Iced Latte vs. Iced Mocha; 5-Minute Read
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you click through and make a purchase. Thanks in advance – I really appreciate it!
I was well aware of the differences between a regular latte and a mocha, but I always used to wonder how the iced versions of both drinks are different from each other in terms of preparation, taste, and strength.
So I decided to do some thorough research and found out that although both look like smooth, tasty, and refreshing drinks, they have some major differences.
So what’s the difference between an iced latte and an iced mocha?
Iced Latte vs Iced Mocha
An iced latte is made with ¼ espresso and ¾ cold milk. Espresso is poured into a glass filled with ice and cold milk is added to it. An iced mocha is made by mixing equal parts of brewed cold coffee and cold milk with some chocolate syrup. It is then poured over ice and topped with whipped cream.
Key Takeaways:
- An iced latte is an espresso-based cold coffee that consists of 25% espresso and 75% milk of your choice.
- An iced mocha is a cold coffee beverage that is made by mixing together equal parts of strong brewed filter coffee and cold milk along with some chocolate syrup.
- The amount of caffeine in an iced latte will depend on the number of espresso shots used.
- Iced latte has a mild taste of coffee and a frothy creamy texture. Iced mocha on the other hand tastes much sweeter.
In this article, I’ll give you the rundown on these two cold coffee drinks by comparing them in terms of their ingredients, how they are prepared, taste, caffeine content, and strength.
I sincerely hope that you read this article till the end as it will help you understand the difference between an iced latte and an iced mocha so that you can choose the one that best suits your taste buds.
Iced Latte vs. Iced Mocha: What’s the Difference?
Here’s a table that shows the differences between an iced latte and an iced mocha. Each of these differences are explained in a lot more detail in the following sections of this article.
| Iced Latte | Iced Mocha | |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | Espresso, chilled milk & ice. | Brewed coffee, chilled milk, chocolate syrup. (Optional: Whipped cream) |
| Taste | Mild taste of coffee and a frothy creamy texture. | Much sweeter because of the chocolate syrup. |
| Caffeine | 136mg from 2 shots of espresso. | 96mg of caffeine from 1 cup of coffee. |
| Calories | Moderately high in calories because of the milk. | Very high in calories because of the milk, chocolate syrup, and other additives. |
| Which is stronger? | Although it has a mild coffee flavor, yet it tastes stronger than an iced mocha. | Mild, mellow, and much sweeter coffee taste. |
One major difference between the two beverages is the ingredients that are used in their preparation.
To understand what ingredients are used to make these delicious coffee drinks, let’s discuss how they are prepared.
What is an Iced Latte?
An iced latte is an espresso-based cold coffee that consists of 25% espresso and 75% milk of your choice. The freshly brewed espresso is poured directly into a tall glass filled with ice and then cold milk is poured over it. The beverage is given a good stir before being enjoyed. Adding sweetener is optional.
1 Important Tip On Adding Sweeteners To Cold Coffee
The ways you can sweeten an iced latte are almost endless with 1 caveat. I don’t sweeten any of my cold coffee drinks with granulated sugar because it doesn’t dissolve properly. Liquid sweeteners, however, mix easily with the cold milk and espresso and dissolve seamlessly.
How To Make an Iced Latte
This Iced Latte recipe will turn your favorite morning beverage into a refreshing drink that you can enjoy at any time of the day. All you need is some ice, a splash of milk, and espresso from a machine, Nespresso, or a stovetop brewer.
What you’ll need:
- Espresso
- Cold milk
- Ice
- Sweetener if desired
Recipe to make iced latte:
Step 1: Brew a shot of espresso.
Step 2: Fill a tall glass with ice, and pour in the freshly brewed espresso.
Step 3: Pour the milk and optional sweetener into a mason jar until it’s ¾ full.
Step 4: Seal the jar tightly, and shake vigorously.
Step 5: Pour the milk and foam into the glass with the ice and espresso.
Voila! Your delicious iced latte is ready to be enjoyed!
You may have noticed by now that you will need to make espresso before you can make an iced latte.
Let’s discuss the best ways you can make espresso at home in the next section.
How To Make Espresso
What makes an iced latte an iced latte? The espresso! Strong coffee will not do here. You may need the following items to make a shot of espresso:
I generally make my espresso in Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine, it’s pricey but it makes the best espresso.
Or you can use a small manual espresso maker: it’s cheaper and portable!
The cheapest option is an Aeropress Coffee Maker: it doesn’t make nearly as good of espresso, but it does the job.
Here’s a video to help you make a creamy iced latte.
What is an Iced Mocha?
An iced mocha is a cold coffee beverage that is made by mixing together equal parts of strong brewed filter coffee and cold milk along with some chocolate syrup. This mixture is then poured into a glass filled with ice. Toppings such as whipped cream, cocoa powder, etc can also be added.
Iced mochas are incredibly simple to make at home. You just need milk, chocolate syrup, sweetener, cold coffee, and a little optional whipping cream for added richness.
If you have cold coffee on hand, it will take you about five minutes to throw everything together, pour over ice, and satisfy those caffeine and chocolate cravings.
How to Make an Iced Mocha
This 5-ingredient Iced Mocha is the perfect way to jump-start your day. An easy homemade mocha recipe that’s guaranteed to lift your spirits!
