Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha (Taste, Ingredients, Caffeine, Calories, Copycat Recipe & More Information)

Do you want a way to enjoy your favorite Iced White Chocolate Mocha on a budget? Try this simple recipe at home, you won’t know the difference!

On a hot afternoon when I need to cool off and an extra boost of energy, I’ve found that I can never go wrong with a nice refreshing cup of Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha. Delicious doesn’t even begin to describe this drink and the fact that I can get it all year round, are two reasons why this is my favorite safe choice at Starbucks. But in as much as I do enjoy the drink and atmosphere at Starbucks cafes, I’m not rich enough to afford a grande size of this delicious drink every single time I’m craving it (which is almost always). Which led me to think, “Why can’t I just make it at home?” And that’s how I came up with the amazing recipe I’m going to share with you in this article. But before we get to the recipe allow me to share some interesting and important facts I found out about this drink, in my search for the perfect recipe.

Brief History Of The Drink

Part of coming up with the perfect recipe to replicate a drink is understanding the drink inside out. Aside from the ingredients and flavor profiles, it is equally important to understand its origin. What inspired its creation? If I’m being honest, this is always my favorite part of the research, especially for this drink.

White chocolate mocha is a customized version of the original mocha drink. This drink has quite a history. The name mocha is believed to have come from Yemen, which is still known for its famous mocha coffee beans. The beans were named after the port from which Yemen exported their coffee beans, the Al-Makha port.

While Yemen’s mocha coffee beans were famous for their rich chocolatey taste notes, Yemen cannot be credited for creating the mocha drink. In fact, the earliest known version of this drink, Bicerin is traced back to Piedmont, Italy. The name in Italian means “small cup” and the ingredients of this drink are very similar to the modern mocha today – basically espresso, chocolate, and milk. Over the years this drink has been adopted and developed into today’s mocha and the topic of this article, the white chocolate mocha.

Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha Overview

What’s In A Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha – (Ingredients)

A fun fact about mochas, in general, is that they are like a sweeter version of lattes. The white chocolate mocha is an even sweeter version compared to the regular mocha. Like the regular Starbucks mocha, the iced white chocolate mocha contains ice, milk, and brewed espresso. But instead of the regular mocha sauce, Starbucks uses the white chocolate mocha sauce instead which is topped off with the usual whipped cream.

For those of you who may be wondering, the sauce is made up of condensed skim milk, cocoa butter, coconut oil, sugar, and a few preservatives. The whipped cream on the other hand contains cream, vanilla syrup, and some natural flavors along with some preservatives.

Of course, it goes without saying that if you are lactose intolerant or vegan, then this may not be the drink for you unless you are willing to alter the taste by swapping the milk and whipped cream with a plant-based option. Other than that, the ingredients of the drink don’t appear to have any alarming allergens, although one can never be too careful.

Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha: Sizes, Nutrition, Caffeine & Calories

What Sizes Are Available

If you are wondering what is the largest size you can get this amazing drink in, the answer is a Venti. That’s about 24 fl oz, and quite pricey if you ask me. But if you have the money, then what’s the harm in treating yourself to some goodness. No judgments here. Although, I don’t know if anyone can handle that amount of sugar. But if you are like me, living on a tight budget for most of the year, you’ll be happy to know that like other Starbucks Iced drinks, the Iced White Chocolate Mocha also comes in three sizes. The other two are the tall size, the smallest and cheapest option about 12 fl oz, and the grande size, the moderate option about 16 fl oz. I usually alternate between these two sizes depending on how good I feel and how much change I have to spare. If it’s your first time taking the drink, however, try it in the tall size first and then progress from there if you like it (no doubt you will).

Nutritional Facts

We live in an age where everyone is trying to be more health-conscious. Most of us always keep an eye on the kind of food we take in, and the nutritional benefit we get from it. That’s why I thought it would be important to discuss a bit of this drink’s nutritional facts. Please note that the facts discussed here are based on a grande size of the Starbucks Iced White chocolate mocha. The nutrients have also been calculated based on the 2,000 calories per day diet.

