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Salted Caramel Mocha (Made at Home for a Fraction of the Price)

The BYOB Team5 min1 drink (from a batch of Mocha Sauce and a batch of Caramel Syrup, each making about 12 servings)$0.92/drink216 cal/drink

Uses Mocha Sauce (Standard) — make a batch ahead of time; it keeps in the fridge for a week or two, so you won't need to make it again for every drink.

Ingredients & steps

Standard

Written hot. Switch to see the iced version's ingredients and steps.

Ingredients

  • 2oz espresso (or 1/3 cup strong coffee/moka pot equivalent)
  • 8oz milk, steamed or frothed
  • 1 tbsp Mocha Sauce (make a batch ahead of time -- it keeps about 2 weeks in the fridge)
  • 1 tbsp Caramel Syrup (make a batch ahead of time -- it also keeps about 2 weeks in the fridge)
  • 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), for finishing
  • Optional: whipped cream and a caramel drizzle for topping

Steps

  1. 1.Make a batch each of Mocha Sauce and Caramel Syrup ahead of time if you haven't already -- both keep about 2 weeks in the fridge, so this is a once-every-couple-weeks step, not a per-drink one.
  2. 2.Pull a double shot of espresso (or brew strong coffee) directly into your serving cup.
  3. 3.Stir in 1 tbsp of the mocha sauce and 1 tbsp of the caramel syrup while the espresso is still hot, until both are fully combined -- same 2 tbsp total flavoring as any other latte on the site, just split between the two.
  4. 4.Steam or froth 8oz of milk to about 150°F and pour over the espresso mixture.
  5. 5.Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt sprinkled directly on top of the foam -- this is what makes it "salted," a finishing touch rather than salt dissolved through the whole drink. Add whipped cream and a caramel drizzle if using, then a second small pinch of salt on top of that.

Swap the milk

This recipe is written with Kirkland Signature Organic A2 Whole Milk (8oz). Pick a different milk to see the cost and calories update below.

Milk: Kirkland Signature Organic A2 Whole Milk

Cost per drink

$0.92

Calories per drink

216

Not medical or nutrition advice. Calorie figures on this page are estimates based on typical ingredient values, not a lab analysis of your exact batch — they'll shift with the brand of milk, syrup, or protein powder you actually use. "Clean-ingredient" and "sugar-free" describe what's in the recipe, not a health claim. If you're managing diabetes, a caffeine sensitivity, pregnancy, or another condition, check with a doctor or dietitian before making a recipe part of your routine. Read the full disclaimer.

A salted caramel mocha pairs our Mocha with our Salted Caramel Latte — real chocolate and real browned-sugar caramel, finished with flaky salt on top instead of stirred through. No third jar to build: just 1 tablespoon each of two bases you may already keep on hand, plus a pinch of finishing salt.

Make Both Bases First (Just Once)

This recipe assumes you already have a jar each of Mocha Sauce and Caramel Syrup in the fridge — both quick batches (15 and 20 minutes respectively) that each make about 12 drinks’ worth and keep about 2 weeks. If you’re building your first jar of either, go make that one first, then come back here.

Building the Drink

  1. Pull a double shot of espresso (about 2oz) directly into your cup, or brew a strong coffee/moka pot equivalent.
  2. Stir in 1 tbsp of the mocha sauce and 1 tbsp of the caramel syrup while the espresso is still hot — same 2 tbsp of total flavoring as any single-flavor latte on this site, just split between the two jars instead of doubled up on one.
  3. Steam or froth 8oz of milk to about 150°F (see How to Make a Latte at Home for the full technique) and pour it over the espresso mixture.
  4. Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt sprinkled right on top of the foam — real flaky salt, not stirred in, is what gives you distinct bursts of salt against the sweet chocolate and caramel instead of a uniformly saltier drink (see our Salted Caramel Latte for the full technique note). Add whipped cream and a caramel drizzle if you want the full café look, then a second small pinch of salt on top of that.
Café Salted Caramel Mocha vs. Home Salted Caramel Mocha
Café grande salted caramel mocha (specialty-menu pricing, tax included)$6.35
Home salted caramel mocha (espresso, milk, both bases, salt)~$0.92
Savings per drink$5.43

Both bases together cost about $1.85 total to make (~$1.30 for the Mocha Sauce batch, ~$0.55 for the Caramel Syrup batch), and each batch covers about 12 drinks on its own — since this recipe only uses 1 tbsp of each per drink, a single pair of batches stretches to around 12 salted caramel mochas. The flaky salt finish adds essentially nothing to the cost: a 1/4 tsp pinch out of an $6-8 box of Maldon-style flaky salt is a fraction of a cent, rounded up here to about 2 cents to keep the math honest.

Assumptions: grande-size drink, national-average specialty-menu pricing for a two-flavor combo drink, dairy milk, $16/lb specialty beans or equivalent grocery beans, a standard flaky sea salt brand (Maldon or store equivalent). No seasonal ceiling on this one — if it’s your regular order, the savings compound year-round. At 5 salted caramel mochas a week over the site’s standard 48-week year, that’s roughly $1,303/year back in your pocket versus the café version.

Swaps & Notes

  • No espresso machine? A moka pot or strong AeroPress shot works fine.
  • Don’t have flaky sea salt? A very small pinch of fine sea salt works, but flaky salt (Maldon is the common brand) gives you visible, crunchy crystals instead of dissolving instantly — that’s most of the point of this version.
  • Want it more chocolate-forward or more caramel-forward? Shift the ratio — 1.5 tbsp mocha sauce + 0.5 tbsp caramel syrup leans chocolate, or the reverse leans caramel. The cost and calorie math above assumes an even 1:1 split.
  • Only have one of the two bases made? This drink genuinely needs both — if you’re out of one, make the plain Mocha or Salted Caramel Latte instead rather than doubling up on whichever jar you have.
  • Watching sugar? Both bases here are the classic-flavor Standard versions. Swap in the Sugar-Free Mocha Sauce and Sugar-Free Caramel Syrup (same 1 tbsp each method) for a lower-sugar build — the flaky salt finish works the same either way.
  • Iced version: use the Hot/Iced toggle above the ingredients to switch — less milk (about 4oz cold over ice instead of 8oz steamed), and the salt still goes on as a finishing touch on top, not stirred in.

Recipe Card Summary

Salted Caramel Mocha

  • 2oz espresso + 8oz steamed milk + 1 tbsp Mocha Sauce + 1 tbsp Caramel Syrup (both made ahead) + a finishing pinch of flaky sea salt
  • Prep time: 5 minutes (after both bases are made) · Total: 5 minutes
  • Cost: ~$0.92/drink vs. $6.35 café equivalent

FAQ

Do I need to make a whole new syrup for this?

No — it’s built from 1 tbsp each of the Mocha Sauce and Caramel Syrup you’d already make for our plain Mocha and Caramel/Salted Caramel Latte recipes, plus a pinch of flaky salt on top.

Does the sea salt add calories?

No — salt has no calories, so the finishing pinch doesn’t change the 216-calorie total from the mocha sauce and caramel syrup portions. It only changes flavor, and adds about 2 cents to the cost.

Why 1 tbsp of each instead of 2 tbsp of one plus a splash of the other?

Keeping it to 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp holds the total flavoring at 2 tablespoons, the same ratio every other latte on this site uses against 2oz espresso and 8oz milk — so the drink doesn’t end up oversweet from stacking two full servings.

Can I make this without an espresso machine?

Yes — a moka pot, AeroPress, or even strong drip coffee works. See How to Make a Latte at Home for the no-machine method.

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