Why You Should Be Mixing Cocoa Powder Into Your Coffee Grounds

If you're a coffee fiend, you know the price of a cup of java can add up. So if you're looking to cut back on your spending, try making coffee at home more often with your own milk and syrups. You can create the same flavored lattes and decadent drinks that coffeeshops have on their menus, sans the cost.

Need some inspiration? For chocolate lovers, perfecting the homemade mocha is essential. When it's chilly outside, you can try this copycat recipe for Starbucks' Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, or for warm summer days, this McDonald's Mocha Frappe copycat recipe will give you an icy caffeine kick. But chocolate sauce or syrup isn't the only way to get some rich flavor into your joe.

Many coffees with chocolate can be quite sweet, but you can get the same richness in your drink without using syrup. While you might use unsweetened cocoa powder more often for baking, there's also a place for it in your coffee. To switch up your morning coffee, add some cocoa powder into your coffee grounds before you brew.

Cocoa powder doesn't dissolve in water easily, so the best way to add this ingredient to your morning brew is by adding the powder directly to your coffee grounds. For a full pot of coffee, you can add one to one-and-a-half tablespoons of cocoa powder, but adjust this based on your taste preferences and how much coffee you're making.

If you're just making one cup of coffee or using an espresso pod, you might be tempted to just stir the cocoa powder in the drink. But since it won't dissolve in liquids well, there's one step you can take if you need to put the cocoa powder directly in your coffee. If your water is hot enough, you can also pour a bit of water into a mug and mix in some cocoa powder to form a paste, before adding in your coffee. Creating this paste will help incorporate the cocoa powder into your drink more efficiently.

No cocoa powder on hand? If you still want a rich and chocolatey coffee, try melting a chocolate bar into your espresso.