You can make a salted caramel mocha at home that’s even better than the coffee house version with just a few simple ingredients.
If you’re sitting around in your pajamas today craving a salted caramel mocha and really don’t want to get dressed and leave the house to buy one, no worries. Stay in your pajamas, head to the kitchen, and make your mocha at home this morning.
It’s super simple, quick, and easy.
What does a salted caramel mocha taste like?
If you’ve never had Starbucks’ salted caramel mocha, the drink is just what it sounds like. A creamy chocolatey mocha with notes of salted caramel and the slightly bitter edge of coffee.
It’s such a good combo, and when you make it at home you can add as much caramel as you like so you get a drink that is the perfect balance of flavors for you.
Ingredients
- Coffee: No espresso needed for this drink. Use whatever coffee you have on hand, brewed a little strong if you want an extra kick of coffee flavor.
- Milk: Starbucks uses 2% milk in their coffee drinks, but you can use any milk you’d like including non-dairy milks. The higher fat your milk, the creamier your drink will be.
- Cream: Cream is optional, but a tablespoon (or more) in your mocha gives it a delicious richness. Feel free to substitute a splash of half and half if that’s what you keep on hand. And you’ll definitely have some leftover heavy cream, so check out my post What to Do With Leftover Whipping Cream for storage tips and recipe ideas for the leftovers.
- Cocoa powder, sugar, and water: Instead of using a store-bought chocolate syrup, you’ll make a quick cocoa powder syrup to flavor the mocha base.
- Salted caramel: Use your favorite salted caramel sauce or regular caramel sauce here (add a generous pinch of salt for unsalted sauce). If caramel sauce isn’t something you keep at home, pick some up the next time you’re at the store, make my quick shortcut caramel sauce , or whip out a heavy-bottom pot, melt some sugar, and make some traditional caramel sauce yourself.
How to Make a Salted Caramel Mocha
- Make a chocolate syrup by heating the cocoa powder, sugar, and water together in a small pot.
- Stir in caramel sauce and coffee until smooth.
- Add milk and cream and heat until steaming.
- Enjoy your drink in your pajamas.
Can I make this an iced salted caramel mocha/frappuccino?
Yes! To make an iced/frappuccino version, follow the recipe making the chocolate syrup and stir in the the caramel sauce. Then add just 1/4 cup of the milk. Heat just until the mixture is completely smooth and uniform in color. Then remove from heat and combine with the remaining milk and cold coffee. Pour over ice for an iced version or blend with 1 1/2 cups of ice for a salted caramel frappuccino.
I recommend using the full 2 teaspoons of sugar for the iced version and doubling the sugar for a frappe because the blended ice will dilute the sweetness quite a bit.
How much caffeine is in a salted caramel mocha?
The Starbucks version ranges from 80 mg to 185 mg of caffeine depending on the size of the drink. In this homemade version, there is 1/2 cup of coffee which averages about 48 grams of caffeine.
Is a salted caramel mocha a holiday drink?
The Starbucks salted caramel mocha is a seasonal drink they bring back every fall alongside their pumpkin spice latte . But there’s nothing that says you can only make the homemade version in the fall.
If a salted caramel mocha sounds good to you in May or June, then absolutely make yourself one in May or June.
Can I make this without coffee?
Yes. If you’d like to make this without coffee, you can replace the coffee with the same amount of milk for a salted caramel hot chocolate .
More Starbucks Copycat Recipes
- White Chocolate Mocha
- Chai Latte
- Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate
- Peppermint Mocha
- Iced Mocha
- Caramel Macchiato
A Note on Serving Size
This recipe makes about one cup of coffee, enough to fill an 8-ounce mug. If you’d like to fill an oversized mug, 1 1/2 or double the recipe. To double the recipe ingredients, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon ( 3g ) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ▢ 1 to 2 teaspoons ( 4-8g ) granulated sugar *
- ▢ 1 tablespoon water
- ▢ 1 heaping tablespoon salted caramel sauce* plus optional more for topping
- ▢ ½ cup hot coffee
- ▢ ½ cup milk any percentage
- ▢ 1 tablespoon heavy cream optional
- ▢ Whipped cream for topping optional
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, stir together cocoa powder and sugar. Add water and heat over medium heat until mixture is well combined and no lumps of cocoa powder remain.
