cacao-espresso over it, then add 6–8 oz of cold milk.
- Stir well, or shake everything in a jar with the ice for the smoothest texture.
Variations
- Oat milk mocha: oat milk froths well and makes the creamiest dairy-free version.
- Mexican-style mocha: add cinnamon and a tiny pinch of cayenne or chili.
- Half-and-half mocha: use half the cacao and a full shot of espresso if you want a coffee-first cup.
- Unsweetened: skip the sweetener and use whole milk; the natural sweetness of milk is often enough.
Tips for the smoothest mocha
- Melt the cacao in the coffee before adding milk. It's the key step. Cacao melts much better in a small amount of hot liquid than in a full mug.
- Use a frother if you have one. Ten seconds blends the cacao butter in completely.
- See oil on top? That's cacao butter. Stir or froth it back in.
Questions people ask
Is a cacao mocha the same as a regular mocha?
It's the same drink idea, coffee plus chocolate plus milk, but made with 100% cacao instead of chocolate syrup or sweetened cocoa. That means it isn't sweet unless you add sweetener, and the flavor is deeper.
Can I use cocoa powder?
Yes, but mix it into a smooth paste with a little hot water first or it will clump. Whole cacao gives a richer, fuller cup.
Does a cacao mocha have more caffeine?
Most of the caffeine comes from the coffee. Cacao naturally contains some caffeine, less than a typical cup of coffee.
How much cacao is too much?
Our cacao is strong. For most people 15–20 g in a mocha is plenty. Start at 10–15 g if you're new to 100% cacao.
Make it with Chuncho cacao
Our bars are 100% Chuncho cacao from the La Convención valley in Cusco, Peru: one ingredient, never alkalized, and lab tested. A Starter Pack of four bars makes about 20 to 30 mochas, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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