This Vegan Double Chocolate Iced Mocha Latte is better than Starbucks and so easy to make! Topped with vegan whipped cream and melted dark chocolate.
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Why This Recipe Works
This mocha recipe is completely vegan AND it's double chocolate. What's not to love! I was inspired by the Starbucks iced mocha and wanted to make a homemade version. It's shaken, just like most Starbucks drinks are and so delicious!
This drink is perfect for a Sunday morning or for any time you want your coffee to be just a little extra special! I recommend you also try this Vegan Eggnog Mocha in the colder months, it's so good!
- You don't have to make any complicated chocolate syrups, it all gets shaken up in a mason jar.
- You know exactly how much sweetener there is. Add as little or as much sweetener as you like!
- It's cheaper than Starbucks and you don't have to change out of your PJs to go get it.
- The recipe is really easy to alter - You can make it with extra strong brewed coffee or decaf, sugar-free or with extra sweet, and vegan or regular. All up to you!
Ingredients
- Cold-brew coffee - Use any coffee you like to make iced coffee with here. Chilled drip coffee, cold-brew, espresso, or decaf coffee.
- Cacao powder - I like using cacao instead of cocoa because I like the flavor of unroasted cacao better and it usually has more nutrients but you can use either.
- Sweetener - I went with maple syrup because it goes well with all the other flavors. Coconut sugar, coconut nectar, maple sugar, cane sugar, or honey are all great options. Leave it out or add stevia to make the mocha sugar-free.
- Flavorings - Cinnamon and vanilla extract are great additions to this mocha. They both enhance the flavor of the cacao and the coffee and round the flavors.
- Milk - I used cashew milk to keep it vegan. Almond or coconut milk (not canned) would also be great here but you can use any milk you like.
- Whipped cream - I'm using vegan whipped cream but you can use any you like! You can skip this to make it into more of an everyday iced coffee.
- Dark chocolate - I don't add this to the drink, it's only drizzled on top of the whipped cream and a little on the glass if you want. I highly recommend it! It's a little over the top but it makes this drink extra special.
Equipment
You only need two things for this drink:
- A handheld milk frother (affiliate link) - This helps to blend all the ingredients for the mocha together. I got mine for about $10 a couple of years ago and it still works great! I use it almost every day, I highly recommend it.
- A mason jar (affiliate link) - You need a jar with a tight lid to shake the drink in. Any jar works. You can skip this step but it helps to chill your drink quickly so that it doesn't get watered down in your glass too fast later.
Alternatively, you could use a blender instead of the milk frother! Just blend all the ingredients for the mocha without the ice and then shake in a jar with ice to chill.
How To Make It
There are only a few easy steps to make this drink:
- Add all the mocha ingredients to a mason jar, mix with a handheld milk frother until smooth.
- Add a few cubes of ice and shake to chill the drink before serving.
- Now you're ready to serve, all you need to do is to prep the glass.
Before you fill your glass with ice, you can drizzle the inside with melted chocolate but this is totally optional and just for the looks as the chocolate freezes to the glass and won't be easy to scrape and eat.
Pour your mocha coffee over the ice about ¾ way up, careful not to let any ice cubes from the mason jar fall into the glass. Top with frothy milk to the top.
You could stop at the frothy milk but I like to go the extra mile and add whipped cream and a good drizzle of melted dark chocolate! You could also add chocolate shavings.
Variations
- Make it decaf - Just because it's coffee doesn't mean you can only have it in the morning for energy. I like to make it with decaf espresso or coffee for an afternoon treat!
- Add different flavors - I went with classic vanilla but you could add other extracts. Orange or peppermint extract are my two favorites. If you're a fan of spicy chocolate, add some dried chili flakes for a kick!
More Starbucks Inspired Drinks
FAQs
A latte is made only with espresso or brewed coffee and milk. A mocha is made with those two plus chocolate syrup or cacao powder.
It can be both!
Yes, it does but you can use decaf coffee to make it caffeine-free.
The recipe will be as strong as you make it. I usually add ½-1 cup of cold brew to my drink.
