Celebrate the arrival of the holiday season with this delicious Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, a sweet, oh-so-delightfully merry treat! Enjoy the flavor of rich espresso paired with the taste of caramelized white chocolate combined with steamed milk, topped with whipped cream, more white chocolate sauce, and festive holiday sugar sparkles! This Starbucks copycat drink will have white chocolate fans running to their kitchen! This is one festive drink you will be making again and again! So skip the long line at your favorite coffee shop and recreate this quick and easy version of a popular Starbucks drink at home in just 5 minutes; it tastes just as good, if not better than the original!
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It's that time of the year again, the most wonderful time of the year! I love making holiday drinks in my kitchen to put everyone in the Christmas spirit. But, of course, the best thing ever is sipping on a festive drink while decorating the Christmas tree.
Now that the weather has turned chilly and there is snow on the ground, I like to sip on my favorite drink while listening to Christmas music (and watching my cat attack the Christmas tree 😉).
If you have been on my blog before, you know that I love Starbucks coffee drinks, but I don't see the point in paying $5 for something I can make at home.
I don't live anywhere close to a Starbucks, so if I want one of their holiday drinks, I make it at home. However, I am always quite surprised how easy it is to replicate Starbucks' drinks in your kitchen; why would you buy one?
Check out my Starbucks Caramel Brulée Latte Recipe, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Iced Coffee, Iced White Chocolate Mocha, and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins if you love Starbucks copycat recipes.
Don't forget to try my Starbucks copycat Peppermint Mocha and How To Make A Delicious Latte At Home!
When I went to the city Christmas shopping the other day, I stopped at my favorite Starbucks to check out the Starbucks menu. To my dismay, the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha was no longer on the menu!
I know I haven't been to town in a long time, but how long has it been gone? I was disappointed that Starbucks didn't have this drink on its menu. Instead, they had a white chocolate mocha frappuccino, white hot chocolate, new caramel brulée latte, and sugar cookie oat latte drinks.
I had the sugar cookie oat latte, but it wasn't as good as the toasted white chocolate mocha that I remembered. My husband had the peppermint mocha, which was good too, but not as good as the toasted mocha.
So I decided to make a new recipe at home for the toasted mocha, and am I ever glad I did! It is so easy and super delicious!
I looked at Starbucks online for the ingredients of making the toasted white mocha. Apparently, the US Starbucks still has it on their menu, but not here in Canada. They use two shots of espresso, a steamed milk mixture with four pumps of toasted white chocolate mocha sauce, and they top the drink off with holiday sugar sparkles, crispy white pearls, and whipped cream. So I started experimenting with recreating it at home the very next day.
After four days and countless recipes later, I have the perfect recipe. I don't think I'll ever get tired of drinking it! It's so good. I love the toasted flavor of the white chocolate! I might be overloaded on caffeine, though 😉.
For another sweet treat, try my soft peanut brittle.
Jump to:
- Why you will love a toasted white chocolate mocha
- What is white chocolate?
- What kind of milk should I use in this white chocolate mocha recipe?
- Ingredients for a Toasted White Chocolate Mocha
- How do you make a toasted white chocolate mocha?
- Prepare the white chocolate sauce
- Assemble Your New Holiday Drink
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- Tips for Making a Toasted White Chocolate Mocha
- Related Recipes
- 📋 Recipe
- More Recipes
- 💬 Comments
Why you will love a toasted white chocolate mocha
- SUPER TASTY: The toasted white chocolate mocha is a delicious coffee drink. It has a nice kick of espresso, and a creamy texture from the white chocolate syrup. The white chocolate flavor in this drink has toasted undertones with nutty notes, which complements the espresso.
- HOT OR COLD: Toasted white chocolate mocha is delicious served hot or cold.
- ECONOMICAL: It is so much cheaper to make your favorite coffee shop drinks at home. This drink is a fraction of the cost of the $5 you would spend at your local Starbucks.