Now, as much as I love this drink, I’d be lying if I said the Iced White Chocolate Mocha is the healthiest drink you’ll ever have at Starbucks. In fact, it is on the opposite side of the healthy drinks spectrum. With a calorie count of 420, this drink carries enough calories for an entire breakfast or lunch meal. That’s if you are following the standard diet of 2,000 calorie intake per day. So, if you are trying to lose some weight then this is not the drink to have. This is especially true considering the number of carbs packed in this drink. For a grande size, you get 49g of total carbs, 48 of which is pure sugar, making up to 18% of what you need to have in a day. But that’s not as bad as the 14g of saturated fat you get which is 70% of what your daily intake should be and makes up most of the 20g of total fat. The 55mg of cholesterol may also be something to be concerned about if you already have high cholesterol.

So, all things considered, the Iced White Chocolate Mocha is not the healthiest option. But if you ask me, I believe it is all a matter of perspective. Taking a grande size of this drink once every month or less wouldn’t kill anyone. Plus, it makes for a great cheat day treat.

Below is a table that summarizes the facts I have just discussed:

Calorie count (out of 2,000 calories daily intake)	420
Nutrient Content (per Grande serving)	% of Daily Value
Total Fat (20g) Trans Fat (0.5g) Saturated Fat (14g)	26% 70%
Total carbohydrates (49g) Sugar (48g) Dietary Fiber	18%
Proteins (11g)	–
Cholesterol (55mg)	18%
Sodium (200mg)	9%

Caffeine Information

While the Iced White Chocolate Mocha comes with a lot of calories, one thing to love about this drink is that for a coffee-based drink, it only has 150mg of caffeine. For those of you who are caffeine sensitive, this drink is a great option. It has just the right amount of caffeine you need for that nice energy boost. What’s more, it’s less than half of what a standard adult is advised to take in a day. So, that’s a plus!

So, What Does Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha Taste Like?

If one word could describe the taste of this drink, I’d imagine it would be the word ‘sweet’. Unlike the regular mocha, you won’t get that strong hint of chocolate from this beverage. Considering it uses the white chocolate mocha, you’ll instead get a richer milky and creamier taste with subtle hints of vanilla. The espresso also doesn’t shine all the way through, because of all the sweetness, but that’s okay if you aren’t a fan of string and bold coffee. If you don’t have a sweet tooth though then maybe this sugar-loaded drink is not for you.

Ways To Customize An Iced White Chocolate Mocha At Starbucks

What I love most about Starbucks is that there are many ways to customize your drink and make them your own. Given that the white chocolate mocha is an all-year-round drink, after some time, it’s not as exciting as the favorite seasonal Starbucks drinks you anticipate for every year. So, it’s important to have the option to mix things up so you can never get tired of this drink.

The Iced White Chocolate Mocha is already a customization of the white chocolate mocha since you swap the steamed milk for whole milk and add some ice to make it cold and refreshing. But that is not to say that you cannot further customize the drink. You can always play around with the ingredients to suit your taste. For example, you can ask for extra, light, or no ice depending on how cold, you like your drinks. You can also reduce or increase the pumps of the white chocolate mocha sauce depending on how sweet you prefer it.

And if you are vegan or lactose intolerant, you can swap the milk for plant-based options. You can also get a skinny version of the drink by using non-fat milk instead. Once the holidays roll in, you’ll have access to the toasted white chocolate mocha sauce, so why not turn your Iced White Chocolate Mocha into an Iced Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, or even a Frappuccino, the list is endless.

Informative Section

Is the iced white chocolate mocha from Starbucks healthy?

Unfortunately, the iced white chocolate mocha is not the healthiest drink you can have at Starbucks. Some rank it in the top 20 of the unhealthiest Starbucks drinks, given its high calorie. But this is mostly due to the high-fat content of the milk and whipped cream, not to mention the sugar from the sauce. You can, however, make the drink healthier, by reducing the size, swapping the milk for healthier milk options, and opting out of the whipped cream, for a healthier topping. You can also ask the barista if they have an unsweetened version of the white chocolate sauce.

What kind of coffee does Starbucks use in their iced white Chocolate mocha?

Starbucks uses, espresso for their iced white chocolate mocha, which is the coffee base for most mochas and lattes. To be more specific, Starbucks is believed to use the Starbucks Espresso roast (dark roast), although this may vary at different locations.

Is white mocha and white chocolate mocha the same?

Yes, they are the same thing. White mocha is simply the shortened version of white chocolate mocha. Otherwise, the ingredients used in both drinks are the same if you were to compare.