Starbucks Mocha Sauce (Ingredients, Taste, Copycat Recipe, Calories, where to buy & More information)
If you are a fan of chocolate and coffee, you have probably ordered drinks with mocha sauce. But what is Starbucks mocha sauce? Read on to find out more!
Starbucks mocha sauce is a chocolate additive that Starbucks uses on coffee beverages. The first time I heard about iced caffe mocha was when I visited a Starbucks shop near my workplace with a colleague. She ordered the drink and could not stop talking about the delicious mocha sauce in it. When she told me to taste her drink, I enjoyed the chocolaty notes from the sauce and its smooth texture.
Brief History of the sauce
Starbucks mocha sauce has been in existence at this coffee house for decades. The company first introduced it in 1987 when it launched caffe mocha. This beverage became people’s favorite within a short time, and Starbucks started adding mocha sauce to other espresso-based beverages, such as frappuccinos. The mocha sauce at Starbucks comes as a powder, and then it is mixed with some hot water to form a thick consistency.
Is Starbucks Mocha Sauce still available at Starbucks?
Yes. Starbucks mocha sauce is still available at this coffee house. Starbucks makes this sauce in-store and does not sell it to customers. You can only get Starbucks mocha sauce if you buy a beverage that contains it. Starbucks does not sell mocha sauce since it has a short shelf life once it is made.
Where to buy Starbucks Mocha Sauce
Though you cannot buy Starbucks mocha sauce at Starbucks, you can get it at online stores such as Amazon. Click here to check it out. The Starbucks mocha sauce available through external vendors has a slightly extended shelf life since it comes with certain preservatives.
Starbucks Mocha Sauce (Ingredients, Taste, Calories, name variations)
What’s in a Starbucks Mocha Sauce – (ingredients)

Starbucks mocha sauce is made up of citric acid, potassium sorbate, natural flavor, cocoa, water, corn syrup, and invert sugar. Let’s talk about each ingredient it comes with.
- Invert sugar: This gives the mocha sauce a distinctly sweet flavor and enhances pourability.
- Corn syrup: The syrup not only enhances the flavor of Starbucks mocha sauce but also prevents the crystallization of sugar. It is also used to add volume to the sauce and soften its texture.
- Cocoa: The cocoa in Starbucks mocha sauce is processed with alkali, and it gives it a unique taste.
- Natural flavor: This balances the flavor in the mocha sauce and contributes to its rich depth
- Potassium sorbate: The ingredient increases the shelf life of Starbucks mocha sauce. This preservative prevents the growth of mold in the sauce.
- Citric acid: This thickens the mocha sauce and also keeps it fresh for longer
Starbucks Mocha Sauce: Nutrition & Calories
A pump of Starbucks mocha sauce contains 26.5 calories. It has 0.6 grams of fat, 64 grams of carbs, 4.8 grams of sugar, 0.6 grams of sodium, and 0.6 grams of protein. If, for instance, you order caffe mocha at Starbucks, which contains the mocha sauce, you will get it with two pumps of this sauce in a short cup. This means that you would be consuming 53 calories of the mocha sauce in the drink.
Starbucks adds three pumps of mocha sauce to a tall cafe mocha. This means that the total calories of the mocha sauce in such a beverage would be 79.5. We mentioned that you can buy Starbucks mocha sauce online. If, for instance, you purchase the 12 fluid-ounce bottle of Starbucks mocha sauce, you would be consuming 100 calories.
This bottle is made up of 0.5 grams of fat, 23 grams of carbs, 19 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein. You can also get a bit of iron and vitamin D from this mocha sauce. Though the sauce does not contain caffeine, you can use it on caffeinated beverages.
So, what does Starbucks Mocha Sauce taste like?
This sauce has a chocolate hint and sweet taste. When you add this sauce to a coffee beverage, you will likely enjoy the combination of hints of chocolate with the roasted taste of the coffee. Since the mocha sauce is sweet and coffee is bitter, this combination leads to a rich, full-bodied flavor.
Drinks (or foods) that use Starbucks Mocha Sauce.
Whether you buy Starbucks mocha sauce online or make it at home, you can add it to a variety of drinks. Some of the drinks that Starbucks adds mocha sauce to include the following.
