Low-Carb Peppermint Mocha or Caramel Mocha Latté Recipe
If you like chocolate-y goodness in a coffee cup, these recipes are for you! I have two easy low-carb mocha latte recipes to share – a low-carb Peppermint Mocha and low-carb Caramel Mocha. Both are sugar-free and dairy-free, and both are my favorites. Don't ask me to pick which one is better, because I can't.
My husband used to buy these giant coffees at Starbucks, and occasionally I'd ask him to get one for me, too. I knew they were pretty unhealthy and way too sugary, but I figured it was OK because they were a special occasion treat.
Then, my husband calculated the cost of buying Starbucks each month and decided it would save money if he bought an espresso machine and made his own coffee at home. Once I tasted the good stuff, I couldn't believe I'd ever thought I liked Starbucks. Although I did figure out a way to low-carb Starbucks when I'm out and about, and I still do that in a pinch. Long story short, I became totally hooked on coffee and I have at least two cups every day. The end.
Just kidding, that's not really the end, because I have recipes to share! I've calculated that my homemade latté recipe costs about $.85 cents each to make, even when I make a big cup. This price includes the espresso pod, and if I can buy ingredients in bulk I can get the cost down to about $.79 cents each. Not bad compared to the prices at Starbucks, and I'm especially thankful for these lower-cost recipes because they taste so much better, in my opinion!
This Nespresso Inissia is the espresso machine we bought – I think it's pretty competitively priced, it has worked amazingly well even after a looong time of daily use, and, like I said, it makes delicious espresso. It came with an Aeroccino milk steamer/frother and that is definitely needed to make a great latté. I was surprised to see that BOTH the espresso machine and the Aeroccino together cost about $129 on Amazon, but the Aeroccino costs $67 on it's own! I think the two products bundled together is the most cost-effective way to get an espresso machine.
Quick note: I tested these recipes with every flavor in the Nespresso sample pack, and Cosi is by far my favorite for this latte.
- 1 large cup brewed espresso (I make the Lungo size on my Nespresso Inissia, which is 3.72 oz)
- 5 oz unsweetened vanilla almond, coconut, or cashew milk (can increase to 8 oz if you prefer, just add a tiny pinch of pure stevia extract)
- 1 teaspoon MCT oil (optional)
- ½ tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1¼ teaspoons THM Super Sweet (can add more or less sweetener to taste, if desired)
- peppermint extract (for Peppermint Mocha)
- caramel extract (for Caramel Mocha)
- In a milk frother, add cocoa powder, MCT oil, and almond, coconut or cashew milk
- Add extract of choice
- If you're making a Peppermint Mocha, add an extra ¼ teaspoon of cocoa powder
- Steam/froth milk until machine says it's completed. I don't like a lot of foam unless I'm making a cappuccino, so I usually stop the machine before it's done if the milk is looking too foamy
- Pour frothed milk mixture into hot coffee, stir, add extra sweetener if desired, and serve!
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2016
I literally just made my own caramel Maki Otto yesterday.
1 cup of strong espresso coffee
1 tablespoon half-and-half
1 teaspoon sugar substitute
1 tablespoon sugar-free caramel( recipe from the blog “all day I dream about food”)
Thanks for sharing, Kelly, I’m going to try it! That’s my favorite low-carb caramel recipe, so I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I already have some in my fridge.