This chocolate espresso martini recipe is a chocolatey twist on the classic cocktail that has taken social media by storm. Whether you enjoy it as a dessert cocktail after dinner or at brunch, it’s a wonderful way to put a new spin on a drink that’s a favorite among coffee lovers!

Growing up with a grandmother from southern Italy pretty much makes me an expert in many aspects of Italian culture, including espresso. I started drinking coffee at the age of 6. Okay…it was decaf, and yeah, sure, it was Santa’s White Christmas flavor. 😅 But I had my own personal mini espresso mug that I used on the regular.
why this chocolate espresso martini recipe works:
🍫 deep, chocolatey flavor. If you are a fan of mochas, you’ll love this libation! The chocolate flavor deepens the espresso, making it even more rich.
♻️ versatile. You can easily change this recipe up to fit your preferences, whether you prefer a sweeter cocktail or more coffee-forward with a hint of chocolate.
⏱️ quick & easy. This is an easy cocktail to make because it has straightforward ingredients and can be mixed up with just a cocktail shaker.
🛒 ingredients
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍳 instructions
Brew espresso & measure ingredients.
Brew your espresso according to your espresso maker and allow it to cool slightly. Pour 2 ounces into your cocktail shaker, filled with ice.
Measure the vanilla vodka into the cocktail shaker and add it to the espresso.
Add in the Kahlua and the creme de cacoa liqueurs into the cocktail shaker.
Drizzle your chocolate syrup into the cocktail shaker. If you like your cocktail sweeter, add in a little more chocolate!
Finishing touches, shake, & serve.
Step 5: Add in a dash of chocolate bitters to the cocktail shaker. Shake well for 30-60 seconds to get a nice and frothy top to the cocktail.
Step 6: Top each chocolate espresso martini with three espresso beans and chocolate shavings.
💡tips & tricks for getting it right
🍽️ serving tips
- liquid dessert – This drink is the perfect after-dinner drink or dessert cocktail!
- seasonal brunch – Serve it at breakfast or brunch. You can set up a coffee bar and serve espresso martinis and other coffee drinks!
Choose your glass
- coupe glass – Traditionally, espresso martinis are served in coupe glasses instead of standard martini glasses.
- small capacity – You can serve in whichever glasses you have, but keep in mind that this cocktail is on the smaller side at only 6 fluid ounces.
Garnish
- espresso beans – Make sure to garnish with three coffee beans and some finely grated chocolate shavings.
- rim the glass – You can also garnish the rim of the glass. Dip the rim of the glass in simple syrup, then chocolate shavings for a fun garnish!
- drizzle the glass – Before pouring in the drink, you can drizzle extra chocolate syrup into the martini glasses for a fun garnish!
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
Flavor Tips:
- taste for balance – Taste the drink before shaking and serving to make sure you like the balance of flavors.
- too sweet – If it’s too sweet, you can add a little more espresso, vodka, or bitters.
- not sweet enough – If it’s not sweet enough, you can add more creme de cacao or chocolate syrup!
Shaking Tips:
- Shaking the cocktail for at least 30-60 seconds ensures you get a nice, frothy foam top to your cocktail, perfect for supporting the garnishes of this drink!
- Make sure your cocktail shaker is filled with ice to help get a good, strong foam from your cocktail.
- Use larger cubes of ice if you can. Smaller cubes of ice, like pebble ice, will dilute your drink too fast as you shake it, giving you a weaker foam.
⚖️ scaling tips
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you have a big gathering coming up!
You can pre-mix all the ingredients and keep the batched drink in a pitcher in the fridge. Once your guests arrive, you can shake the cocktail in batches and serve.
🔆 top tip
Want a booze-free option? Try using alcohol alternative spirits and make this martini into a mocktail version.
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♻️ substitutions & variations
Missing an ingredient? No problem. Check out these tried-and-true substitutions, or comment below with your question. I’m here to help you troubleshoot!
