Mexican mocha (or Mayan mocha) is a playful and warming take on the classic mocha drink. This Latin-inspired version of the mocha is an exciting combination of coffee, chocolate and spices creating a deeply comforting drink with a kick of chilli heat.
Fancy a boozy mix of coffee and spice? Try my Ancho Reyes espresso martini.
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Sweet coffee crushes, I have a few. My latest is this Mexican mocha which blends strong coffee, milk, dark chocolate and a handful of spices in style. This Latin-inspired spicy coffee is a playful take on the classic mocha drink.
Expect a richly flavoured chocolate coffee drink accentuated with warming spices and a gentle kick of chilli powder. Rounded out with a touch of honey to sweeten, it’s ideal for warming up with in the cooler months although it can also be served as an iced Mexican mocha on warmer days.
Rather unsurprisingly, this Mexican chocolate coffee drink pairs wonderfully well with my Mexican spiced chocolate coffee cake, espresso brownies and my Aztec truffles.
What is Mexican mocha?
A Mexican mocha is a blend of coffee, chocolate, milk and select spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla and chilli or cayenne pepper are often incorporated into the drink.
This Mexican chocolate coffee creation can also go by the following names: spicy mocha, chilli mocha, Mayan mocha, Aztec mocha, Oaxacan latte or Oaxacan mocha.
Why you’ll love this drink
When I created this Aztec mocha recipe I didn’t get hung up on authenticity. Instead, I went with the notion of creating a decadently delicious drink. Here are a few reasons why it’s worth making:
- Warming: this is not a wallflower drink. Spices are definitely the feature flavour, so expect tingly heat as you sip upon your Aztec mocha.
- Adaptable: of course, you can vary the spice level to suit your own tastes and you can swap dairy milk for any non-dairy milk of your preference.
- Taste: yes, there’s chocolate involved, but not too much. Instead, mellow notes of honey are introduced to ensure that the spices, coffee and chocolate flavours all combine sublimely with just the right level of sweetness (it’s not unduly sweet).
- Bold: the ingredients ensure that this drink tastes rich and indulgent. However, it’s not as heavy going on calories as classic mocha as there’s less chocolate involved.
- Inventive: who would have thought that coffee, chocolate and spice could combine so successfully? It’s just divine.
And if you enjoy getting creative with your daily cup of Joe then don’t miss my other sweet coffee crushes. Get started with a white peppermint mocha, Biscoff latte or my Spanish latte (aka café con leche) then move on to my cardamom almond milk latte and my oatmilk honey latte. I’ve got a flavour to suit all tastes.
Ingredients notes
Coffee: you’ll need to brew some strong coffee for this Mayan mocha recipe using around 15g of ground coffee per 75ml. But as the coffee is one of several stars of the show there’s no need to go for anything too expensive. Pick a coffee that you enjoy drinking and if it has notes of chocolate or cinnamon all the better.
Chocolate: in the absence of Mexican chocolate in my locality, I went with dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids. It pairs well with the rest of the ingredients to create a spicy coffee that is bold and punchy with just the right level of sweetness to play with the spices (in other words, this Aztec mocha is not cloyingly sweet).
Spice: there are several spices that are often included in a Mexican mocha recipe including cinnamon, nutmeg and chilli. Other options to include are vanilla, cayenne pepper, allspice, ginger and vanilla. I went with the classic combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and chilli but added a touch of allspice too for its sweet and warming qualities.
Chilli: as far as the chilli powder goes, I plumped for ancho, which delivers a relatively mild kick of spicy heat with a touch of sweetness about it.
Sweetener: I’ve gone for honey because I find the sweet mellowness that this ingredient imparts into this recipe for Mayan mocha spot on. Demerara sugar (to taste) would be a good second option.
Step by step instructions
- Warm the milk (but don’t let it boil). Take it off the heat and stir in the honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and chilli powder. Leave it to infuse for 15 minutes.
- Strain the milk through a piece of muslin or a nut milk bag and return the infused milk to a clean pan.
- Chop the chocolate and add it to the pan with a pinch of salt. Heat to melt the chocolate, stirring constantly until the temperature reaches around 70C/158F. Take it off the heat.
- Brew the coffee and pour it into the pan. Stir.
- Optional: froth the spicy mocha drink with the steam wand on your coffee machine, a dedicated milk foamer or a stick blender.
- Pour the drink into warmed mugs or coffee glasses.
- Top with cream (if desired) and serve immediately.
Expert tips
- Similarly, the spices should be adjusted thoughtfully. It’s fine to swap some out or increase or decrease them but be mindful of overpowering the other flavours in your Mayan mocha if you do so.
- Don’t allow the spiced milk to boil. It will just make the drink too hot to enjoy and may turn the coffee bitter. Instead, aim to heat the milk to around 70C/ 158F.
- Do warm your serving cup by filling it with freshly boiled water while the drink is prepared. Your Aztec mocha will be a better temperature if you do.
