Starbucks Mocha Iced Coffee Recipe

Learn how to make the Starbucks Mocha Iced Coffee at home with this easy recipe that only requires a few simple ingredients.

One of my early introductions to coffee shop drinks was an iced mocha, so it holds a special place in my heart.

But I’m so glad that you can recreate that delicious blend of chocolate and coffee at home.

That way you can decide exactly what you want to put in it, how sweet it is, how much coffee it contains, etc. 

And thankfully the Starbucks Iced Caffe Mocha (as it’s officially called) is a pretty easy one to make at home.

Okay, let’s get to it!

Video Tutorial:

Here’s a quick video demonstration in case you like to learn by watching. And if you prefer to read the instructions, the full written tutorial is below!

 

Ingredients:

Here are the simple ingredients you’ll need for the base of the drink:

• Whole milk: Starbucks uses 2% milk in their standard Iced Caffe Mocha. I prefer a richer, creamier drink, so I use whole milk instead. Feel free to substitute with your favorite milk. I have not personally tried it, but I’m sure you could substitute almond milk, oat milk, or another non-dairy milk. Coconut milk doesn’t pair well with iced drinks in my opinion. 
• Chocolate Syrup: Starbucks uses their sweet “mocha sauce” to give this drink its chocolate flavor. Their mocha sauce is basically chocolate syrup, which I’ll talk more about below. If you prefer, you can substitute 1 ½ tablespoons of cocoa powder and 2 to 3 teaspoons of sugar or simple syrup.
• Espresso: Starbucks uses their signature espresso roast for this drink, but any good quality espresso will work. I’ve been liking the Peace Coffee Black Squirrel Espresso Blend. If you like a milder coffee flavor, you could substitute cold brew coffee (that would make this drink super easy!).
• Ice Cubes: You’ll want about 3/4 cup of ice. I like to use my mini ice cube trays here, but of course any size will work.

 

 

Quick note about chocolate syrup:

You can definitely use chocolate syrup from the grocery store here. 

Or you can use my Chocolate Syrup for Drinks recipe. It’s really easy, promise!

And a note about espresso:

If you own an espresso machine, of course you can just pull a shot or two of espresso.

But you can still make this drink even if you don’t own a fancy machine!

I have instructions for how to make a shot of coffee with either instant coffee or a French press.

And I have a video tutorial that also includes instructions for how to make it with an Aeropress and moka pot. 

How to Make a Starbucks Mocha Iced Coffee at Home:

The steps to assembling the drink are extremely simple:

1. Add the milk to a tall glass. One recipe makes a Starbucks tall, so use a 12 ounce or larger glass. You could also use a mason jar.
2. Pour the hot coffee on top of the cold milk.
3. Add the chocolate syrup.
4. Finally, add the ice and give it a good stir to cool everything down.

How to Make a Small Amount of Whipped Cream:

Now you can’t serve this homemade iced mocha without a dollop of whipped cream on top!

Well, technically you can, but I don’t advise it. 

To easily make a small amount of whipped cream, pour 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and 1/16 teaspoon of vanilla extract into a small glass or measuring cup.

You could substitute vanilla syrup for the sweetener if you have it on hand.

Anyway, whip with a hand held stick frother until thickened. 

Dollop the cream on top of the iced mocha.

That’s a lot of deliciousness in one cup.

Of course this is wonderful on hot summer days, but you can definitely enjoy it any time of year!

What is in a Starbucks mocha iced coffee?

Here’s the full list of ingredients:

• Ice
• Milk
• Mocha Sauce (water, sugar, cocoa processed with alkali, natural flavor)
• Brewed Espresso
• Whipped Cream (Cream (Cream, mono and diglycerides, carageenan)
• Vanilla Syrup (sugar, water, natural flavors, potassium sorbate, citric acid)

How many shots of espresso are in an iced mocha?

The number of shots varies by the size of drink you order, of course:

• Tall: 1 shot of espresso
• Grande: 2 shots of espresso
• Venti: 3 shots of espresso

Price Comparison:

Of course one of the big benefits of making the Starbucks Iced Caffè Mocha at home is you’ll only be spending a fraction of the cost of getting it at the coffee shop.

A tall Starbucks Iced Caffe Mocha will set you back around $5.25.

My homemade version will only cost about $1.45 to make, depending on the quality of ingredients that you use.

So as you can see, that’s a significant savings!

 

So that’s how to make my easy iced mocha recipe! Make sure to check out my other Starbucks copycat recipes below:

More Starbucks Mocha Recipes:

• How to Make a Mocha Latte
• Peppermint Mocha

More Starbucks Iced Drinks:

• Iced Matcha Latte
• Starbucks Vanilla Iced Caffè Latte
• Iced Matcha Latte with Strawberry Sweet Cream

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