It's coffee with chocolate and whipped cream so I wouldn't say it's super healthy but it's definitely healthier when you make it at home than when you buy it at a cafe. You can add better sweeteners, vegan milk, or skip whipped cream to make it lighter in sugar and calories.
📖 Recipe
Double Chocolate Iced Mocha
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1-2 1x
- Category: drink
- Method: mixing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Double Chocolate Iced Mocha is better than Starbucks and so easy to make! Topped with vegan whipped cream and melted dark chocolate.
Ingredients
Coffee:
- ¾ - 1 cup chilled coffee (cold brew or drip, use decaf if desired)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or to taste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 heaping tablespoon cacao powder
- A pinch of cinnamon (optional)
- Ice cubes
Iced Mocha:
- Ice cubes
- A few dark chocolate squares
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- ¼-½ cup milk (I like cashew or almond milk)
- Whipped cream (I used vegan)
Instructions
Coffee:
- Add the coffee, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cacao powder, and cinnamon if using to a jar. Use a handheld milk frother to blend everything together. Add a few ice cubes, close with a lid and shake briefly to chill.
Iced Mocha:
- Melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil in a mini saucepan over very low heat or in a heat proof bowl over a pot of hot water. (It’s best to do this before you start everything else)
- Lightly decorate a tall glass with the melted chocolate if desired.
- Fill the glass with ice and pour in the shaken coffee ¾ way up.
- Froth the milk with a handheld milk frother. Pour over the coffee to the top.
- Serve with a glass straw and topped with whipped cream drizzled with the melted chocolate.
Notes
You can find a handheld milk frother online or anywhere they sell kitchen stuff. It usually costs $10-20. I’ve had mine for a couple of years and it works great!
I add cacao powder to the coffee and chocolate on top because mixing it into the cold drink would be too difficult. If you want to make it extra chocolatey, warm up ¼ of the coffee and melt a few squares of chocolate in it before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients.
If you don’t have a milk frother, you could mix all the ingredients except the ice, chocolate, and whipped cream in a blender, pour over ice, and top with whipped cream and chocolate.
Kirby Liane Smurthwaite
I'm definitely going to try this Mocha is my favourite hot drink and i've never tried an iced one so it's a must try for me!
Kristin
Yum! This looks delicious!!
Sophie
NEED this in my life. I cannot wait to try out this recipe... so excited its vegan!
Joi
I’m a former barista, so I think this post is well written. Amazing!
Elaine
Oh wow - this is one amazing iced mocha I should say. Absolutely impressive and I bet it tastes like it is nobody's business!
Gloria
It has been so hot here the last 2 weeks. This is exactly what I need for the patio. So much better than going to the coffee shop.
Jimmy Clare | CrazyFitnessGuy
I am going to share this with my mom for sure.
Rachael
This looks amazing. I love that it is dairy free!
Lisa
This looks delicious for all the right reasons! So yummy! Awesome pics too. :)
Chef Dennis
Yum! This is definitely worth the try! Your Vegan Double Chocolate Iced Mocha looks absolutely mouthwatering.
Sharon
I love this recipe so much! I can make my own iced mochas right at home for an afternoon treat and pick-me-up.
Jenny
Fantastic, I loved this iced latte. Delicious. My husband also loved it; I am making this again and again! Thank you so much.
Petro
This is so mouthwatering, perfect variation to my daily latte! I'll have to give it a try as soon as I get maple syrup, I have all the rest! Thanks for sharing your idea!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
I'm not a coffee drinker but this recipe could very well convert me! Those photos are STUNNING and truly droolworthy! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Natalie
This looks scrumptious. I love that you used maple syrup here and real cacao. Mocha is one of my favorite drinks. I will definitely give your recipe a try.
Ramona
Wow, my daughter would love this iced mocha, she has been looking for a recipe for quite some time and I will definitely show this to her! I can't wait to try this out myself, thank you for sharing this recipe!
Anaiah
Ok, this iced mocha was seriously better than any coffee shop I've had it at. This was amazing and so easy to make. Thanks for this!