- Adjust the level of the sweetener cautiously. The charm of this Mexican mocha recipe is the perfect balance of robust coffee and chocolate flavours which are kicked up with enchanting spices and just a hint of sweetness. Less is more here.
Frequently asked questions
It could be argued that for this spicy coffee drink to truly be a Mexican mocha it should be made with Mexican chocolate. However, this ingredient can be hard to come by in the UK.
Mexican chocolate often contains sugar and cinnamon and can have a grainier texture than standard chocolate. Some recipes call for cocoa powder in place of the Mexican chocolate, but I prefer to stick with dark chocolate and add in cinnamon and sweetener.
The perfect chilli powder to use in a Mexican chocolate coffee is down to personal preference. Some recipes call for fresh red chilli. However, as the spicy heat of fresh chilli can vary considerably, I prefer to use powder. Here are a few options:
1. Mild chilli powder – found in the supermarket, this is a good standby option or starting point.
2. Cayenne pepper – this will add a medium-hot level of heat to your chilli mocha. You may need to adjust the amount specified in the recipe below.
3. Ancho chilli – this delivers a sweet and mild heat. It’s perfect in this recipe to provide a gentle kick of warming, tingly heat.
4. Chipotle chilli – this will impart pronounced heat plus a little sweetness with smoky and bitter notes too.
Experiment with your chilli mocha and have some fun.
Yes, you can. The result will be a sweetly spiced drink, still with the warming, cosy notes of the cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice but without the spicier heat of the chilli.
Of course. Try mixing the following measures up and storing in a screw top jar for up to 3 months: 3 teaspoons of ancho chilli powder, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg and 1 teaspoon of ground allspice.
Variations
- Alcohol – try adding a splash of brandy or bourbon to your Mexican chocolate coffee for a truly decadent twist on a cold, dark winter’s evening.
- Whipped cream – I don’t always advocate extravagant toppings on my coffee creations but whipped cream dusted in cinnamon or chilli powder is amazing here – it pairs beautifully with the chilli heat.
- Make it an iced Mexican mocha – make the spiced chocolate milk using just half of the milk then strain away the spices and top up with the remainder of the milk to cool it down. Pour the coffee and the milk into a tumbler filled with ice.
- Ice cream float – yes, really. This is immense fun whether you’re serving your Aztec mocha hot or over ice.
- Swap the spices – use my recipe as a guide and have a spice adventure fooling around with it.
- Make a vegan Mexican mocha – ensure that your chocolate is vegan, swap regular milk for your favourite vegan-friendly milk of choice and switch the honey for demerara sugar or maple syrup.
More mochas and lattes to try
Have you made this Mexican mocha recipe? I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know how you got along by leaving a comment or rating below – it would mean so much to me if you did.
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📖 Recipe
Mexican Mocha
Ingredients
- 150 ml Strong coffee freshly brewed using 15g ground coffee per 75ml
- 300 ml Milk full fat
- 30 g Dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Ground allspice
- ¾ teaspoon Ancho chilli powder or otehr chilli powder of your choice
- Pinch of salt
Optional Garnishes (any of the following)
- Whipped cream
- Grated chocolate
- Ancho chilli powder
- Ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Warm the milk (but don't let it boil). Take it off the heat and stir in the honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and the chilli powder. Leave it to infuse for 15 minutes.
- Strain through a piece of muslin or a nutbag and return the infused milk to a clean pan.
- Chop the chocolate and add it to the pan with a pinch of salt. Heat to melt the chocolate, stirring constantly. Take off the heat when the temperature reaches 70C/ 158F.
- Brew the coffee and pour it into the pan. Stir.
- Optional: froth the spicy mocha drink with the steam wand on your coffee machine, a dedicated milk foamer or a stick blender.
- Pour it into warmed mugs or coffee glasses.
- Top with cream (if desired) and garnishes then serve immediately.
Notes
- Don’t allow the milk to boil. It will just make the drink too hot to enjoy and may turn the coffee bitter. Instead, aim to heat the milk to around 70C/ 158F.
- Do warm your serving cup by filling it with freshly boiled water while the drink is prepared. Your mexican mocha will be a better temperature if you do.
- Adjust the level of sweetener cautiously. The charm of this Mexican mocha recipe is the perfect balance of robust coffee and chocolate flavours, kicked up with enchanting spices and just a hint of sweetness. Less is more here.
- Similarly, the spices should be adjusted thoughtfully. It’s fine to swap some out or increase or decrease them, but be mindful of overpowering the other flavours in your Mayan mocha if you do so.
- If you leave out the chilli the result will be a sweetly spiced drink, still with the warming, cosy notes of the cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice but without the more spicy heat of the chilli.
- Try different chilli powders such as chipotle, cayenne or supermarket standard mild chilli powder.
- To make an iced Mexican mocha make the spiced chocolate milk using just half of the milk then strain away the spices and top up with the remainder of the milk to cool it down. Pour the coffee and the milk into a tumbler filled with ice.
- To make a vegan spicy mocha use a vegan-friendly milk, vegan dark chocolate and replace the honey with maple syrup or demerara sugar.
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