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Feel like a decadent treat but don’t want to leave the house? We recommend trying your hand at a white mocha. This espresso drink tastes like a million bucks (especially if you like white chocolate), but it doesn’t have to cost a million bucks! Keep reading to find our guide to making a Starbucks white chocolate mocha -- in your kitchen. And stick around for our brewing tips and customized suggestions. You might as well make your drink the way you like it!
What is a White Chocolate Mocha?
Starbucks invented the White Chocolate Mocha, but you can easily make a tasty version at home. A white mocha combines espresso, steamed milk, and white chocolate syrup. The white chocolate syrup replaces the regular chocolate syrup you’d find in a traditional mocha. If you love white chocolate, you’re sure to enjoy this sweet treat! Despite the name, white chocolate doesn't contain any chocolate. It's made with cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids -- meaning that it adds sugar and calories to your drink, but not caffeine.
How to Make a White Chocolate Mocha:
Pros
- Fresh coffee beans
- White chocolate syrup
- Milk
- Whipped cream (optional)
Cons
- Coffee grinder
- Espresso machine or portable espresso maker
- Kettle
- Mug
- Spoon
1. Grind your coffee beans.
The Hario Skerton Pro manual grinder (with ceramic burrs)
You’ll want a fine, consistent grind. Use a burr grinder (manual or electric) for the best results.
2. Boil water.
If you’re using a portable espresso maker instead of an espresso machine, you will need to start the water boiling. Use filtered water for the best flavor.
3. Pull a shot of espresso.
Using your espresso machine or espresso maker, pull two shots of espresso into a large mug. We are using the Handpresso for this guide.
4. Add the white chocolate syrup.
Image Credit: medkm713, Unsplash
Pour about a tablespoon of white chocolate syrup into the mug. You can adjust this amount to taste. Then stir the mixture thoroughly.
5. Steam the milk.
Time to steam your milk! Use the frothing arm of your espresso machine or a standalone frother. Don’t forget to heat the milk first if your frother doesn’t do it for you.
6. Pour the milk on top of the espresso.
Image: Christos Andrews, Wikimedia, CC 3.0
Pour the steamed milk into the mug. Now’s the time to practice your latte art if you would like!
7. Top with whipped cream (optional).
Image Credit: Shamar Whyte, Shutterstock
For the full Starbucks white chocolate mocha experience, you can top your latte with whipped cream. Otherwise, enjoy your drink with the milk foam!
Brewing Tips
The first thing you may be wondering is whether the brewing equipment you already have will work. The answer is probably yes -- though your results will vary depending on what you use. Here are our tips for several popular coffee brewing methods:
Stovetop Espresso Maker
If you have a Moka pot or other stovetop espresso maker, no problem! Brew as usual and add the espresso to your mug. You shouldn’t have to make any adjustments to the recipe since stovetop espresso makers are close to the real thing.
AeroPress
The AeroPress is an in-between coffee brewing method. Not quite espresso, not quite brewed coffee, AeroPress coffee is something else. Since it’s concentrated, but not as concentrated as espresso, you may want to add a little less milk to the finished product.
Image Credit: The Photobooth food, Shutterstock
Drip Machine or Pour-Over
If you don’t have any espresso equipment at all, you can use a drip machine or a pour-over coffee maker. Both of these methods will make regular brewed coffee, so we recommend making your coffee as strong as possible to keep the flavor similar. You may want to add a little less steamed milk to keep the coffee flavor strong enough. For a very minimal version, you can add a splash of milk and white chocolate syrup to your regular brewed coffee. You’ll get a sense of the white chocolate mocha without needing any extra brewing equipment!
White Chocolate Mocha
Starbucks invented the White Chocolate Mocha, but you can make your own version at home! All you need are a few inexpensive ingredients and simple brewing tools. Get ready for a decadent treat!
Prep time
4 min
Cook time
3 min
Total time
7 min
Equipment
- Coffee grinder
- Espresso machine or portable espresso maker
- Kettle
- Mug
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 ounce fresh coffee beans
- 2 ounces filtered water
- 1 tablespoon white chocolate syrup
- 1/2 cup milk
- Whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Grind your coffee beans. You’ll want a fine, consistent grind. Use a burr grinder (manual or electric) for the best results.
- Boil water. If you’re using a portable espresso maker instead of an espresso machine, you’ll need to start the water boiling. Use filtered water for the best flavor.
- Using your espresso machine or espresso maker, pull two shots of espresso into a large mug. We're using the Handpresso for this guide.
- Pour about a tablespoon of white chocolate syrup into the mug. You can adjust this amount to taste. Then stir the mixture thoroughly.
- Time to steam your milk! Use the frothing arm of your espresso machine or a standalone frother. Don’t forget to heat the milk first if your frother doesn’t do it for you.
- Pour the milk on top of the espresso. Now’s the time to practice your latte art if you’d like!
- For the full Starbucks white chocolate mocha experience, you can top your latte with whipped cream. Otherwise, enjoy your drink with the milk foam!
The Bottom Line
There you have it: a simple white chocolate mocha recipe, plus brewing tips to use the equipment you already have. We hope you enjoy your homemade coffee drink! White chocolate is a tasty addition to a latte, and making this mocha at home is fun and affordable. Time to get brewing! Looking for more coffee recipes?