- Add caramel sauce and hot coffee and stir until caramel is melted.
- Add milk and optional heavy cream and heat, stirring often until milk is steaming hot. Do not let milk come to a boil. If desired, whisk vigorously until mocha is foamy.
- Pour into an 8-ounce mug. Taste and add more sugar/caramel if needed. Top with optional whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
These incredibly good shredded beef burritos are filled with cilantro rice, (slightly) spicy beans, and fall-apart tender beef.
A couple months ago I shared my favorite freezer burritos with you, and today I have a spinoff version of that recipe, shredded beef burritos.
These burritos still use the same cilantro rice and slightly spicy bean base but are stuffed with tangy homemade barbacoa shredded beef that is so good. This recipe makes 8 burritos so it’ll feed a family or freeze the burritos and have a whole bunch of lunches and dinners ready to go.
Ingredients
- Cilantro rice: You’ll need just 4 ingredients for the rice, long-grain rice, chicken broth, cilantro, and lime juice.
- Shredded beef: This shredded beef is a smaller version of my favorite barbacoa recipe . It can be made in the slow cooker or on the stovetop.
- Spicy beans: A can of beans (pinto or black beans both work) cooked with onion, tomato paste, garlic, and a handful of spices make the perfect slightly spicy base for these burritos.
- 10-inch flour tortillas: 10-inch tortillas are the ideal size for these burritos. If you’re having trouble finding them at your local grocery store, you can buy the extra-large 12-inch tortillas and cut them down to size.
More Filling/Topping Ideas
Feel free to truly make these burritos your own and add your favorite toppings and fillings. To get you started, you might try:
- Cheese
- Fajita vegetables
- Olives
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Pico de gallo
- Enchilada sauce (for a wet burrito)
Can I freeze these burritos?
Yes! These burritos freeze fantastically. However, if adding additional fillings, be careful not to add things that don’t freeze and reheat well like sour cream, guacamole, and vegetables with high water content (like tomatoes).
To freeze: Wrap each burrito individually in plastic wrap and then store all together in a freezer bag (you should be able to fit 6 per gallon bag. Burritos are best when eaten within 1 month, but I frequently keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To reheat: Remove plastic wrap and wrap burrito in a paper towel. Microwave for 4 to 5 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Immediately remove paper towel (it will stick to the tortilla if left on too long), and enjoy.
Can I use shredded chicken or different type of meat in these burritos?
Yes! If you want to use shredded chicken , you can replace the beef with 2 cups of cooked shredded chicken. If you want to use a different type of meat, go check out my original freezer burritos post which has instructions for making these burritos with any type of meat.
What goes with shredded beef burritos?
Serve these burritos with quick vegetable sides like roasted broccoli , roasted asparagus , or corn on the cob .
You Might Also Enjoy
- Easy Salsa Chicken
- Carne Asada
- Quick Chicken Fajitas
- Carne Asada Fries
- Homemade Carnitas
Ingredients
Shredded Beef
- ▢ 1 boneless 2-3 pound chuck roast trimmed and cut into fist-size chunks
- ▢ Salt and pepper
- ▢ 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ▢ 1 medium white or yellow onion diced
- ▢ 1-6 cups beef or chicken broth
- ▢ ¼ cup lime juice
- ▢ ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ▢ 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce minced optional
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ▢ 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cloves optional
- ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
- ▢ 3 bay leaves
Cilantro Rice
- ▢ 1 cup uncooked rice
- ▢ 1 ½ to 2 cups chicken broth
- ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
- ▢ ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
Burrito Filling
- ▢ 1 15-ounce can pinto or black beans drained and rinsed
- ▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ▢ 1 large onion diced
- ▢ 3 tablespoons ( 50g ) tomato paste
- ▢ 3 garlic cloves minced or pressed
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ▢ 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder OR regular chili powder
- ▢ ⅔ cup chicken broth
- ▢ 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
- ▢ 8 10-inch flour tortillas
- ▢ 2 cups ( 8oz ) shredded cheddar, jack, or Mexican cheese blend optional
Optional Toppings
- ▢ Sour cream
- ▢ Guacamole
- ▢ Salsa
Instructions
Shredded Beef
- Generously salt and pepper meat on all sides.
