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Making your own iced mocha with homemade chocolate syrup doesn’t sound so simple does it? I promise it’s way easier to make than it is to say…
I wasn’t a coffee drinker for a really long time...like 38 years of my life. And then while I was preggo (I know, weird time to drink coffee, don’t judge), my doctor recommended one cup with some Tylenol to help combat a headache. Now, I'm normally an Advil girl, but since that was off limits, I tried the coffee. Well, I didn't just try the coffee, I doctored it up to make it palatable for the non-coffee drinker that I am. Wait, I digress...
And with that I found my coffee drink, an iced mocha. For those of you who are real coffee aficionados, this isn’t a recipe for you. Unless you want to know how to make your own chocolate syrup (that is pretty darn close to classic Hershey’s syrup if I do say so myself). And I think that the chocolate syrup is something worth sticking around for. So let's jump in!
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Homemade chocolate syrup? Is it worth it?
That depends, but I certainly think so. To make the syrup you’ll need to buy one special ingredient: dark dutched cocoa. I like Hershey’s, but there are lots of good choices available. I happen to keep cocoa in the house for baking, if you don’t feel free to use any chocolate syrup you like. Other than that it’s a matter of about 10 minutes of hands on time and voila!
I first made this chocolate syrup over Passover when someone I follow on instagram (@Naomi_tgis) shared that it was possible, since the kosher for Passover chocolate syrup just isn’t good. I made, I loved it and continue to make it.
Here are the two reasons I keep making it.
- I can make it non-dairy. Keeping a kosher home means that we do not mix meat and dairy, and many chocolate syrups are marked dairy. So even if I eat a meat meal, i can make an iced coffee with soy or almond milk and this chocolate syrup! Score one for the good guys! It’s also a great alternative for those with allergies, because the ingredients are allergen free.
- I can control the sugar. While I have a sweet tooth, I know not everyone does. This recipe allows you to control the amount of sugar in your chocolate syrup. I make mine as written in the recipe, but you can definitely cut back on the sugar some and the recipe will still work.
Can I use cold brew coffee in this recipe?
Sure thing. I use either Trader Joes or when I’m feeling patient I make my own (but that’s another story for another time). Once you have your cold brew on hand, you can simply pour it in a mason jar and continue on with the same method I’m sharing.
Now, here’s my trick since I normally just use regular brewed coffee from a tiny old school coffee maker (like this one). When I see that my jar of iced coffee is getting low, i brew another pot. I know, i know, i just blew your mind. But really, brewing a pot of coffee midday, mid afternoon or right before you go to bed is game changing. Do this and it will cool in the fridge overnight, changing your mornings forever!
No more watery, lukewarm coffee when all you want is your iced coffee ready to go!
Have you ever made coffee ice cubes?
Speaking of watery coffee…
If you haven’t made coffee ice cubes yet you should really start. They take your iced coffee to the next level. No watery iced coffee for you ever again. All you need to do is brew a pot of regular coffee and once its cooled a bit, pour it into an ice cube tray. This is the tray I use. Pop it in the fridge, let it freeze and use in place of ice cubes any time you make an iced coffee beverage.
Concerned that it will throw off the ratio of milk to coffee? No worries, 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!
Tips and Tricks:
- This homemade chocolate syrup will last up to a month in the fridge. But it won’t last that long (because you are gonna use it all up).
- I like to make my coffee in these kind of cups. I put in three ice cubes, add the coffee from the mason jar, add the chocolate syrup put a lid on it, covering the straw hole with my finger and shake, shake, shake. Pop in the straw and I’m good to go!
Looking for other easy simple homemade tips and tricks? Check out these recipes!
simple iced mocha w/ homemade chocolate syrup
Ingredients
for the iced coffee (fills one quart sized mason jar)
- 2 ½ cups brewed coffee
- 1 cup milk
- for the homemade chocolate syrup
- ¼ cup dutched dark cocoa I use Hershey's but any brand will work
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
for the iced mocha
- iced coffee
- chocolate syrup
Instructions
for the iced coffee (fills one quart sized mason jar)
- brew the coffee - i use this coffee maker and it makes the perfect amount
- add the milk to your mason jar
- pour the coffee into the mason jar
- refrigerate until cold (unless you are impatient like me, then put in the freezer, but set a timer so that you don't forget about it and explode the glass jar, not that i've done that or anything...)
- for the homemade chocolate syrup
- put all of the ingredients, except the vanilla into a small saucepan over medium heat
- stir until the sugar has completely dissolved
- once the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat up and bring to a boil
- continue to stir while the mixture boils for about 3-4 minutes
- turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla (it may bubble up at you so be careful)
- let cool for a few minutes and then pour into an airtight container (it fits perfectly into these)
for the iced mocha
- put 3-4 ice cubes into your favorite cup with a lid (this is the one I use)
- pour iced coffee over the ice cubes, leaving about an inch at the top
- pour or drizzle (depending on how indulgent you feel that day) the chocolate syrup in. i measure mine by counting to 7 or to 10
- put the lid on and shake, shake, shake
- enjoy and have a great day!
Do you store the chocolate syrup at room temp and do you know how long the shelf life is?
I store it in the fridge...up to a month or so. It doesn't normally last that long here 🙂