Kat's Kitchen

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Note, full measurements can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the recipe or click the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the page!

Toffee Nut Syrup or Salted Caramel Syrup: The Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha recipe used the Starbucks Toffee Nut Syrup for that sweet and salty caramel flavor. I’ve found the Torani Salted Caramel Syrup is a perfect dupe for the Starbucks Toffee Nut Syrup. If you’re looking for a lower sugar option, I recommend the Torani Sugar Free Salted Caramel Syrup!

Chocolate Sauce: Personally, I love the Torani Dark Chocolate Sauce in this recipe! It has such a great chocolate flavor and you can find the sauce at most grocery stores in the coffee aisle. Opt for the Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Sauce option for a lower sugar Salted Caramel Mocha!

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 Salted Caramel Mocha at home!

2% Milk: Starbucks’ standard milk for this recipe is 2% milk, but feel free to use whatever milk you prefer for your at home mochas.

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

Whipped Cream: Whipped cream is an essential ingredient of any mocha. It’s the perfect creamy topping for an iced or hot drink version. If you’re not a whipped cream fan, you can add cold foam instead, or try a cold foam creamer!

Caramel Sauce: Starbucks used to add a drizzle of caramel sauce over the top of the drink for an added sweet caramel vibe. I like the Torani Caramel Sauce best since the texture is great for drizzling, but feel free to use any caramel sauce you prefer. For a lower sugar option, opt for the Torani Sugar Free Caramel Sauce.

Smoked Sea Salt: You’ll need smoked sea salt for the topping. This ingredient takes the drink to the next level so I very much recommend using it for that authentic Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha topping taste!

Turbinado Sugar: In addition to the smoked sea salt, you’ll need turbinado sugar. This type of sugar can be found at any grocery store in the sugar/baking aisle and the granules are larger in size than regular granulated sugar. This gives added texture to the topping as well as a sweet flavor that perfectly compliments the smoked sea salt. You can use brown sugar, granulated or a sugar substitute if you prefer.

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?

If you are using an espresso machine, a Moka Pot, or an Aeropress to make espresso, these are my recommended coffees:

• Laka Java Wahine Blonde Roast Espresso (Use code: katerinafaith for 10% off)
• Press Coffee Spitball Espresso Beans
• Press Coffee Twitch Espresso Beans
• Blue Bottle Coffee Espresso Beans

If you are using a Nespresso machine, these are my recommended espresso pods:

• Double Espresso Dolce
• Double Espresso Chairo
• Orafio
• Peru Organic

If you are using instant espresso powder, these are my recommended espresso powders:

• Nescafe Gold Instant Espresso (light/blonde roast)
• Cafe Bustelo Instant Espresso (dark roast)

Note for instant espresso, I like to follow the following ratios:

• Single shot: 1/4 tablespoon instant espresso + 1.25 ounces warm water
• Double shot: 1/2 tablespoon instant espresso + 2.5 ounces warm water
• Triple shot: 3/4 tablespoon instant espresso + 3.75 ounces warm water
• Quad shot: 1 tablespoon instant espresso + 5 ounces warm water

What is a “Shot” of Espresso?

A common espresso term you’ll see a lot is a “shot” of espresso. When you brew espresso using an espresso machine, the liquid that comes out of the machine is considered a shot, since the machine pushes out the liquid at high pressure.

• A single shot or one shot of espresso is roughly 1.25 ounces of liquid.
• A double shot is roughly 2.5 ounces of liquid.
• A tripe shot is roughly 3.75 ounces of liquid.
• A quad shot is roughly 5 ounces of liquid.

How To Steam Milk For a Hot Salted Caramel Mocha

Hot Salted Caramel 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 Salted Caramel Mocha!

Note, for an iced Salted Caramel 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 Chocolate Sauce?

Yes I do! See my Homemade Chocolate Sauce recipe to make your own chocolate sauce from scratch in only three minutes!

