A Keurig coffee maker provides us with an amazing way to brew high-quality espresso. Even though nobody could refuse a good espresso, it is also true that there are times when we, as coffee lovers, want to enjoy a wider variety of drinks.
This article will add a new and exciting item to your personal coffee beverage repertoire: the mocha!
The Mocha
The history of the mocha revolves around Italy, France, and Austria. Depending on the country—and the region—you can order a mocha and get a significantly different beverage. Some places, for example, don’t even use coffee while others can swap chocolate for white chocolate or foam for whipped cream. And they all call it a mocha.
But a mocha, generally, consists of three things: hot chocolate, milk, and coffee.
The kind of hot chocolate you use can drastically change the flavor, so it’s usually recommended that you use one that you’re already familiar with and like.
Since we’re on the topic of hot chocolate, and because the ingredients can change a lot depending on the region, let’s dedicate a section to each ingredient and their alternatives before we move one to the actual recipe.
Choosing the Right Ingredients
The key, in order to make a good mocha, is, after all, all about the ingredients. The basic ingredients are rarely enough—you have to choose the ingredients that are right for you. So here, we discuss a few alternatives and a few ways that you make a mocha that is more suited to your tastes.
Milk
A mocha owes a lot of its texture to hot chocolate, so it has the advantage of not having to rely entirely on this one ingredient to acquire a nice and enjoyable texture. Therefore, we can enjoy this drink with milk that is less suited for texture—like fully skimmed milk, soy milk, and quinoa milk.
The use of such milk does not favor the consistency or texture of coffee beverages at all, which is why they aren’t widely used—yet because of lactose intolerance or other health reasons, there are many people who prefer to use these types of milk on their drinks. The mocha is the perfect drink for this.
However, there is also a completely opposite side to this: there are recipes that go to the other extreme and choose to use an even more texture-rich type of milk to make their mocha beverage an ultimate texture experience. For this type of mocha, a creamer with milk is used. Eggnog is also acceptable.
Coffee
For this recipe, we’re using Keurig coffee, so there’s not a lot we want to change. Some recipes call for brewed coffee, although it’s hard to see how that could make the drink better and it’s attributable to older recipes when espresso wasn’t around.
If you want, you can use flavored K-cups that match the flavor of the mocha. Chocolate flavors are a good option, as would be hazelnut-flavored coffee to create a richer flavor.
Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate is not a universal drink in some aspects. The way it is made changes a lot depending on where you live or even on how your family makes it, for example. So there can actually be many ways to prepare hot chocolate, each bringing a unique flavor to the table.
For this recipe, however, we strongly recommend preparing it simply—using milk and white sugar. You can use your powdered cocoa of choice. Use the same milk you’re using for the steamed milk part.
After a few tries, it is encouraged to break out of this formula. You can prepare it in another way after you’ve mastered the traditional recipe.
Mocha Recipe
Here’s a foolproof recipe for making a good mocha that is simple enough for anyone to get it right the first time.
Most Keurig coffee makers make 6-ounce cups. If you have a coffee maker that makes 4-ounce cups, even better. If not, a 6-ounce cup will yield two servings of this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 3 ounces of coffee
- 3 ounces hot chocolate
- 3 ounces milk
Instructions:
- Brew a cup of coffee with your Keurig, then divide into two. Same goes for 4 ounce brew sizes, if you have it.
- In a separate cup, make the hot chocolate. Heat it up in the microwave or on the stove until it reaches a temperature of about 70°C.
- Lightly froth the milk. This can easily be done at home if you have an empty container like a mason jar or an empty water bottle. Simply heat up the milk to about 50-60°C, pour it into the container, and seal. Then shake vigorously for one or two minutes and there you have it: perfectly frothed milk.
- Pour the hot chocolate on top of the coffee.
- Pour the frothed milk.
- Sweeten, stir, and enjoy!
FAQ
Can I use white chocolate for my mocha?
Instead of hot cocoa, yes, you can use white chocolate. You can even improvise this step with any sort of white chocolate bar you can find—simply heat up the milk and melt the chocolate fully. This trick is particularly good with cookies and cream bars.
Does a mocha have liquor in it?
Some similar drinks do use licor, although a typical mocha does not have any liquor. If you want, you may use something that goes well with chocolate. Grappa is also a popular liquor that is used along with coffee drinks.
Can I add whipped cream to my mocha?
Although it may turn into a completely different drink, you can definitely do this. A popular version of the mocha that adds whipped cream to it also adds chocolate shavings and/or chocolate syrup on top of the whipped cream.
Can I use vegan milk to make mocha coffee?
In theory, yes. But since the milk needs to be frothed, it might prove a little more difficult, as vegetable milk doesn’t behave the same way cow’s milk does. You may try with oat milk, for example, as it’s good for frothing, or with homemade almond milk.