Coffee isn’t just a caffeinated drink that gets us through the day. This humble bean has engendered a global culinary culture, with countless coffee-making methods and endless recipes for extravagant coffee drinks.
The Mochaccino is one of the most delicious and fashionable coffee drinks you’ll find at any coffee shop. Below, you can explore the mochaccino’s history, recipe, and flavors.
What Is a Mochaccino?
The name of a mochaccino is a preview of its definition. A fusion of mocha and cappuccino, a Mochaccino is an espresso and milk-based beverage with added chocolate and sweetener. Like a cappuccino, Mochaccinos contain a layer of frothed milk on top.
Coffee houses customarily serve mochaccinos in short, transparent glasses instead of the standard porcelain coffee mug. There are many variations of mochaccinos, with some containing chocolate syrup and others cocoa powder. Other varieties mix drip coffee with cocoa powder and milk.
Some varieties contain dark chocolate, while others contain milk chocolate. More extravagant versions swap frothed milk for whipped cream or marshmallows and a dusting of cinnamon.
While you may associate Italy with espresso drinks, the mocha is named for a city in Yemen from which it originated.
What Does a Mochaccino Taste Like?
In a word, heavenly! Chocolate and coffee are the ultimate flavor duo, and you get equal parts of both, along with creamy milk for even more decadence.
Taste can vary depending on how the drink is made, the chosen ingredients, and their proportions. A classic mochaccino usually consists of a shot of espresso, cocoa powder, sugar, and hot milk, with a foamed milk topping. This is the most well-balanced trifecta of milk, chocolate, and coffee.
That said, other preparations involve regular drip coffee, chocolate syrup, and milk, which tastes more like hot chocolate with a subtle coffee finish. Furthermore, the use of dark chocolate makes for a more bitter finish.
Does a Mochaccino Have Coffee in It?
Whether it’s made with drip coffee or espresso, a Mochaccino has some form of coffee in it. Milk, sugar, and chocolate may lessen the strength of the coffee flavor, but a mochaccino has as much caffeine as any espresso drink.
You can always strengthen the coffee flavor and up the caffeine content by adding an extra shot of espresso or using a greater ratio of drip coffee to hot chocolate. Furthermore, chocolate also has caffeine in it, so a mochaccino has slightly more caffeine than a cappuccino of the same size.
What Is Needed To Make a Mochaccino at Home?
Even though mochaccinos are an elaborate and luxurious drink you’d normally order at a coffee shop, they’re simple enough to make at home. The equipment you need to make a mochaccino at home depends on how strict your definition of a mochaccino is.
If you want to make an espresso-based mochaccino, you’ll need an espresso machine, Keurig, or Nespresso machine to create an espresso shot. You’ll also need a frother, whether it’s an attachment to your espresso machine or a separate apparatus.
If you don’t have those machines at home, you can use normal coffee made the same way you make your morning cup of joe, whether it’s a drip, French Press, or percolator machine. If you don’t have a frother, you can either whisk hot milk by hand or swap the frothy top for whipped cream or marshmallows.
Lastly, you’ll need chocolate. You can choose between solid chocolate squares, cocoa powder, and chocolate syrup.
Easy Mochaccino Recipe
If you’d like to try your hand at a homemade mochaccino, you can find two simple mochaccino recipes below. The first is espresso based, while the second uses brewed coffee.
Espresso-based Mochaccino
Ingredients:
- 18 grams of espresso grounds or espresso pod (Keurig or Nespresso machine)
- 8 oz milk
- 3 tablespoons sweetened cocoa powder or two squares of chocolate
Directions
- Place 3 tablespoons of sweetened cocoa powder or two squares of high-quality chocolate in a short mug or glass.
- Load your espresso machine with 18 g of ground espresso beans or one espresso pod.
- Place the mug underneath your espresso machine and run the machine, letting fresh espresso pour over the chocolate.
- Mix the coffee and chocolate until well-blended.
- Pour the 8 oz of milk into the mocha while steaming it under a steamer to create about an inch or 4 cm of froth. If you don’t have a steamer, pour the milk into a frothing machine before pouring the foamed milk into the mug with espresso and chocolate.
- Garnish with baking spices, cocoa powder, or whipped cream, and enjoy!
Brewed Coffee Mochaccino
Ingredients:
- 8 oz cup of brewed coffee
- ¼ cup sweetened cocoa powder or chocolate bar shavings
- ½ cup heavy cream or whole milk
Directions
- Brew a fresh cup of coffee with your preferred brewing method.
- Combine the cream or milk and chocolate in a double boiler or microwave-safe bowl and heat. Stir the heated mixture until well-blended.
- Add the hot chocolate mixture to your freshly brewed coffee, and enjoy!
Conclusion
There’s no better way to enjoy the delicious marriage of chocolate and coffee than through sipping a mochaccino. Mochaccinos blend sweetened chocolate, hot milk, and espresso into a rich, velvety beverage with a foamy top.
It’s a decadent drink to enjoy as an afternoon treat, energizing you with caffeine and sugar. You can find mochaccinos at any coffee shop, but you can just as easily make your own at home.
Let us know what you think about mochaccino in the comments below, and share the article if you liked it.