Mocha Cold Brew: How to Make It at Home and What’s Really in the Glass

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Think of a mocha cold brew as chocolate milk that grew up and got a job. At home it’s just three things: cold brew, chocolate and cold milk over ice. It takes two minutes, and you decide how sweet it gets. 

Below you’ll find the recipe, plus the calorie and caffeine numbers, checked against real labels. Everything starts with a jar of cold brew, made the way we describe in our cold brew coffee guide.

What Is a Mocha Cold Brew?

It’s a cold coffee drink with 3 parts: cold brew, chocolate, milk. Cold brew is coffee steeped in cold water for 12 to 18 hours, so it comes out mellow and low in bitterness.

That matters here, as chocolate and harsh coffee can clash, but chocolate and smooth coffee get along fine. There’s no espresso and no steaming. Cafes mostly add whipped cream, cold foam on top, though that’s optional at home.

Mocha Cold Brew vs Cold Brew: What’s the Difference?

Cold brew is a brewing method. Mocha is a flavor. So the two aren’t really competing. One describes how the coffee is made and the other describes what you add to it.

There’s another mix-up worth clearing: An iced mocha is usually made with espresso, and a mocha cold brew swaps the espresso for cold brew.

If you’re also wondering how cold brew stacks up against regular chilled coffee, our cold brew vs iced coffee post covers it.

How to Make a Mocha Cold Brew at Home

To make a mocha cold brew, stir 1 tbsp of chocolate syrup into 6oz of cold brew, then pour it over ice, 4 oz of cold milk:

Ingredients (one 12 oz glass)

• 6 oz cold brew
• 4 oz cold milk
• 1 tbsp chocolate syrup
• A handful of ice

Steps

1. Put the syrup in the bottom of the glass
2. Pour in the cold brew and stir until the syrup dissolves
3. Add ice
4. Top with cold milk and stir once

Our first glass had a puddle of syrup stuck at the bottom, because we dropped it in last. Mixing it into the coffee first fixes that.

We also prefer concentrate now, since it doesn’t turn watery as the ice melts, use 3 oz of concentrate with 6 oz of milk.

Can I make it ahead?

Keep plain cold brew in the fridge and mix each glass fresh. Milk and syrup shouldn’t sit in the batch.

Which milk works best?

Whole milk is the creamiest. Oat milk is a close second for us, and almond is lighter.

Syrup, Cocoa or Melted Chocolate: Which Is Best?

A lot of people go for chocolate, but remember the choice changes the drink more than you’d expect:

Mix cocoa powder into a spoonful of warm water and then add the cold brew. You’ll need to sweeten it separately. Cocoa also carries a bit of caffeine, about 12 mg per tablespoon.

Mocha Cold Brew Calories: What’s in the Glass

Black cold brew is close to zero calories. The rest comes from the milk and chocolate. Here’s our 12 oz homemade glass:

The milk figure comes from USDA FoodData Central, which lists about 149 calories per cup. We halved it for 4 oz.

For the syrup, the Hershey’s label shows 100 calories and 20 g of sugar per 2 tablespoons. One tablespoon is half of that.

• Most of the added sugar in this drink comes from the syrup, roughly 10 g per tablespoon
• A second tablespoon of syrup takes the glass to around 180 calories
• Plant milks vary a lot by brand, so read the carton

These are just rough ideas, which your pour size and brands can shift. So if you track calories for any health reason, go by your own labels and weigh your ingredients accordingly.

How Much Caffeine Is in a Mocha Cold Brew?

It depends on the cold brew you start with. Healthline puts the average at about 200 mg per 16 oz. Starbucks’ 16 oz cold brew comes in at 205 mg, according to Caffeine Informer’s Starbucks listing. So we’re looking at roughly 12 to 13 mg per ounce.

Our recipe uses 6 oz of cold brew, which lands near 75 mg. Chocolate syrup adds only a little, and the label doesn’t list caffeine for it. A homemade batch can come out stronger or weaker, since grind size and steep time both change what ends up in the glass. 

Important: If you’re pregnant or sensitive to caffeine, check with your doctor about how much suits you.

Why Does My Mocha Cold Brew Taste Weak or Chalky?

It’s normally because of one of these:

• Watery: the ice is melting into thin cold brew, so switch to concentrate/freeze leftover cold brew into cubes
• Chalky: the cocoa never fully dissolved. Make the warm paste first
• Too bitter: a very dark roast can fight the chocolate, Medium-dark gives chocolatey notes without the harshness

Time to Pour Yours

A mocha cold brew is only a jar of cold brew with a spoon of chocolate and some milk. 

• Start with the ratio above
• Mix the syrup into the coffee first
• Use concentrate if your glass tastes thin

Want it creamier and less sweet? 

Try our cold brew latte next. Either way, it took us a few glasses to find our own mix, and yours will probably end up a little different.