16 Sweet Ways To Use Chocolate In Your Morning Coffee

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Morning coffee is life, but it does get a little humdrum. Even if it is a necessity (and it is), there's no reason you can't have a little fun with it, and what's more fun than chocolate? Seriously, there are so many reasons to incorporate chocolate into your morning brew.

On one hand, while there are many ways to give your coffee a flavor boost, chocolate is definitely at the top of the list. Cocoa powder does a lot to enhance the flavor of coffee because the two have similarly rich yet distinct flavor profiles. Let's just say there's a reason that Ina Garten's frozen hot chocolate is a winner. In fact, the good old Barefoot Contessa frequently puts coffee in her chocolate baked goods as well. If you love a calorie-rich caffeinated dessert, she's your guru.

On the other hand, if you love a morning cocoa but are trying to get a little caffeine into the mix or lower the overall calorie content, coffee is an excellent addition. Bottom line? They're a match made in heaven. Better yet, making a DIY mocha isn't hard, and you sure do save a lot of money doing it. So, here are 16 ways to spice up your cuppa joe.

Everyone loves a mocha, right? However, homemade hot chocolate is often disappointing compared to the version you would get at a café, but you can update the DIY product with the rich flavor of chocolate chips. Chocolate chips melt easily and give your coffee a delightfully thick texture. They come in a range of shades, from white to darkest dark, giving you control over how much sweetness or bite they add to your drink.

There are several easy ways to do this. Simply stir chocolate chips in with your cup of coffee or espresso shots and milk. You'll need about 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips for every three espresso shots and 6 ounces of milk. Or you can chop up a chocolate bar to make 2 tablespoons and that to your espresso. Another easy recipe is 1 cup coffee to ½ cup milk to ¼ cup chocolate chips.

If you like your chocolate as basic as it comes, you can't go wrong with classic Nestle Toll House Milk Chocolate Chips. On the other hand, if you want a rich and dairy-free option, go for the Guittard 63% Extra Dark Chocolate Baking Chips, which will give you a hit of cacao without the milk.

Lovingly chopping chocolate might make for a delicious result, but sometimes you don't have the time. Cocoa powder is a quick and dirty addition that will turn your coffee from regular joe to mocha instantly. This strategy too is pretty basic, and you can take the recipe in different directions.

For instance, a cup of coffee plus a tablespoon each of cocoa powder and sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk comes together nicely. If you want a richer result, try 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 cup of coffee, ¼ milk, and a tablespoon of heavy cream. You can even blend in the flavors of a Mexican hot chocolate by stirring in a little cinnamon, vanilla, and chili powder.

Note that cocoa powder can clump if you're not careful, but as long as you stir it in slowly and heat your liquid all the way through, it makes for a decadently rich cup. Just make sure you buy high-quality cocoa powder that doesn't have any additives. The 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Cocoa Powder is both affordable and tasty, with the added bonus of being a very consistent brand that you'll always find on shelves.

Chocolate syrup is possibly the easiest of all ways to liven up your cup of coffee. It requires no heating, melting, prepping, or anything else. Simply take coffee, add syrup, and go. The recipe is easy-peasy: Fill your cup with milk and the desired amount of espresso, add a couple tablespoons of syrup to taste, and you're good. Want to make an iced mocha instead? Combine a cup each of coffee and milk with 2 tablespoons of syrup and milk. Et voilà: beverage unlocked.

If you want to nurture the child within, Hershey's Chocolate Syrup is always a classic, and Amazon Brand Happy Belly Chocolate Syrup is a more affordable option. For the most luxurious experience, though, you might want to splurge on Ghirardelli Chocolate Sauce. It comes in a handy squeeze bottle just like the other two, but is artisanally made. (This writer grew up in the Bay Area and frequented the Ghirardelli shop in her youth, where you can watch the chocolate get made in big batches ... it's the real deal.)

Mocha sauce makes instant mocha a cinch, too. If you want to save money on buying expensive mochas from the coffee shop, you can just whip up a batch yourself to keep in the fridge. There are plenty of recipe options online.

Correction: This tip is probably the easiest way to add chocolate to your morning coffee. Or your afternoon coffee. Or your decaf dessert coffee. All you have to do is sprinkle a bit of chocolate powder on top of your brew. Bonus points if you add a little whipped cream first. It's totally fine to use your fingers to sprinkle it on, or you can use a sifter for an even result. A 3-Cup Stainless Steel Flour Sifter will do nicely.

Regular cocoa powder always works, of course, but if you want it to taste sweet like the kind in the shakers at the coffee shop, instant hot chocolate is better. Try Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Flavored Hot Cocoa Mix for a sweet dusting on plain coffee, on a mocha, or over the top of whipped cream. You can also dust the chocolate powder into the bottom of the mug or on top of the espresso, then carefully pour the milk in. This will keep the cocoa powder on top as the liquid rises, giving you a pretty effect without any clumping, since the chocolate touched the hot liquid and disintegrated first.

