Homemade Iced Mocha Coffee

Making your own iced mocha coffee might sound complicated, but trust me, it's way easier than it seems! With just a few ingredients and less than 5 minutes, you'll have a delicious iced coffee that's ready to go without leaving home.  And if you have a busy family like mine, you know that running to your favorite coffee shop isn't as easy as it once was.

I wasn't a coffee drinker for most of my life. But when I discovered iced mochas my coffee addiction was fueled forever! I'm a chocoholic at heart so the combo of coffee and chocolate is the perfect way to start my day. And when I really want to jump start the day, I make this chocolate peanut butter smoothie, add some coffee and make a super charged breakfast in one!    

This iced coffee drink is made with homemade chocolate syrup that's incredibly easy to prepare and lets you control the sweetness and flavor. So whether you're a seasoned coffee lover or just dabbling into the world of iced coffee, this recipe will give you a smooth and creamy mocha with a perfectly balanced chocolate flavor every time.

 

Ingredients

• Coffee: Freshly brewed or cold brew works great. If you're making it fresh, be sure to let it cool before using it in this recipe. Cold brew coffee is less acidic and smoother, making it perfect for iced drinks. If you have the time, make a batch of cold brew and keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
• Milk: Any type of milk will do, this is totally personal preference.  Heavy cream or half and half will give you a super creamy rich iced mocha, but I use skim milk on a daily basis.  You can easily substitute almond, soy, or oat milk for a dairy-free version as well.
• Chocolate Syrup: I like to use my homemade chocolate syrup, but when I don't have any on hand, Hershey's chocolate syrup is by backup. 

Step by Step Directions

1. Make the coffee: Make a pot of coffee using your preferred method. Once brewed, let it cool. You can also use cold brew if you have it on hand.
2. Fill your cup: In a mason jar or your favorite cup, add 3-4 ice cubes. Pour the cold coffee over the ice.
3. Add the milk: Pour in the milk
4. Add the chocolate syrup: Add your homemade chocolate syrup (I like to count to 7 for a perfect amount, but you can adjust to your taste).
5. Shake it up: Put a lid on your mason jar and give it a good shake to combine everything. You can also stir really well with a long spoon or use a frother to mix everything first, then add the ice.
6. Enjoy: Pop in a straw and sip away!

Make Coffee Ice Cubes

A great trick for making sure your iced mocha coffee doesn't get watered down as you drink it is to make coffee ice cubes.  All you need to do is brew a batch of coffee or make a pot of cold brew coffee and then pour the cooled coffee into ice cube trays.  

Pop the trays into the freezer and once frozen, remove the coffee cubes from the trays and store them in a zip top freezer bag.

You can then use these cubes in all your iced coffee drinks and they will never get watered down.  If you are concerned that it will throw off the ratio of milk to coffee, I've got you!

Freeze a few cubes of milk and go 2:1, two coffee cubes to one milk cube.  Really want to get crazy, use the homemade chocolate syrup to make chocolate milk, then freeze...you are now on the road to iced mocha perfection every time!

How to Chill Coffee Quickly

There are three methods I use for cooling down hot coffee quickly if I don't already have cold coffee in the fridge and I NEED to make an iced mocha.

• Brew a pot of coffee and pour over coffee ice cubes.  
• Brew a pot of double strength coffee and pour over regular ice cubes
• Pour the hot coffee into a flat heat proof container (think 9x13 baking dish or glass casserole pan).  Pop that into the freezer for 10-15 minutes and it will be cooled down.  The larger surface area helps the coffee cool faster. Just don't forget it's in there!

Variations

• Iced Mocha Latte:  The only difference is that you'll make espresso and not regular coffee to use at the base of the drink. Kinda like the drink version of these coffee chocolate chunk cookies.
• Iced Mocha Frappuccino: Put all of the ingredients into a blender with a little extra ice (or coffee ice cubes) and blend.
• Decaf:  For a great afternoon treat, use decaf coffee and prepare the iced mocha the exact same way.
• Serve it hot: Leave out the ice and add the milk and chocolate syrup to your hot cup of coffee in the morning. Give it good stir to make sure the chocolate is mixed in well and enjoy with a 2 ingredient cinnamon roll for a cold morning treat.

Make Ahead Tip

You can brew the coffee ahead, add the chocolate syrup and store it in the fridge. 

When you're ready to enjoy your iced mocha, just add the coffee/chocolate mix and milk to a cup with ice, give it a shake, and you're good to go.  The cold coffee lasts in the fridge for up to a week.

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📖 Recipe