Kat's Kitchen

My mission this holiday season is to get everyone as obsessed with cranberry flavored drinks as I am. I made a Homemade Cranberry Syrup last week and it is so insanely good, I’ve been using it in everything: Cranberry White Chocolate Matcha, Cranberry Mistletoe Mocktail, and this delicious Cranberry White Mocha! So grab your bag of cranberries and your favorite coffee beans, and get ready to enjoy the best tasting coffee you’ll have all season.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Please note, full measurements are listed on the recipe card at the bottom of the recipe. Scroll to the end, or click the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the page.

Cranberry Syrup: You can opt for a store-bought cranberry syrup or you can make your own at home! My easy 4-ingredient Homemade Cranberry Syrup is as easy as adding all the ingredients to a pot and letting it simmer for 10 minutes, then straining out the cranberries and voila, you have your own cranberry syrup! You can use fresh or frozen cranberries, so you can make this syrup year round, even once cranberries are out of season.

White Chocolate Sauce: Since this is a white mocha, you’ll need white chocolate sauce. I love using the Torani White Chocolate Sauce, but there are lots of other brands you can choose from!

Espresso: All mochas require espresso as one of the ingredients. See my 5 Ways to Make Espresso at Home blog post for all the different ways you can make espresso at home. It doesn’t matter which method you choose, simply follow the espresso making steps to get your espresso shots, and then use that to make your own hot or iced Cranberry White Mocha at home!

Milk: I like 2% or whole milk most in this recipe, but feel free to use whatever milk you prefer for your at home white mochas.

Ice: If you’re wanting an iced Cranberry White Mocha, you will need ice to chill the drink. For a hot version, you do not need any ice.

(OPTIONAL) Whipped Cream: Whipped cream is a perfect creamy topping for an iced or hot Cranberry White Mocha if you’re looking for a little extra pizzaz!

How To Make Espresso At Home

Espresso is an essential ingredient in all mochas, and it’s a type of coffee that you cannot buy from the store, but rather, you need to make it yourself at home. There are five ways to make espresso at home:

• Instant Espresso Powder + water
• Nespresso Machine + espresso pods
• Moka Pot
• Aeropress
• Espresso Machine

See my 5 Ways To Make Espresso At Home blog post for step by step instructions of each espresso making method!

What’s The Best Coffee For Espresso?

The best coffee to buy depends on which espresso making method you choose at home. For example, if you have a Nespresso machine, you’d need espresso pods. For an espresso machine like a Breville or Delonghi, you’d need whole beans or ground coffee rather than pods.

See My Favorite Coffees To Buy based on the different espresso making methods so you can select the best possible coffee for you and your homemade mochas!

How To Steam Milk For a Hot Cranberry White Mocha

Hot Cranberry White Mochas require steamed milk as one of the ingredients. To steam milk at home, you have a few options:

1. Steam Wand: If you have an espresso machine with a steam wand attached to it, watch this Milk Steaming Video Tutorial for how to steam milk! You simply add milk to a milk frothing pitcher, insert the tip of the steam wand into the milk, and create air bubbles, heat and texture to create perfect, velvety steamed milk at home!
2. Electric Milk Frother: Add your milk to an electric milk frother, and select the hot setting. The milk frother will heat the milk as well as create a thick and foamy texture. The texture will be a little different than a typical steam wand, but it’s very similar and pleasant, and a great option if you don’t have an espresso machine with a steam wand.
3. Handheld Milk Frother: Add cold milk to a large coffee mug and place the mug in the microwave for 60 seconds. Alternatively, you can heat up milk in a pot on the stove until warm, just make sure to constantly stir it so it doesn’t burn. Once your milk is warm, insert a handheld milk frother into the warm milk. Froth the mixture until the milk doubles in size and becomes bubbly and frothy, and you have steamed milk for your hot Cranberry White Mocha!

Note, for an iced Cranberry White Mocha, you do not need to warm or steam the milk. Simply skip this step, and use cold milk straight from the fridge.

Do You Have a Homemade Cranberry Syrup Recipe?