- In a large dutch oven (or skillet if you’ll be using a slow cooker), heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown meat on all sides, in batches if necessary.
Beef Stovetop Instructions
- Add onion and just enough chicken or beef broth to mostly submerge the meat. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck-on bits. Stir in lime juice, apple cider vinegar, optional minced chipotle peppers, cumin, oregano, optional ground cloves, salt, and bay leaves and bring mixture to a low simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until meat is very tender and can be pulled apart with a fork.
Beef Slow Cooker Instructions
- If using a slow cooker, transfer meat and any drippings remaining in the pan to the slow cooker and add onions, 1 cup of broth and lime juice, apple cider vinegar, optional minced chipotle peppers, cumin, oregano, optional ground cloves, salt, and bay leaves. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, low for 7 to 8 hours, until the beef is tender and can be easily shredded with a fork.
Shred
- Once meat is done, use a slotted spoon to transfer the pieces to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat, discarding any large pieces of fat as you go.
- Add more salt and pepper to taste. Measure out 2 cups of the meat and set aside. If you have more than 2 cups, you can return the extra meat to its juices and keep it for other uses (or just eat it!).
Cilantro Rice
- Cook the rice according to package instructions, replacing the water with chicken broth and adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt (if package instructions already call for additional salt, do not add more than the package calls for).
- Stir in minced cilantro and set aside to cool.
Burrito Filling
- While your rice cooks, pour your drained and rinsed beans into a bowl and use a potato masher or fork to mash about half of the beans. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat and add onions. Cook for about 10 minutes, until onions are mostly softened. If they begin to brown too quickly at any point, turn the heat down.
- Add tomato paste, garlic, and spices, and cook until paste just begins to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan and spices are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add beans and chicken broth and stir until most of the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Add shredded beef to the pan and stir until well-mixed. Add lime juice and salt and stir to combine. Add more salt to taste if necessary. If making burritos to freeze, cool filling to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.
Assemble Burritos
- Gently heat tortillas in the microwave by wrapping them in a barely damp dish towel and microwaving for about 1 minute.
- Fill each tortilla with 1/2 cup of rice, 1/2 cup of beef filling, and 1/4 cup of cheese and any other fillings you want to include. Fold into a burrito.
- Add any desired toppings, serve and enjoy!
Notes
These small-batch peanut butter cookies are easy to make, super peanut buttery, and SO good.
Hey, workweek got you down? You should make yourself a cute little batch of peanut butter cookies. Your day will get 97% better immediately. I promise.
I love a good peanut butter cookie and these cookies definitely earn that label. Other words used to describe them by taste testers have been, “amazing,” “really really good,” and “my favorite peanut butter cookies ever.”
The Perfect Small-batch Peanut Butter Cookies
These cookies are super peanut buttery and the perfect (or at least my perfect) peanut butter cookie texture where they’re a little soft and crumbly, a little chewy, and with a little extra oven time, a little crunchy.
This recipe makes six cookies so there are just enough to share, but not so many that you’re in any real trouble should you choose not to. 😉
Notes Ingredients
- Baking staples: The bulk of the ingredients for these cookies is made up of baking staples, flour, baking soda, salt, butter, brown and granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Peanut butter: Smooth or chunky peanut butter will work, but stick with a processed brand like Jiff or Skippy, as these give you the most consistent results for baking.
- Egg yolk: This recipe uses only an egg yolk. For ideas on what to do with that leftover egg white, check out my post What to Do With Leftover Egg Whites (I recommend a small batch of banana muffins ).
How to Make a Small Batch of Peanut Butter Cookies
- Mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Whisk together wet ingredients in a medium bowl. You can use a handheld mixer for this part if you’d like, but all you really need is a whisk and a little elbow grease.
- Stir dry ingredients into the wet and mix.
- Scoop rounded spoonfuls of the dough and roll into balls before placing on the cookie sheet and using a fork to press a crosshatch pattern into the top of each cookie.
