Iced Chocolate Mocha Recipe

An iced mocha is a cold coffee drink made with espresso, chocolate, milk and ice. It is essentially a chocolate version of an iced latte but the chocolate gives it a richer sweeter and more dessert like flavour.

For this recipe we take it a step further by using real melted dark chocolate along with a small amount of cocoa powder. This gives the drink a much deeper chocolate flavour than simply adding a chocolate flavoured syrup. The brown sugar balances the natural bitterness of the dark chocolate, cocoa and espresso without making the drink excessively sweet.

The main difference is chocolate. Both drinks use espresso, milk and ice but an iced mocha also contains chocolate.

An iced latte tends to be more coffee and milk focused while an iced mocha has a richer chocolate flavour and is generally more indulgent. In this recipe the combination of dark chocolate and cocoa gives you a much more pronounced chocolatey taste while still allowing the espresso to come through.

The easiest way is to balance the bitterness rather than simply adding more chocolate. Dark chocolate, cocoa and espresso all contribute some bitterness so our version uses 10 g or about 2 teaspoons of light brown sugar to give the drink enough sweetness to taste balanced.

The milk also softens the bitterness and adds natural sweetness. A tiny pinch of salt helps round out the chocolate flavour too.

If your finished glass still tastes too bitter try add another teaspoon of brown sugar and stir well. If it tastes too strong overall add a small splash more milk. I would avoid simply adding lots more chocolate because that can actually make the drink heavier and more bitter.

The easiest method is to finely chop the dark chocolate and put it into a heatproof glass with the cocoa powder, brown sugar and salt. Brew the hot espresso directly over the mixture and stir immediately until everything is completely smooth.

The important part is to get the chocolate fully melted before adding anything cold. Once it is smooth add a small splash of milk and stir again before pouring it over the ice. This gradual change in temperature helps stop the melted chocolate from turning into tiny hard pieces when it hits the cold drink.

This is what we've found works best before adding in your ice and milk so that you get a smoother tasting drink rather than undissolved bits in the glass.

A good quality dark chocolate around 70% cocoa is an excellent choice because it gives you a strong, genuine chocolate flavour without being excessively sweet. It also has enough sweetness of its own to work well with the brown sugar and milk.

I would avoid going straight to very dark 85% or 90% chocolate unless you prefer to enjoy the taste more on the bitter side The combination of very dark chocolate, cocoa and espresso can become quite intense from our kitchen tests.

Milk chocolate can certainly be used but it will produce a sweeter and softer tasting drink. For the richer chocolate flavour this recipe is designed to deliver we found 70% dark chocolate is the better starting point.

The most common reason is melting ice. As the ice melts it dilutes both the coffee and chocolate so an iced mocha can start out rich and gradually become weaker. Coffee drinkers regularly describe this as the drink becoming watery or losing its chocolate and coffee flavour.

There are a few simple ways to prevent this. Use plenty of ice rather than just a few cubes, make sure the milk is properly chilled, mix the chocolate thoroughly into the hot espresso before adding the milk and enjoy the drink soon after making it.

This recipe also uses two shots of espresso and a concentrated chocolate mixture so the flavours remain noticeable after the drink is chilled. If you prefer an especially strong iced mocha you can reduce the milk slightly rather than adding extra chocolate.