Yes I do! See my Homemade Cranberry Syrup recipe to make your own syrup from scratch in under 15 minutes, and with only 4 simple ingredients!

How to Make an Iced Cranberry White Mocha

1. To a cup, add ice, milk, White Chocolate Sauce, and Cranberry Syrup.
2. Brew 2 shots of espresso using your preferred espresso making method ( See my 5 Ways To Make Espresso blog post for various espresso making methods).
3. Pour the espresso shots over the top of the drink,(Optional: add whipped cream) and enjoy!

Note, you could also make the iced white mocha in the following order: Cranberry Syrup, White Chocolate Sauce, Espresso, Milk, Ice, (Optional) Whipped Cream. This is my preferred mocha order, but the drink will look much more aesthetic with pretty layers if the espresso is poured over the top of the drink, rather than mixed in with the milk and sweeteners.

How to Make a Hot Cranberry White Mocha

1. Brew 2 shots of espresso into a mug using your preferred espresso making method (See my 5 Ways To Make Espresso blog post for various espresso making methods).
2. Add Cranberry Syrup and White Chocolate Sauce to the mug, and stir to combine.
3. Next, steam the milk using a steam wand, aerroccino, or warm the milk in a pot or in the microwave, and froth with a handheld milk frother until foamy. Pour the steamed/frothed milk over the cranberry-white chocolate-espresso mixture.
4. Optional: top with whipped cream, and enjoy!

How Can I Make This Dairy Free?

To make a dairy free Cranberry White Mocha:

• Use a dairy free milk like almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, coconut milk, etc
• Make your own homemade white chocolate sauce using dairy free half & half, dairy free unsalted butter, and dairy free white chocolate chips.
• Use a dairy free whipped topping! Most grocery stores sell oat milk or coconut milk whipped topping options! You can also make your own homemade dairy free whipped cream using a whipped cream dispenser, an N20 charger, vanilla syrup, and dairy free heavy whipping cream!

How Can I Make This Lower Sugar?

For a lower sugar Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha:

• Make a sugar free Homemade Cranberry Syrup using a sugar free substitute like stevia or monk fruit, and be sure to use a zero sugar cranberry juice.
• Use the Torani Sugar Free White Chocolate Sauce or make your own homemade version with sugar free white chocolate!
• Use a low sugar or unsweetened milk like unsweetened almond milk/oat milk/coconut milk.
• Use a sugar free whipped topping or skip the whipped cream altogether!

How Can I Make This As A Cold Brew or Iced Coffee?

You’ll need:

• 1 tablespoon Cranberry Syrup
• 1 tablespoon White Chocolate Sauce
• 14-16 ounces cold brew/iced coffee
• 2 tablespoons milk/cream (I like heavy cream, but you can use any milk or cream you like)
• Ice
• Optional: whipped cream

Combine everything in a cup, make sure to stir well to dissolve the white chocolate sauce, and top with whipped cream!

How Can I Make This As A Blended Drink?

Combine the following in a blender:

• 1 tablespoon Cranberry Syrup
• 1 tablespoon White Chocolate Sauce
• 2-3 teaspoons instant coffee
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/4 cup ice
• Optional: whipped cream

Blend the ingredients together, and then pour into a glass, top with whipped cream, and enjoy!

How Would I Make This Using a Keurig?

If your Keurig machine has a SHOT function/button, brew your shots using the shot function. You’ll have about 4 ounces of coffee. Combine that with your cranberry syrup, white chocolate sauce and FOUR OUNCES of milk. Drink hot, or add ice and whipped cream, and enjoy.

If your Keurig machine does not have a SHOT function/button, brew an 8 ounce cup, add your cranberry syrup and white chocolate sauce, and then add 1-2 TABLESPOONS of milk or cream (I like heavy cream). Drink it hot or add ice, and whipped cream.

More Cranberry Recipes To Enjoy

• Homemade Cranberry Syrup
• Cranberry White Chocolate Matcha Latte
• Cranberry Mistletoe Mocktail
• Cranberry Maple Mocktail
• Starbucks Cran-Merry Orange Refresher
• Lychee-Cran Smash Mocktail