Make a cheap mocha at home

by Jen (March 24, 2008)

Everybody knows a mocha is just coffee with chocolate and some sort of creamer. But as you know if you’ve ever used powdered non-dairy creamer with a melted Hershey kiss, having the right ingredients matters - that’s why people pay dollars a day for mochas from coffee houses. This is my cheap homemade recipe that tastes just as good.

You’ll need:

• Nesquik Chocolate Syrup
• Whole evaporated milk (again, I use Carnation, which is a Nestle brand)
• Fresh brewed coffee (I prefer Dunkin’ Donuts naturally decaf coffee, which is just as delicious as any regular coffee I’ve ever had and doesn’t give me jitters)
• Whipped cream is optional.

Instructions:

1. Brew the coffee strong. If you prefer the chocolate flavor, you might tend to think you should brew it weak, but that just doesn’t taste as good. If you hate coffee, then you should make a hot cocoa instead.
2. Pour the Nesquik into an empty mug. Generally, covering the bottom is a good start - you can always add more later.
3. Pour the coffee in over the chocolate and stir it up.
4. Pour the evaporated milk in last. Start with a little, stir, then taste. Add more until you get it the way you like it. Add more chocolate, too, if you want.
5. Add whipped cream if you want.

Put that in a travel mug, and you just saved $4 on the way to work today.

Substitutions:

Can you use Hershey’s or another chocolate syrup instead of Nesquik? Sure! I just prefer the flavor of Nesquik, probably because it has fewer ingredients so you really taste the chocolate. Can you use a chocolate fudge made for ice creams? I’ve never had much luck with those, but you might.

What about a non-fat alternative to evaporated milk? Sorry, but the fat is part of the flavor. And it’s only 1 grams for one tablespoons, which is the most I’ve ever wanted in my mochas. So you’re probably talking at most 2 grams of fat. If you do insist on using an alternative, I’d suggest using at least a little of the evaporated milk.

Can I use instant coffee? I’ve never found instant that tasted as good as what they serve in coffee houses, but you might. If you do, let me hear about it!

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Posted in Easy Food
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