How To Make An Iced Salted Caramel Mocha

• To a small bowl, combine smoked sea salt and turbinado sugar, then set aside.
• Add Salted Caramel Syrup and Dark Chocolate Sauce to a cup, and brew 2 shots of espresso over the top. See my 5 Ways To Make Espresso blog post for various espresso making methods.
• Stir together the espresso and sweeteners until fully combined.

• Next, pour in the milk, and fill the cup up with ice. Stir everything together to combine the flavors and chill the entire drink.
• Top with whipped cream, caramel sauce drizzle, and the smoked sea salt and sugar topping, and enjoy your homemade Starbucks Iced Salted Caramel Mocha!

How To Make A Hot Salted Caramel Mocha

1. To a small bowl, combine smoked sea salt and turbinado sugar, then set aside.
2. Add Salted Caramel Syrup and Dark Chocolate Sauce to a cup, and brew 2 shots of espresso over the top. See my 5 Ways To Make Espresso blog post for various espresso making methods.
3. Stir together the espresso and sweeteners until fully combined.
4. Next, steam your 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 salted caramel-chocolate-espresso mixture.
5. Top with whipped cream, caramel sauce drizzle, and the smoked sea salt and sugar topping, and enjoy your homemade Starbucks Hot Salted Caramel Mocha!

What Ratios Does Starbucks Use?

I like my mochas to be a bit more coffee tasting than milky tasting, so my ratios are a slightly different from Starbucks. If you want to most accurately replicate the Starbucks ratios for a Salted Caramel Mocha, follow these ratios:

ICED SALTED CARAMEL MOCHA

	TALL	GRANDE	VENTI
SALTED CARAMEL SYRUP	1.5 PUMPS (3/4 TBSP)	2 PUMPS (1 TBSP)	3 PUMPS (1.5 TBSP)
CHOCOLATE SAUCE	1.5 PUMPS (3/4 TBSP)	2 PUMPS (1 TBSP)	3 PUMPS (1.5 TBSP)
ESPRESSO SHOTS	1	2	3
MILK	8 OUNCES	10 OUNCES	12 OUNCES
ICE	TO TOP OF CUP	TO TOP OF CUP	TO TOP OF CUP

HOT SALTED CARAMEL MOCHA

	SHORT	TALL	GRANDE	VENTI
SALTED CARAMEL SYRUP	1 PUMP (1/2 TBSP)	1.5 PUMPS (3/4 TBSP)	2 PUMPS (1 TBSP)	3 PUMPS (1.5 TBSP)
CHOCOLATE SAUCE	1 PUMP (1/2 TBSP)	1.5 PUMPS (3/4 TBSP)	2 PUMPS (1 TBSP)	3 PUMPS (1.5 TBSP)
ESPRESSO SHOTS	1	1	2	2
MILK	6 OUNCES	8 OUNCES	10 OUNCES	12 OUNCES

How Can I Make This Dairy Free?

To make a dairy free salted caramel mocha:

• Use any dairy free milk instead of 2% milk: oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, etc
• 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!
• Use a dairy free caramel sauce for the drizzle on top!
• The Torani Dark Chocolate Sauce is dairy free so you can use that or, make your own Homemade Chocolate Sauce which is also dairy free!

How Can I Make This Lower Sugar/Lower Calories?

To make a lower sugar/lower calorie Salted Caramel Mocha at home, make as many of the modifications below as you would like:

• Use the Torani Sugar Free Salted Caramel Syrup
• Use the Torani Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Sauce
• Use the Torani Sugar Free Caramel Sauce
• Use unsweetened almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk or soy milk instead of 2% milk
• Use a sugar free whipped topping or skip the whipped cream altogether
• Use a sugar free alternative instead of the turbinado sugar for the topping

More Discontinued Starbucks Recipes To Try:

• Starbucks Irish Cream Cold Brew
• Starbucks Toasted White Mocha
• Eggnog Latte
• Gingerbread Latte

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