- NO EXTRA SUGAR: The white chocolate in this mocha latte does not need any additional sugar. The caramel sauce or dulce de leche has the perfect amount of sweetener in it already. If you want, you can add a little sugar to taste, but I don't think you will need to. To make the drink less sweet, use 1 teaspoon of caramel sauce or dulce de leche.
- LESS CALORIES: I checked out the full nutrition facts for the toasted white chocolate mocha at Starbucks, which is a whopping 420 calories! My version made at home is just 310 calories with the whipped cream, and 268 calories without the whipped cream!
- CONVENIENT: By making this festive coffee at home, you can make one anytime you like!
What is white chocolate?
White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, and vanilla. However, white chocolate does not contain cocoa solids. This is because the dark-colored solids of the cocoa bean are separated and not added back in, unlike dark chocolate. Therefore, cocoa butter is the only cocoa ingredient in white chocolate.
What kind of milk should I use in this white chocolate mocha recipe?
To make a white chocolate mocha, you need to use regular milk, soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk. For best results, we want the milk to be quite frothy. You can do this with milk frothers, blenders, electric beaters, or whisks. It all depends on how serious you want to get about it.
Ingredients for a Toasted White Chocolate Mocha
The toasted white chocolate mocha ingredients are simple and easy to find at local stores.
- 1-2 shots of Espresso, or strong coffee. I use Starbucks brand coffee beans and grind them at home. Alternatively, you could make a cup of coffee and use that.
- White chocolate. Use high-quality white chocolate squares or white chocolate chips.
- Caramel sauce. You can also use dulce de leche. This sweet cream gives it a toasted nutty flavor.
- Milk. You can use 1%, 2%, or whole milk. You could also use your favorite non-dairy milks.
- Pinch of sea salt, optional. This really brings out the flavors.
- Whipped cream, made with heavy cream, optional
- Cranberry sugar, optional
- White chocolate shavings, optional
- Sugar sprinkles, optional
- Extra white chocolate sauce drizzle, optional
How do you make a toasted white chocolate mocha?
This toasted white mocha is easy to make and can be served hot or cold. Enjoy it in the morning or afternoon!
To quickly summarize, brew the coffee in a drip machine or espresso maker. Next, make the white chocolate sauce. Next, add steamed milk and whipped cream, and top it off with sugar sprinkles to make a toasted white chocolate mocha. Easy, right? Let's get started!
First things first, we are going to make the espresso. There are different ways to do this. The easiest way is to use an espresso maker. Other options include a stovetop Moka pot or strong-brewed coffee. Use whatever method you have available.
I have an espresso machine, so the first thing I do is brew espresso. After the espresso is brewed, I pour the milk into a measuring cup and heat it using a milk frother on the espresso machine. However, if you do not have a milk frother, you can heat milk on the stove over low heat until warm. Do not boil it!
Prepare the white chocolate sauce
White chocolate sauce is very simple to make with just a few ingredients.
I tried many different ways to make the toasted white chocolate sauce, and the easiest and tastiest way happened to be the better way.
First, I crushed up two tablespoons of white chocolate and placed it in a heat-proof bowl. However, I used my air fryer (yes, air fryer) to melt the white chocolate because I don't have a microwave. It worked amazing! Two minutes on the reheat function at 200 degrees F made the creamiest melted chocolate. This way was much easier than using a double boiler; you didn't even need to stir it!
If you don't have an air fryer, you can use your microwave. Add white chocolate chopped fine (or you can use white chocolate chips) to a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in the microwave for 45 seconds on half power. Stir the chocolate, then repeat until the chocolate is melted.
Next, I added two teaspoons of dulce de leche and one tablespoon of steamed milk to the melted white chocolate. I whisked it all together until it was smooth and creamy. Easy, right?
