Banana Mocha Latte

A few years ago, banana drinks hit the menu boards in many coffee shops, including Coffee Bean and Starbucks. At the time, I thought that putting banana into a coffee drink was a strange concept. Starbucks primarily limited the fruit to blended, milkshake like drinks and the banana suited them. Coffee Bean, for instance, used a banana puree syrup to add to hot coffee drinks, along with caramel and chocolate. The combination may have seemed strange, but it tasted great. The banana flavor really suited the coffee in a way I didn’t expect it to, and the drinks were a hit with me.

I didn’t try to make this combination at home until recently. Banana puree, again, isn’t the first thing that you think about adding to your coffee! But when the banana was pureed to be very smooth (not just mashed lightly with a fork) it brought a lot of sweetness and a richer flavor to my mocha. It also reminded me of the chocolate banana milkshakes my dad used to make for me during the summertime – although this hot version has a nice caffeine kick and can be enjoyed even in cold weather. It’s kind of a fun drink and one that I’ll be making again. Be sure to get that banana pureed as smoothly as possible for the best consistency in the finished drink!

Banana Mocha Latte
2-oz hot espresso
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1-2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp banana puree
8-oz steamed milk

In a large mug, whisk together espresso, cocoa powder, sugar and banana puree until all of the sugar has dissolved. Top with steamed milk.
Enjoy!

Serves 1.

*Note: you can do this with half coffee and half milk if you don’t want to use espresso or don’t have steamed milk.

Banana Mocha