What you’ll need:
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup strong brewed cold coffee
- 2 tablespoons (more or less to taste) of chocolate syrup
- Mason jar with lid full of ice
- Whipped cream (optional)
Recipe to make iced mocha:
Step 1: Put 2 tablespoons of chocolate sauce into an empty mason jar.
Step 2: Pour coffee and cold milk into the mason jar and close the lid.
Step 3: Give the jar a good shake so that the chocolate syrup dissolves completely.
Step 4: Add ice and shake the jar once more.
Step 5: Top with whipped cream, fudge sauce, or chocolate shavings, or cocoa powder and enjoy!
Here’s a video with easy-to-follow steps to make a delicious iced mocha.
Iced Latte vs. Iced Mocha: Caffeine
The amount of caffeine in an iced latte will depend on the number of espresso shots used. Each shot of espresso has about 68mg of caffeine and one cup (8oz. or 236ml) of brewed filter coffee used to make an iced mocha has about 96mg of caffeine. The amount of caffeine in brewed coffee also depends on the brewing method used.
Depending on the number of espresso shots used to make an iced latte or the amount of brewed filter coffee (also considering the brewing method used to make that coffee) used to make the iced mocha, either of the beverages can have a higher amount of caffeine.
All you have to do is just remember the following equation.
1 shot of espresso = 68mg caffeine.
½ cup of filter coffee (125ml) = 96mg caffeine.
If you want to lower your caffeine intake, your best pick will be making or ordering an iced latte over an iced mocha, as it has much less caffeine per serving.
You could even use a single shot of espresso instead of a double if you want to lower your intake even further.
Iced Latte vs. Iced Mocha: Taste
Iced latte is made with espresso and a good amount of milk so it has a mild taste of coffee and a frothy creamy texture. Iced mocha on the other hand tastes much sweeter because of the added chocolate syrup and whipped cream.
Since the iced latte has espresso as its base, it has a mild well-balanced coffee taste. Espresso coffee has much more flavor than regular coffee and works great to give your iced latte a flavorful coffee taste.
The mild coffee flavor of an iced latte is expected when you consider the amount of milk and ice added.
An iced latte is great for you if you love a perfectly balanced not-so-strong coffee that is very refreshing.
If you prefer a sweeter iced coffee and love the notes of chocolate in your coffee, an iced mocha is best for you.
Iced Latte vs. Iced Mocha: Which one is stronger?
An iced latte tastes stronger than an iced mocha. An iced latte is made only with espresso and cold milk whereas an iced mocha has filter coffee, cold milk, and chocolate syrup which give it a bittersweet mild coffee taste.
An iced latte has espresso in the drink, this is why there will be a robust flavor to it. Even though the espresso in an iced latte is diluted with a lot of milk, it will still taste stronger than an iced mocha.
This is also because an iced mocha typically has a very mild coffee flavor and it mostly tastes sweet because of the chocolate syrup and other toppings added to it.
Iced Latte vs. Iced Mocha: Calories
As a rule of thumb, even though an iced latte has a large amount of milk, it will still be lower in calories as compared to an iced mocha. An iced mocha gets most of its calories from the added milk, chocolate syrup, and various toppings.
The caloric value in both coffees depends on what you chose to add to your coffee, like flavoring syrups, the milk type, whether it’s full fat or skim milk and other additives.
Iced Latte vs. Iced Mocha: Which one is healthier?
Iced latte is healthier than iced mocha only because iced mocha has added sweetness and calories from the chocolate syrup and toppings. An iced latte is made only with espresso and cold milk, neither of which can be considered unhealthy if consumed in moderate quantities.
An iced mocha is actually one of the most unhealthy coffee beverages out there. The biggest number of calories in these drinks is from the milk that is used.
Even if you make both these beverages side-by-side using a lower-fat or even a milk alternative, you may significantly lower the number of calories, but an iced mocha cannot be made with added chocolate syrup which will eventually add to the calorie count.
Most of the calories coming from chocolate syrup are “empty calories”, meaning although they make your beverage sweet, they fail to add any nutritional value to it.
This is why an iced mocha is quite unhealthy as compared to any other coffee beverage.
Conclusion
Choosing your favorite out of an iced latte and an iced mocha can be quite hard. I suggest trying out both coffees and tasting them next to each other to notice the biggest flavor differences yourself.
The main difference between iced latte vs iced mocha is the addition of chocolate syrup and whipped cream. You can’t make iced mocha without chocolate syrup which affects the taste and caloric value.
The consistency of an iced latte is creamier, and the taste of coffee is very light. On the other hand, an iced mocha has a bittersweet mild hint of coffee.
Amit Gupta
Hi, my name is Amit Gupta, and I am the owner and contributor at Cafeish. My obsession with coffee started when I received my first French press as a gift almost ten years ago. Since then, my love of coffee – and the number of coffee gadgets I own – has grown considerably.
Most Popular
ABOUT US
We are a team of coffee affcianados with experience and expertise in making world renowned coffee. In fact, preparing the best coffee ever with a fluffy top reminds us of magic, with secrets of how to achieve each particular effect. Making coffee is not our only hobby, we always keep our ears open as to what’s happening around and what scientists and manufacturers produce for consumers. It’s not an easy task to do – it’s rather time consuming. Hence, Caféish website was launched.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
Caféish is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Caféish also participates in affiliate programs with Clickbank and other sites. Caféish is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.
