Anyone else have an awkwardly long list of modifications when ordering drinks from coffee shops? Welcome to the club. Sometimes we spare ourselves the embarrassment and make them at home.
Inspired by the dangerously delicious Mayan Mocha from Picnik, this creamy, dreamy drink is a little sweet, spicy, and chocolaty. It’s also dairy-free and can be made with dandelion root for a low-caffeine, coffee-free option. Let us show you how it’s done!
This Mayan mocha gets its name from a traditional drink enjoyed by Mayans thousands of years ago. The chocolaty drink was made with crushed cocoa beans, chili peppers, and water and got its frothy foam by being rapidly poured between two cups immediately before serving. Talk about hard work!
Our very different, inspired-by version is similarly chocolaty, spicy, and frothy and heads into mocha territory with the addition of coffee (or dandelion root)!
After brewing coffee or dandelion root tea, you can either make the drink in a saucepan or use a milk frother. If you love the frothiness of coffee shop drinks but want to make your drinks at home, a milk frother is a game-changer!
Next, we add dairy-free milk, using a little coconut milk to create a super creamy result without any coconut flavor. The remaining ingredients are cocoa powder for richness, maple syrup (or another sweetener), and cinnamon + cayenne. For a protein boost, you can also add collagen or vegan collagen.
We hope you LOVE this Mayan mocha. It’s:
Rich
Creamy
Frothy
Warming
Subtly spicy
Lightly sweetened
& SO delicious!
It’s a lovely, cozy drink for chilly weather and has become one of our go-to morning beverages (in the rotation with matcha and chai!).
More Cozy Drinks
- 5-Minute Vegan Golden Milk
- Vegan Mayan Drinking Chocolate
- Golden Matcha Latte (2 Ways!)
- Cinnamon Vanilla Dandelion Tea Latte
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Creamy Mayan Mocha (Caffeine-Free Option!)
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup strong brewed coffee or Teeccino*
- 1/2 cup plain unsweetened almond milk (or oat or cashew milk)
- 2 ½ Tbsp canned full-fat coconut milk (adds creaminess // or other rich, thick milk of choice)
- 1 tsp cocoa powder*
- 1 ½ – 2 tsp maple syrup (plus more to taste // or other sweetener of choice — we like maple syrup + a little stevia // honey, agave, or coconut sugar may struggle to blend in some milk frothers)
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tiny pinch cayenne pepper* (plus more to taste)
- 1-2 scoops collagen or vegan collagen (optional)
FOR SERVING optional
- Coconut whipped cream
- Shaved dark chocolate
- Cinnamon
Instructions
- COFFEE: Brew 1 ½ – 2 tsp instant coffee in 2/3 cup boiling water and stir to combine (or make strong coffee using your preferred method — you want 2/3 cup total liquid).
- TEECCINO (for a caffeine-free coffee alternative): Brew 1 tea bag of Teeccino Dandelion Dark Roast in 2/3 cup boiling water for at least 10 minutes (longer for a richer flavor), shaking the tea bag a few times to infuse more flavor.
- Add brewed coffee or tea to a milk frother (or saucepan) — we recommend this frother for a super frothy, coffee shop-style drink.
- Add the remaining ingredients (almond milk, coconut milk, cocoa powder, sweetener, cinnamon, cayenne, and optional collagen). Turn the milk frother on to its warmest setting and let it do its thing! Or, if using a saucepan, whisk to combine, then heat over low-medium heat until warm (it won’t be frothy).
- Enjoy warm topped with coconut whipped cream, shaved dark chocolate, and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon (all optional). Best when fresh.
Notes
*Cocoa powder does contain a small amount of caffeine. For a fully caffeine-free option, you could try roasted carob powder, but we haven’t tested it in this recipe. Let us know if you try it!
*Cayenne can vary in heat level depending on brand, freshness, etc. Start with a tiny pinch and add more to taste (up to ~1/8 tsp).
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the lesser amount of maple syrup and without optional ingredients.
Carol says
So Delicious and Satisfying!!! I used a tablespoon of Kaffree Roma Roasted Grain Beverage, All Natural Carob Powder and included one scoop of Collagen Powder. I Love This!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Carol. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modification! xo
Jen says
This is delicious… I don’t have a frother but didn’t matter. Its my new favorite drink!
Hi Jen! We’re so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the lovely review. Next time would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and our readers! Thank you so much again!
Rebecca says
I made this with decaf espresso. I have an espresso machine so I frothed the milk with the coconut and it worked great. Because I did not put my coconut milk in the refrigerator the night before, I guess I will have to make this delicious drink again tor try the coconut whipped cream. The dark coconut shaving is the best. This is a very rich and creamy drink for a cold afternoon, a book and a blanket.
We’re so glad you enjoyed, Rebecca! Thanks so much for the lovely review. Next time would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful to us and our readers! Thank you again. xo
Li says
I made this using an espresso shot and half soy milk half oat milk. I reduced the maple syrup to 1 teaspoon (just because I have very low tolerance for sweetness in coffee). I upped the amount of cayenne pepper (because I love spicy) and added a bit of ground ginger as well. I love the idea of vegan collagen here (making the drink a bit frothier). This was a hit! And also simple enough to make so I can justify having more mocha now! Thank you for the recipe! Oh, shaved chocolate on top is non-negotiable!
Yay! We’re so glad you had fun with the recipe, Li! Thank you for sharing! xo
Joy says
Yum! I made this using 2/3 cup strongly brewed coffee and oat milk as this is what I had on hand. I doubled the amount of cocoa, and because of this I added amother tsp of maple syrup and spiced. I have a milk frother so it was fun to pretend to be a barista this morning. Thanks for a cozy, chocolatey treat to start the day!
Love that, Joy! We’re so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing! xo
Kathy Jackson says
The Amazon link provided for Teeccino Dandelion Dark Roast takes you to a picture of the Dark Roast, but the description says Mocha Mint. It appears that Amazon mixed things up. I just want to make sure I order the correct thing. Do we want Dark Roast or Mocha Mint for the recipe? Thank you!!
Sorry for the confusion and thank you for letting us know, Kathy! We’ll see if we can get that adjusted. We used the Teeccino Dandelion Dark Roast for this recipe. The Mocha Mint could possibly be a tasty twist, but we haven’t tried it!