Mexican Mocha Recipe (Mexican Coffee)
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Apr 7, 2025 
Our Mexican Mocha Recipe is a rich chocolatey Mexican coffee with a kick of cinnamon and spicy heat. This latin-inspired mocha recipe will keep you warm, down to your toes, all through the chilly months.
Mexican Mocha… Coffee with Personality
Imagine a cafe mocha drink with the addition of rustic spices and a spicy kick! Make one cup, or make a large batch.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
When I step into a coffee shop, Mexican Mocha is the first thing I look for on the menu. This rich blend of coffee and cream with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper makes this warming beverage even more stimulating. As far as coffee drinks go, this one is a definite favorite of mine.
The spices add an extra layer of warming power that makes my throat tingle and my heart happy. The cocoa adds loads of chocolatey flavor without being overpoweringly sweet like chocolate syrups!
My recipe today is written for one beverage. Yet, this is a great mix to make in a larger batch for edible gifts this season. Just imagine packaging up a jar of Mexican Mocha Recipe Mix with some aromatic roasted coffee beans, and a cute little instruction tag!
Personally, I like to make a large batch of Mexican Coffee Mix to keep in the pantry for rainy days. It is both a delicious dessert recipe and a taste of global flavors that I love!
Ingredients You Need
- Strong Coffee – or two shots of espresso will work as well
- Powdered Sugar – to sweeten things up!
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – dutch cocoa is best
- Cinnamon – warming spice
- Nutmeg – another super comforting warming spice
- Cayenne Pepper – for a hint of spice!
- Heavy Cream – half & half is a good substitute, as well as cashew cream
How To Make Mexican Mocha
I like to make a larger batch of the Mexican Mocha Mix so I can make them quickly when needed. Find the full Mexican Coffee recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Tips & Tricks
- For less caffeine, make your Mexican mocha with decaf coffee or espresso! Or, make it a Mexican hot chocolate by using hot milk as the liquid instead.
- Instead of heavy cream, you can use whole milk! It just won’t be as creamy, but still delicious! Skim milk will result in a more watery flavor and darker color.
- The powdered sugar serves as the sweetener here, however, if you want some extra sweetness you can add a dash of maple syrup or honey!
- To make your easy mocha recipe extra creamy, serve with some whipped cream on top! And don’t forget to garnish with a cinnamon stick. So cute!
- Serve as a pick-me-up with some Mexican chocolate crinkle cookies or shortbread!
Frequently Asked Questions
If making a large batch, the recipe makes enough mix for 8 servings. 3 tablespoons of the mixture should be added to 6 ounces of coffee plus 1-3 tablespoons of cream. So it should equal approximately 1 cup per serving.
Yes, if you are using the espresso shots, add hot water like an Americano. Make sure to leave enough room for the cocoa mix and cream.
To make a batch of strong coffee, you can use a French press or a normal coffee machine, but you will want to add almost double the amount of ground coffee than usual! This will ensure some nice, strong coffee.
Definitely! If you want, you can use plant-based milk like cashew cream, coconut milk, oat milk, or almond milk! Use whichever is your favorite. You will still have an absolutely delicious spicy coffee!
Yes, absolutely! To make an iced Mexican mocha, remix the ingredients for 3-4 mugs in a pitcher. Then cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. When ready to serve, shake well, and pour over ice cubes. In this case, you can use a cold brew coffee instead!
Looking for More Warm Beverages to Try? Be Sure to Check Out:
- Retro Hot Buttered Rum Recipe (Crock Pot)
- Hot Apple Cider Wassail Recipe
- Salted Caramel Hot Apple Cider Recipe
- Best Chai Tea Recipe
- Mexican Atole de Elote
- French Hot Chocolate Recipe
- Lemon Ginger Detox Tea Recipe
- Mulled Wine (Wassail Recipe)
- Drinking Caramel Recipe
- Toffee Caramel Latte Recipe from Battery Park Book Exchange
Mexican Mocha Recipe (Mexican Coffee)
Video
Ingredients
- 6 ounces strong coffee or two shots espresso
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1-3 tablespoons heavy cream or half & half
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.
- Pour the coffee in a large mug, stir in the cocoa mix, until smooth. Then add cream to taste.
- I usually like to make a larger batch of the Mexican Mocha Mix so I can make them quickly when needed. See batch instructions below.
Notes
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. cinammon
- 2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- Use 3 tablespoons per cup.
I made a batch omitting the Cocoa Powder and the Powdered Sugar, I replaced it with Sugar-Free French Vanilla Coffee Creamer Powder and 1 Cup of Splenda with 3 Tablespoons of Corn Starch I used Evaporated Milk in place of Heavy Cream/ 1/2&1/2… And Decaffeinated Coffee…WOW!!! Delicious!!!
Made a double shot of espresso in my Nespresso. Good, but but too sweet. Will try again, next time cutting back on the powdered sugar.
I made this but the cayenne was too much. Will cut it by 1/2 next time. Maybe add some vanilla. Not too bad for my first attempt. Thanks for the recipe.
This is a great idea, but i think it needs more cocoa, cinnamon and sugar. The predominant taste is the cayenne for me.
Love spicey hot chocolate and coffee! I’m going to try making it again with a few tweaks.
Just done batch, well worthy to try, perfect winter drink
On the hunt for delicious beverages like this to keep me warm this winter. This one will definitely do the job! YUM!
We are under a snowfall warning here in Calgary right now, I may have to make one of these and spend the rest of the afternoon scouring the interweb for new blogs!
Oh wow! Tasty :) I am so excited to try this!!
SOOOOO pretty!
Sommer this looks and sounds so good! I could use a big mug of this right now! Pinned!
SO great. We make a similar hot chocolate mix for Christmas gifts, but I love the idea of putting it in coffee.
Sounds like a nice warm cup of mocha Sommer!