Dark Chocolate Orange Mocktini
National Chocolate Day is Wednesday, October 28, and I’m giving it a head start. Giving up drinking never meant giving up a fancy glass at the end of the night, and this one feels like a little celebration.
Heads up: this post has a few Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. It keeps the ice cubes coming.
This Dark Chocolate Orange Mocktini is rich cocoa and fresh orange, shaken until silky and cold, then poured into a martini glass with a chocolate-crumb rim and an orange twist. It tastes like dessert, it takes about 10 minutes, and there’s no alcohol in it at all.
Why you’ll love it
- Real dark chocolate flavor: unsweetened cocoa in the drink and grated dark chocolate on the rim.
- Bright, fresh orange: zest steeped in the warm cocoa syrup, plus a splash of fresh juice.
- Silky, not heavy: half-and-half shaken hard with ice gives it that foamy martini top.
- Easy swaps: make it dairy-free with a barista-style oat milk and dairy-free dark chocolate.
Tips for the best mocktini
- Use Dutch-process cocoa if you have it. It’s darker and mellower than natural cocoa.
- Whisk the cocoa syrup until there are no lumps at all. Lumps don’t shake out.
- Let the zest sit in the warm syrup for a few minutes. That’s where most of the orange flavor comes from.
- Keep everything cold and serve it right away. Half-and-half or cream holds up to the orange juice better than skim milk.
- No shaker? A jar with a tight lid works fine.
- Hosting? Make a batch of the cocoa syrup with the zest and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days, then shake drinks to order.
Love coffee? Try its sibling
If you’re a coffee person, my Coffee Mocktini is this drink’s espresso-loving sibling.
Want a mocha-orange version? Add 1 oz of cooled espresso to the shaker. Decaf works great if you’re making it after dinner.
Allergy and caffeine notes
- Dairy: this recipe contains milk (half-and-half). See the dairy-free swap in the recipe notes.
- Chocolate labels: dark chocolate often contains milk and soy (lecithin), and it may be made on shared equipment with nuts, peanuts or gluten. Check the label, especially if you’re serving guests.
- Oat milk: choose one labeled gluten-free if gluten is a concern.
- Caffeine: cocoa and dark chocolate have a little caffeine, less than a cup of coffee, but worth knowing if you’re sensitive or serving kids.
- Alcohol-free check: I skip orange and vanilla extract here because most extracts and bitters are made with alcohol. Fresh zest gives you the orange without it.
Tools to use: Dutch-process cocoa and a set of coupe glasses, both on Amazon. The coupe does at least half the work here. Any brand works.
Dark Chocolate Orange Mocktini
A rich, silky chocolate mocktail with cocoa, fresh orange zest and juice, shaken with half-and-half and served in a martini glass with a dark chocolate rim and an orange twist.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder Dutch-process gives the darkest, smoothest flavor
- 1 tbsp sugar or maple syrup; add a little more if you like it sweeter
- 2 tbsp hot water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp orange zest finely grated, from the orange you juice
- 3 oz half-and-half or 2 oz whole milk plus 1 oz heavy cream; use a barista-style oat milk for dairy-free
- 1 oz fresh orange juice about 2 tbsp, from about half an orange
- 1 square dark chocolate about 10 g, finely grated, for the rim; check the label for milk, soy and nuts
- 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder for the rim
- 1 cup ice for shaking
- 1 strip orange peel for the twist; a vegetable peeler makes this easy
Instructions
- Make the cocoa syrup: in a mug, whisk the cocoa powder, sugar and salt with the hot water until completely smooth. Stir in the orange zest and let it sit for 3 minutes to cool and soak up the orange.
- Rim the glass: mix the grated dark chocolate and 1/2 tsp cocoa on a small plate. Dab a little of the cocoa syrup around the rim of a martini glass with your fingertip, then dip the rim into the chocolate crumbs. Pop the glass in the freezer while you shake.
- Fill a cocktail shaker (or a jar with a tight lid) with ice. Add the cocoa syrup, half-and-half and orange juice.
- Shake hard for about 15 seconds, until the shaker feels frosty and the drink is foamy.
- Strain through a fine strainer into the rimmed glass to catch the zest. Twist the orange peel over the drink to release its oils, perch it on the rim, and serve right away.
Notes
How to order it at a bar or cafe: At a cocktail bar, say: "Could you make me a chocolate orange martini with no alcohol? Chocolate syrup, fresh orange juice and cream, shaken hard with ice, in a martini glass with an orange twist." Add: "No bitters or liqueur, please," since those contain alcohol. At a coffee shop, ask for "an iced chocolate milk shaken with chocolate sauce, no espresso, with a pump of orange syrup if you have it."
Allergens: contains dairy. Dark chocolate often contains milk and soy, and may be made on shared equipment with nuts, peanuts or gluten, so check labels for cross-contact.
Dairy-free: use a barista-style oat milk (labeled gluten-free if needed) and a dairy-free dark chocolate for the rim.
Caffeine: cocoa and dark chocolate contain a little caffeine, less than a cup of coffee.
Keep it alcohol-free: most orange and vanilla extracts and most bitters are made with alcohol. Want more orange? Add extra zest, or use an extract clearly labeled alcohol-free.
Make it a mocha: add 1 oz cooled espresso (decaf is fine) to the shaker.
