Just like Coffee Shops: Mocha Recipe

 

Why would I drive to Starbucks for a drink loaded with sugar, cheap milk, and chemicals when I can have this delicious mocha in the comfort of my own home?  I especially love making coffee drinks with my daughters. They all share my passion for tasty things and coffee. Maybe that is why I have a kitchen cabinet overflowing with coffee mugs…?

The cup in these photos came from a coffee shop in Hong Kong, where after what seemed like forever going without a good cuppa, my daughter Macey and I found N1 Coffee (you can actually read my review and see my photos by clicking on that link!)

It’s not that hard to start brewing your own Fair Trade Organic Coffee! I buy a great medium roast blend at Trader Joe’s, but I have a bit of a coffee habit… meaning I love to collect coffee from a variety of roasters. I usually pick up a bag when I am traveling and stumble upon a neat coffee shop. However, when I am not traveling, I rarely go out for coffee.

I like to buy local dairy products when I can. They are not always readily available, but you can get organic half n half or heavy cream at your local supermarket too! You can easily whip some heavy cream and add it to your coffee. It really is so easy that my 7-year-old can do it with our blender. I prefer the immersion blender but either will work.

Here’s what you will need to make a single serving of whipped topping:

• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon Gentle Sweet, Swerve, or a pinch of Stevia if you follow Trim Healthy Mama but if you don’t want sugar free, you can just use 1/2 teaspoon of honey

How To

1. Put ingredients in the blender or mini blender and whip for 10-15 seconds or whip up with immersion blender stopping to check the consistency. Don’t whip until it is completely stiff!

Making chocolate syrup is less expensive and easier than you think:

It is really less expensive that buying it, but there are a few brands that pass the test if you are not trying to avoid sugar, but please don’t buy anything with artificial sweeteners. I do avoid sugar and therefore I make my own! I use the Handy Chocolate Syrup recipe in the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook for myself using Gentle Sweet. In case you are wondering what Gentle Sweet is, it’s simply a blend of Non-GMO Xylitol, Non-GMO Erythritol, Organic Stevia Extract Powder that tastes great but won’t mess with your blood sugar. It is NOT an artificial sweetener.

To make the sugar-free version, simply use 1 1/4 cups of Gentle Sweet in place of the sugars below. (You can also use erythritol like Swerve to taste)

However, for my children and guests who don’t mind caloric sweeteners, use this recipe:

• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 3/4 cup honey (or maple syrup)
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup cold water
• dash of mineral salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

How to:

1. First, combine sweeteners and cocoa in a saucepan, start stirring with a whisk to combine well BEFORE turning on the heat, next add the dash of salt and the water, whisking well to combine.
2. Next, cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until syrup thickens up. At this point, you should see a change of color almost a dark brown to black color.
3. Remove the pan from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Let the mixture cool in the pan, then transfer it to a jar for storage.
4. Keep your chocolatey goodness in your refrigerator. It gets a little too thick to pour but if you give it a good stir it helps. I have also kept it in a squeezable bottle to make adding it to coffee and desserts easier.

Putting it together

I do not like my drinks very sweet, but my daughters do. So I will show you the steps for mine which I’ll say is less sweet and theirs which I think MOST people would prefer.

My Version: Less Sweet

1. Pour brewed black coffee into your mug of choice
2. Top with whipped topping
3. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup, more or less depending on my mood that day. I use the sugar-free version, so I don’t worry about overdoing the chocolate syrup!!

Daughter’s Version: More Sweet

1. Pour brewed black coffee into your mug of choice  ADD 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup, more or less depending on your sweet-preferences, stir well. Sometimes my daughters will even add a bit of 1/2 & 1/2 or heavy cream at this step to get it creamier.
2. Top this coffee with the whipped topping
3. Drizzle with the amount of chocolate syrup you like based on your own chocolate cravings!!

I pretty much keep the chocolate syrup in my fridge at all times. Most of the time I just drink my coffee with heavy cream and collagen because I’m in my forties. I don’t always make fancy drinks but it’s nice to know how. I also make a pretty mean dirty chai!

What is your favorite coffee drink?

*all Trim Healthy Mama store links have been removed from this post, I apologize for any inconvenience*