Aside from syrup or cocoa dustings, this is one of the easiest ways to infuse your morning brew with chocolate. All you have to do is heat the milk using your method of choice: microwave, stovetop, or steamer wand. Once you're done, you just add coffee.

Recipes vary in intensity. Of course, you can always add chocolate milk and coffee in whatever ratio appeals to you. Because chocolate milk is so thick, it works well as a creamer. Or you can take a more elaborate approach. For a delicious iced mocha, pour a bit of chocolate syrup into the bottom of a glass, add cold coffee, then add chocolate milk to the top. (Again, the ratio is up to you.)

You can also take an even easier approach: Mix a teaspoon of instant coffee with a few tablespoons of chocolate milk, then stir until dissolved. Fill your cup or mug the rest of the way to the top. If you want, you can always heat up your milk on the stovetop for a hot mocha.

Strawberry is usually treated as an option instead of chocolate. However, much like vanilla (another flavor commonly viewed as a chocolate alternative), strawberry is delicious when you blend it with chocolate instead of limiting yourself to one or the other. (If they weren't, then chocolate-covered strawberries wouldn't be such a thing.)

Today, strawberry mochas have come into fashion ... and thank goodness because you genuinely can't have too many ways to enjoy a jolt of morning caffeine. You can make them with regular milk or dark chocolate or make a white chocolate strawberry mocha. It's a true pink paradise, that one.

Again, Hershey's Strawberry Flavored Syrup is always an easy way to go. It's simple, affordable, and a taste right out of childhood — but make it caffeinated. For a slightly more upscale version, and a bottle that will look lovely on exposed shelving in your kitchen, try DaVinci Gourmet Classic Strawberry Syrup. It's not much more expensive, but it has that extra element of class that really helps you feel like a grownup. (And aren't we all trying to convince ourselves that we're grownups? No? Nobody?)

Whipped cream is good. Chocolate whipped cream is better, and it's not hard to make. All you do is add cocoa powder to regular whipped cream. Even a trained pony could make it, and it's a great way to dress up a brunch drink for coffee lovers or even for kiddos who want an extra cocoa-y hot cocoa experience.

The ingredients are pretty basic: heavy cream, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Some recipes call for granulated sugar, while others call for powdered. Since almost every household has some kind of sugar on hand, you can just look up a recipe online that uses what you already have in your pantry. To keep your whipped cream extra cold, it's a good idea to put your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer 15 minutes beforehand.

This writer grew to love cacao nibs while living in Belize. The grocery store options were limited, and while chocolate was available, there was a surprising lack of options for a country that grew chocolate mere miles from the village in which she lived. However, cacao nibs were readily available, and they have a rich, roasted, chocolatey bite that carries a hint of sweetness — perfect for snacking on. If you don't have access to a Belizean purveyor, then Navitas Organics Cacao Nibs will do.

Even better, because cacao seeds are roasted to a crunchy darkness just like coffee beans, they're the perfect consistency to grind and then run through a French press. On their own, you can use 2 tablespoons ground cacao to 8 ounces of water. You can even add milk, ghee, and sweetener for buttered cacao – major yum. Or you can replace coffee grounds with ground nibs for a lovely blend.

If you don't feel like grinding up nibs yourself, you can always just purchase chocolate-flavored coffee online. Flavored coffee is a growing trend, so it's no surprise that chocolate-flavored joe is a readily available option. All you do is add it to your coffeemaker as you would with any type of ground coffee, pour in the water, and press brew. What could be easier?

Plus, there are lots of choices these days. Both Death Wish Fair Trade Chocolate Hazelnut Ground Coffee and Unique Coffee Roasters Belgian Chocolate Flavored Ground Coffee are highly reviewed options you might want to try. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, consider Door County Coffee Peanut Butter Cup Flavored Ground Coffee. Weird? Maybe. Chocolatey? Yes. Should you? Also yes.

Swiss Miss might seem like a cheap way to start your day, but it's a classic for a reason. All you have to do is pour hot coffee over your hot cocoa mix instead of boiling water, and you've got yourself a nice, rich mocha. At risk of sounding like a broken record, this is another easy way to combine chocolate and coffee. (Okay, maybe it's just easy to combine coffee and chocolate for delicious results and we should all be doing it more often?)

To make this simple mocha, just skip the milk or water and add brewed coffee to hot chocolate powder instead. If you need more exact measurements, 16 ounces of coffee to two packets of chocolate mix ought to do it. Depending on your preferences, you could add a little milk as well.