- use another coffee – you can use cold brew coffee, extra strong coffee brewed in a drip coffee maker, or even instant coffee in a pinch!
- frozen– freeze your espresso into espresso ice cubes, then combine the ice cubes and remaining ingredients in a blender. Blend it up for a frozen chocolate espresso martini!
- holiday – add peppermint simple syrup to make this a peppermint mocha espresso martini!
- mocktail – make this espresso martini into a mocktail by leaving out the booze or using an alcohol-alternative spirit!
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
🫙 storage tips
While you can mix the cocktails in advance in a large batch, it’s best to serve them immediately after shaking so that they foam up nicely. It’s all about the presentation!
With that said, you can premake them and shake them again just before serving if you are preparing them in advance for a party.
You can store your beverage if you can’t finish it, but it doesn’t hold up well after 48 hours.
💬 q+a
What if I can’t find chocolate bitters near me?
If you can’t locate chocolate bitters near you, you can order some online or you can skip the addition. While it does deepen the flavor and balance out the sweetness to this cocktail, it isn’t worth stressing over!
Why doesn’t my chocolate espresso martini have foam on top?
Make sure you use larger ice cubes instead of smaller ones, like pebble ice, so that your drink doesn’t dilute too much while shaking it. Shake your drink for at least 30 seconds to get the foam to be thicker and more stable.
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read every single comment! I also love connecting on social media, so snap a pic and hashtag it #myrecipeforfun and tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or pin this recipe on Pinterest!
chocolate espresso martini (chocolate-espresso cocktail)
Wanna save this recipe for later? 📬
Equipment
- 1 coupe glass a coupe glass is the traditional espresso martini glass
- 1 microplane grater for chocolate shavings
- 1 espresso machine
Ingredients
- 2 ounces espresso substitute 3 ounces of cold brew
- 2 ounces vanilla vodka Absolut Vanilla recommended
- 1 ounce Kahlua liqueur
- .5 ounce creme de cacao liqueur
- .5 ounce chocolate syrup
- dash chocolate bitters
- chocolate bar for garnish
- 3 whole espresso beans for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Shaker. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Use larger cubes to keep the cocktail from being diluted.
- Brew & add espresso. Brew a double shot of espresso. Add 2 ounces of espresso to the shaker.
- Add vodka. Add 2 ounces of vanilla vodka to the cocktail shaker.
- Add coffee liqueur. Add 1 ounce of Kahlua to the mix.
- Add liqueur. Add 0.5 ounces of creme de cacao to the shaker.
- Add Syrup. Drizzle in 0.5 ounces of chocolate syrup.
- Dash in bitters. Add a dash of chocolate bitters to the cocktail shaker.
- Shake. Shake vigorously for 30-60 seconds.
- Strain. Strain into a coupe glass.
- Garnish & serve. Garnish with chocolate shavings and three espresso beans before serving.
Notes
substitutions & variations
- melted chocolate– If you don’t have chocolate syrup on hand, you can melt about an ounce of chocolate into your espresso instead. You may want to add a dash of sugar or simple syrup to balance the chocolate, depending on the cocoa content.
- no bitters – skip the chocolate bitters if you don’t have it, or can’t find it. Your cocktail will be a bit sweeter, so keep that in mind.
- use another coffee – you can use cold brew coffee, extra strong coffee brewed in a drip coffee maker, or even instant coffee in a pinch!
- white chocolate – you can use white chocolate liqueur instead of creme de cacao, and you can use white chocolate shavings instead of dark chocolate or milk chocolate.
- frozen– freeze your espresso into espresso ice cubes, then combine the ice cubes and remaining ingredients in a blender. Blend it up for a frozen chocolate espresso martini!
- spicy – if you are a fan of Mexican hot chocolate, try adding a dash of cayenne pepper into this cocktail for a sweet and spicy twist!
- sweet – If you like a sweeter cocktail, you can add up to 1 ounce of chocolate syrup.
Nutrition Information
The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.