Assemble Your New Holiday Drink
To assemble your toasted white chocolate mocha, pour the wonderful white chocolate sauce in a heat-safe mug or glass, pour the hot coffee over the top, add sea salt if using, and pour the heated frothed milk over the top. Top with whipped cream and a garnish of white chocolate sauce (or extra caramel drizzle), sugar sprinkles, and shaved white chocolate if desired.
That's all there is to making a homemade toasted white chocolate mocha! I hope you enjoy this seasonal drink as much as I do!
Substitutions
You can make this homemade Toasted White Chocolate Mocha suit anyone's preference!
- Espresso - use strong-brewed coffee instead of espresso to make this mocha.
- Milk - use plant-based milk to make this vegan.
- Whipped cream (optional) - I used real whipped cream, but you could also use coconut cream to make it vegan.
- Kid-friendly-leave out the coffee, kids love the toasted white chocolate flavor!
Variations
You can easily change up ingredients to suit your specific tastes or diet. Have fun with it!
- You could use cold coffee or cold espresso for an iced version.
- Use non-dairy milk
- Use nonfat milk.
- Top with dark chocolate shavings instead of white chocolate shavings.
- Make a white chocolate mocha frappuccino by blending all ingredients with 1 cup of ice until smooth. Pour in a tall glass and top with whipped cream.
- Vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg can be added to the drink to flavor it.
- Make a skinny white chocolate mocha by using nonfat milk and omitting the whipped cream, white chocolate sauce, and sugar sprinkles on top.
- If you are feeling particularly decadent, top with a teaspoon of toasted coconut flakes.
- Make a white chocolate mocha by leaving out the caramel sauce.
Equipment
To make this Starbucks copycat recipe, you will need either an espresso machine, stovetop Moka pot, or coffee maker. Alternatively, you could also use instant coffee, and then you wouldn't need any equipment. 😉
Storage
Store any leftovers in the fridge in a covered container or jar for up to 2 days. Shake well before serving.
Tips for Making a Toasted White Chocolate Mocha
- To make the coffee stronger, if you don't have an espresso machine, use dark roast coffee.
- Make the steamed milk first before the white chocolate sauce so you can thin the sauce as soon as the chocolate is melted with the hot milk.
- Don't forget the whipped cream, so yummy!
Note: This makes a small drink, so consider what size of cup you are making it in. If it is a bigger cup, double the ingredients.
Related Recipes
A Toasted White Chocolate Mocha is a delicious, rich drink with a sweet and creamy flavor, perfect for cold winter days or when you're craving something warm and comforting.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe to make Toasted White Chocolate Mocha. If you try it out and like it, I would appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a star rating below. Also, please leave a comment below saying how much you enjoyed it and what other types of recipes/ingredients would be interesting for me to write about in the future.
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📋 Recipe
Best Copycat Recipe for Starbucks' Toasted White Chocolate Mocha
Equipment
- Espresso machine
Ingredients
- 1-2 shots espresso or strong-brewed coffee
- ½ cup milk steamed and frothed
- 2 tablespoon white chocolate or white chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoon caramel sauce or dulce de leche
- pinch of sea salt optional
- whipped cream optional
- sugar sprinkles optional
- white chocolate shavings optional
- extra white chocolate sauce for drizzle optional
Instructions
- Make white chocolate sauce by heating it in an air fryer in a heat-safe bowl on the reheat setting (200 degrees F) for 2 minutes. Add caramel sauce and 1 tablespoon of heated milk and whisk until smooth.
- Pour white chocolate sauce into a mug.
- Pour espresso over top of sauce. Add sea salt if using.
- Pour steamed milk over top of the espresso.
- Top with whipped cream and a garnish of white chocolate sauce (or extra caramel drizzle), sugar sprinkles, and shaved white chocolate if desired.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If you do not have an espresso machine, make strong coffee using dark roast.
- Make the steamed milk first before the white chocolate sauce so you can thin the sauce as soon as the chocolate is melted with the hot milk.
- Don't forget the whipped cream, so yummy!
Genevieve
I love this recipe and I love your holiday candy canes!