Do you need a fancy espresso machine to make a perfect latte at home? No, you do not. But can an espresso machine help you combine chocolate and coffee and take your bevvy to the next level? Why, yes it can! Espresso comes out piping hot (and anyone who's ever accidentally put their hand under it knows the truth of this). It's the perfect temperature for melting chocolate, and putting a bar right under the espresso as it comes out mixes the two into a perfectly blended mocha. If you've got an espresso machine, it's time to try it.

By the way, you can avoid extra packaging by steering clear of machines that involve plastic pods. It's not necessary to create so much waste when espresso machines basically use pod technology already. The portafilter (the basket for grounds with the handle attached) is already perfectly sized, making it easy to measure the right number of shots. If you want a pod-free approach, try the Casabrews Compact Espresso Maker with Steam Milk Frother. It has everything you need all in one go, and Mother Earth will thank you for it.

White chocolate mochas are a popular update to the classic chocolate mocha, and they're easy enough to make at home. Mix 1.5 ounces of espresso with 1¼ cups milk and 2 tablespoons white chocolate syrup, such as Torani White Chocolate Sauce. (Do note this option comes in a pack of four, so you might be better off finding it at the store.)

You can also make your own white chocolate sauce from chopped chocolate, which will likely save you some money. To do this, use whatever brand of white chocolate bar or chips that you enjoy. The Lindt Classic Recipe White Chocolate Candy Bar is always trustworthy, nice and sweet with a perfect milky finish. Indeed, it came in second in our ranking of 15 store-bought white chocolate brands, so it's a firm winner with great flavor. (Bonus: If you decide you don't like white chocolate mochas, you will not be sad to eat it plain.) If you'd like a sugar-free option, try Lily's White Chocolate Style No Sugar Added Baking Chips, which are just as good in a hot drink as they are in a macadamia nut cookie. In fact, please pair the two. Don't wait. Do it now.

Cold foam has become a fan favorite at coffee shops across the world, because it mimics the delightful top of a latte or cappuccino but doesn't give you the summer sweats. Basically, folks who like their coffee cold got tired of being left out of foam. It is, after all, the main appeal of lattes and cappuccinos — aside from the caffeine jolt, of course — so you can't blame the iced beverage drinkers for needing a different solution. And thus, cold foam was born. Turns out, you can make a chocolate version if you want.

While cold foam products exist online in pressurized cans (à la whipped cream), it's plenty easy to make cold foam on your own with far less waste. Essentially, this delicious coffee condiment uses a mixture of milk and whipping cream to create a thick, milky product that is lighter and has less structure than actual whipped cream. There are many recipes online, so find the one that matches your chocolate and ingredient needs.

Now, here's a real cheat when it comes to adding chocolate to coffee. If you only like a little hit of chocolate, then chocolate syrup over whipped cream will do the trick. Better news: Both ingredients are easy to buy and last forever in your fridge. However, if you're going to have whipped cream on your coffee regularly, it's better to avoid the aerosol can and make it yourself instead.

It's super easy to make with a handheld mixer. (You can't go wrong with the KitchenAid 5 Ultra Power Speed Hand Mixer.) Just blend up cold whipping cream with your preferred amount of sugar — unsweetened is fine since you'll be adding chocolate sauce — then top your hot or cold coffee with it. When finished, drizzle chocolate sauce over the top. If you want a bit more sweetness and richness, you can add syrup to the bottom of your mug or glass as well.

Shaved chocolate is delicious, and it looks so pretty sitting on top of coffee topped with foam or whipped cream. Making chocolate curls is a little harder than it looks, but if you use the right technique, it's relatively simple. You can make lots of shavings ahead of time, then keep them in the refrigerator and use them whenever you pour a fresh cup. By choosing different types of chocolate, you can also control the sweetness.

Jamie Oliver's method is to use the blade of a knife scraped laterally across the top of a chocolate bar. These are a little rough and ready, though. If you are trying to impress someone and want a perfect curl, you can achieve it by melting chocolate chips, spreading them on a baking sheet, freezing them for a few minutes, then using a metal scraper to gently push underneath the chocolate at a 45 degree angle. It will turn into a curl as it releases from the pan.

If you love a chocolate orange at Christmastime, then this might be your next coffee drink. With flavorful notes of citrus combined with rich milk or dark chocolate, it's the a.m. answer to dessert. You can use any kind of orange chocolate you want, chopped and mixed into hot coffee with or without milk. Terry's Milk Chocolate Orange, Terry's Dark Chocolate Orange, or Theo Organic Orange 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate Bar will all do.

The good news is, there are simpler ways to accomplish this. You can mix chocolate sauce and orange syrup into your drink, for instance. Or you can go the distance with orange zest, chopped dark chocolate, and maple syrup, accompanied by non-dairy milk to make it vegan.