- Mocha frappuccino– This beverage tastes like blended fudgesicles. The drink not only contains mocha sauce but also has whole milk, pumps of frappuccino roasts, whipped cream, and ice.
- Caffe mocha– Apart from the Starbucks mocha sauce in this beverage, it is also made up of steamed milk and espresso. It is a bitter-sweet and chocolatey beverage that you may enjoy.
- Java chip frappuccino– If you want to try out more drinks made with Starbucks mocha sauce, you can also order this one. It is made up of sauce, whole milk, frappuccino chips, frappuccino roast, whipped cream, ice, and mocha drizzle.
- Mocha cookie crumble frappuccino– Many Starbucks customers enjoy this beverage since it is a combination of coffee and chocolate chips. It is a caffeinated frappuccino with mocha sauce, whole milk, frappuccino roast, ice, mocha drizzle, cookie crumble topping, and whipped cream.
- Double chocolaty chip creme frappuccino– Starbucks also uses the rich mocha sauce on this frappuccino. It is made up of milk, ice, chocolate chips, and mocha drizzle. The baristas also add whipped cream to this beverage to make it sweeter.
- Iced caffe mocha– This is the cold version of caffe mocha that is also added mocha sauce. The iced version is sweeter since it also comes with whipped cream.
- Chocolate cookie crumble creme frappuccino– If you like the taste of Starbucks mocha sauce, you will probably enjoy this beverage. It has chocolate cookie crumble, vanilla whipped cream, milk, ice, and frappuccino chips.
Before ordering any of these beverages, take your time to go through their nutritional facts. This can help you discover the calories in each drink before consumption. The good thing about Starbucks is that it gives you the freedom to customize such beverages according to your taste. You can do this to reduce the number of calories in such drinks, especially if you are trying to cut weight.
Starbucks Mocha Sauce: Other names
Starbucks mocha sauce does not have a popular nickname, but you might hear some customers referring to it as Starbucks mocha. Though some people use the names Starbucks mocha sauce and mocha syrup interchangeably, they are not the same since the sauce has a thicker consistency.
How to make Starbucks Mocha Sauce at home – Starbucks Mocha Sauce Copycat Recipe

Starbucks Mocha Sauce Copycat Recipe
Equipment
- A teaspoon
- 1 cup
- Stove
Ingredients
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 cup corn syrup
Instructions
- Place a medium saucepan on the stove and set it on medium-high heat.
- Add ¼ water, cocoa powder, cane sugar, corn syrup, and salt to the saucepan.
- Stir the mixture for around 10 minutes until they boil.
- Once the ingredients form a thick consistency, add the remaining water.
- Continue stirring until you achieve the desired consistency.
- After this, remove the saucepan from the stove.
- Give the mocha sauce a few minutes to cool.
- You can now add 1 tsp of vanilla extract and then stir.
Notes
- Since this is a sauce and not a drink, you cannot customize it. However, you can add it to not only coffee drinks but also cakes, milkshakes, and ice creams.
- Once you prepare the mocha sauce and it is at room temperature, you should store it in a non-porous container such as a glass jar.
- Ensure that you seal it with a lid before storage to keep air out.
- The proper storage method for homemade mocha sauce is refrigeration. Doing this can extend its shelf life up to a week.
Informative Section
Does Starbucks mocha sauce have caffeine?
No. Starbucks mocha sauce does not have caffeine but is mostly used to flavor caffeinated drinks.
Is Starbucks mocha sauce dairy free?
Yes. Starbucks mocha sauce is not made up of any dairy products. It is, therefore, suitable for people on a vegan diet.
Is Starbucks mocha sauce gluten-free?
No, it is not gluten-free. This is because, on the packaging, it states ‘may contain gluten.’
How many calories are in one pump of Starbucks mocha sauce?
One pump of Starbucks mocha sauce has around 26.5 calories.
Is Starbucks mocha sauce sweet?
Yes. Starbucks mocha sauce is sweet due to the inclusion of ingredients like invert sugar and cocoa.
Is Starbucks mocha sauce vegan?
Yes. Starbucks mocha sauce is vegan since it does not contain any dairy products.