- Bake and let the cookies cool and set for at least 10 minutes before eating.
Peanut Butter Cookie Variations
- Chocolate chip/Peanut butter cup cookies: Add 1/3 cup of chocolate chips or chopped peanut butter cups to the dough before baking.
- Nutella-stuffed cookies: On a plate lined with parchment paper, freeze six 1-tablespoon-sized dollops of Nutella until solid, about 20 minutes. Make the cookie dough, and when forming the cookie dough balls, split them in half and place a frozen dollop of Nutella inside. Squish the top and bottom halves back together, press with a fork, and bake according to recipe instructions.
- Peanut butter cookie sundae: Top warm cookies with a scoop of ice cream, peanut butter sauce or fudge sauce (or both!!), whipped cream , and sprinkles.
Small-batch Peanut Butter Cookies Troubleshooting
These cookies are pretty simple to make, but occasionally people run into trouble. These are the two issues I’ve seen:
Warm cookies are falling apart: This is normal! The cookies need to set before you can eat them. If you try to move them right after they come out of the oven, they will crumble in your hand. Give them 10 to 15 minutes on the baking sheet and they will firm right up.
If you prefer a softer, slightly underdone cookie and don’t want them to continue to cook from the heat of the baking sheet, slide the entire sheet of parchment paper (with the cookies still on it) off the tray onto the cool counter. This might be a little challenging if you’re using a rimmed baking sheet, but I believe in you.
Dough too crumbly: This happens when there is too much flour in your dough or if you have an extra small egg yolk. Next time be sure to measure the flour by weight or using the spoon and sweep method (stir the flour in your container to fluff it up and then spoon it into your measuring cup, sweep excess off with the flat of a knife).
You can fix the dough by adding just a bit of milk or water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until the dough comes together and there is no dry flour at the bottom of your bowl.
How to store peanut butter cookies?
Store your cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to five days.
Can I freeze peanut butter cookies?
Yes! These cookies freeze really well. If you have leftovers, put them in a freezer bag and they will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Can I use natural peanut butter in these cookies?
You could probably get away with using natural peanut butter if you really want to, but these cookies have not been tested with it, so I can’t guarantee the results.
More Peanut Butter Desserts
- Peanut Butter Cookie for Two
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Small-batch Monster Cookie Bars
- Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate
More Small-batch Cookies
- Small-batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Small-batch Oatmeal Cookies
- Perfect Small-batch Sugar Cookies
- Small-batch Gingerbread Cookies
- Small-batch Shortbread Cookies
Or check out my entire Small-batch Cookie Recipe Archive .
Ingredients
- ▢ 1/2 cup ( 60g ) all-purpose flour measured by weight or using the spoon and sweep method*
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/3 cup ( 85g ) peanut butter (not natural peanut butter)
- ▢ 3 tablespoons ( 1.5oz ) unsalted butter softened
- ▢ 3 tablespoons ( 37g ) brown sugar
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 25g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 large egg yolk
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk together until smooth.
- Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Scoop rounded spoonfuls of the dough and roll into 6 balls. Place dough onto prepared cookie sheet and use a fork to firmly press a crosshatch pattern onto the tops of the cookies.
- Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, until the edges of the cookies look set, but the cookies are still pale (for a crispier cookie, bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the cookies begin to darken). Cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before moving (cookies will be quite soft until they cool).
- Enjoy!
Notes
Salted Caramel Mocha
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoon ( 3g ) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 to 2 teaspoons ( 4-8g ) granulated sugar *
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 heaping tablespoon salted caramel sauce* plus optional more for topping
- ½ cup hot coffee
- ½ cup milk any percentage
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream optional
- Whipped cream for topping optional
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, stir together cocoa powder and sugar. Add water and heat over medium heat until mixture is well combined and no lumps of cocoa powder remain.
- Add caramel sauce and hot coffee and stir until caramel is melted.
- Add milk and optional heavy cream and heat, stirring often until milk is steaming hot. Do not let milk come to a boil. If desired, whisk vigorously until mocha is foamy.
- Pour into an 8-ounce mug. Taste and add more sugar/caramel if needed. Top with optional whipped cream if desired, and enjoy!
