Mocha is the word that marries coffee and chocolate. Read on to discover how you can marry the two at home for the perfect Cafe Mocha.

How to Make Good Cafe Mocha at Home

At the simplest level, a Cafe Mocha means either adding chocolate to your coffee, or adding a shot of espresso coffee to your hot chocolate. In the latter case, the best Cafe Mocha is not made with drip-brewed coffee but rather Italian-brewed espresso.

There are many reasons why espresso is a better complement to chocolate than regular-brewed coffee. Espresso has more 'opposing' taste characteristics for a balanced but bold flavor. If you simply add chocolate to your coffee, there won't be as much flavor in the coffee that counters the chocolate and it will end up tasting like an 'off' mix of the two.

Important Note!!

Making a great Cafe Mocha at home can be a lot of fun, especially as you tweek its parts until you've made it perfectly, and to taste. But always keep in mind that the Golden Rules of Coffee apply when making your Cafe Mocha. It's a tasty drink, but like any coffee drink, it starts with making good coffee. The rules of making good coffee still apply before you Mocha-ize it. You're adding a chocolate flavor, but it should be to an otherwise well prepared coffee.

If you do not own an espresso machine and want to make a Cafe Mocha at home, have no fear. If you can make coffee at home, you will find a recipe below that works.

OK, ready to make your own Cafe Mocha at home? Click here to:

Make a Cafe Mocha with your espresso machine
Make a Cafe Mocha out of your coffee
Make Quick and Easy Cafe Mochas

Marc's Starbucks Espresso Truffle

This is my pick for best Cafe Mocha. Save yourself a trip to Starbucks, and five dollars!

Boiling water2/3 cupMocha powder or hot chocolate mix2/3 cupDark-roasted coffee beans2 tablespoonsSkim milk1-2 cupsWhipped creamTo tasteEspresso machineCoffee grinder

Start boiling water. Grind your dark-roasted beans to a fine grind. Start the water heating cycle with your espresso machine, including enough water in the machine to run steam from the milk frother.

Put the mocha powder in an oversized mug. When your water is boiling, pour it in the mug with the mocha powder. Stir until the powder is completely dissolved into a mocha syrup.

With your espresso machine frother, begin to heat the milk. You will be heating the milk rather than frothing it so if your espresso machine frother comes with a rubber spout that frothes the milk, remove that rubber spout. Once the milk is very hot, let the espresso brewing cycle complete.

As soon as the espresso is ready, pour it into the mug with the mocha syrup. Top up the mug with the heated milk, leaving enough room for the whipped cream that you will add at the end. Stir together. Top off with whipped cream as desired, and lightly sprinkle the top with mocha powder.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the Espresso Truffle that costs $5 at Starbucks. If you would like to use the same ingredients that Starbucks uses, never fear. They sell their Espresso Blend and Mocha Powder at most outlets.

Make a Cafe Mocha from Coffee

Don't have an espresso machine? That's ok. If you can make a coffee at home, you can make a Cafe Mocha from home.

Mocha powder or hot chocolate mix2/3 cupDark-roasted coffee beans2 tablespoonsSkim milk1-2 cupsWhipped creamTo tasteCoffee grinder

You want to time the coffee and mocha syrup being ready close together so that the mix of powder and milk isn't too cold.

Start preparing your coffee the same way you normally would. Heat the milk on the stove, but be careful not to let it burn. Pour the mocha powder or hot chocolate mix into an oversized mug. Pour the skim milk into the mug, and quickly stir until the powder dissolves into a mocha syrup.

When the coffee is ready, pour it into the mug with the mocha syrup and stir them together. Add whipped cream to taste, and sprinkle some more powder on top of it.

It's as simple as that. Enjoy your own Cafe Mocha at home. Julie Curry, a regular guest to our site, suggests heating four squares of good quality, dark chocolate (70pc cocoa solids) with skim milk until melted and stir well in place of using a mocha powder.

Quick and Easy Cafe Mochas

Cafe Mocha

Stir a spoonful of mini chocolate chips and a few tablespoons of half-and-half into a mug of hot chocolate until melted and blended.

Cafe Caramel

Stir caramel sundae sauce to taste into a mug of hot coffee until blended. Add a drop of vanilla extract and top with whipped cream.

Cafe Rocky Road

Blend hot coffee with instant hot cocoa mix and a splash of heavy cream. Serve topped with mini marshmallows and a sprinkling of finely chopped walnuts.

Cafe Cinnamon

Sprinkle a dash of ground cinnamon into the bottom of a mug. Add hot coffee and if desired, sugar to taste. Stir to blend with a cinnamon stick.

Cafe Chocolate Almond

Stir chocolate syrup and a drop or two of almond extract into hot coffee. Serve with whipped cream and a sprinkling of chopped toasted almonds.

Cafe Hazelnut

Stir a few spoonfuls of hazelnut spread, such as Nutella, into a mug of hot coffee until melted. Top with whipped cream.