Black and White Cafe Drink: How to Make a Tuxedo (Zebra) Mocha
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The classic black and white cafe drink is the tuxedo mocha, also called a zebra mocha or black and white mocha: espresso and steamed milk sweetened with both dark chocolate and white chocolate. For a 12 oz (355 ml) cup, use 2 shots of espresso, 1 tablespoon of dark chocolate sauce, 1 tablespoon of white chocolate sauce and about 8 oz (240 ml) of milk.
That 1:1 chocolate split is only the starting point. Below you’ll find ratios for darker or sweeter cups, a striped layered presentation, an iced version and two quick homemade sauces.
What Is a Tuxedo Mocha?
A regular café mocha uses dark chocolate or cocoa. A white chocolate mocha swaps in white chocolate, which is all cocoa butter, sugar and milk, with no cocoa solids. The tuxedo mocha simply uses both, so you get the roasted bitterness of dark chocolate and the creamy, vanilla-like sweetness of white chocolate in one cup.
The name comes from the look. When the two sauces are kept partly separate, as stripes, layers or a drizzle on white foam, the drink reads as black and white, like a tuxedo or a zebra. Coffee shops use all of these names for roughly the same idea, so if you see a black and white mocha on a menu, expect this drink.
If you want the single-chocolate versions, we cover them separately: the classic café mocha and the white chocolate mocha. This recipe is about getting the two to work together.
Black and White Cafe Mocha Ratios
Dark chocolate brings bitterness and depth, white chocolate brings sweetness and body. Change the split and you change the drink. These amounts are for a 12 oz (355 ml) cup with 2 shots of espresso.
| Style | Dark chocolate sauce | White chocolate sauce | Taste |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced tuxedo | 1 tbsp (15 ml) | 1 tbsp (15 ml) | Chocolate-forward, medium sweet |
| Dark tuxedo | 1½ tbsp (22 ml) | ½ tbsp (7 ml) | Closer to a classic mocha, less sugary |
| White tuxedo | ½ tbsp (7 ml) | 1½ tbsp (22 ml) | Creamy, dessert-like, very sweet |
| Light and lean | 2 tsp (10 ml) | 2 tsp (10 ml) | Coffee leads, chocolate in the background |
Start balanced, then move one step at a time. White chocolate is much sweeter than dark, so a small extra spoonful shifts the drink more than you’d expect.
Two Quick Homemade Chocolate Sauces
Store-bought sauces work fine, but homemade ones taste cleaner and let you control the sugar. Both keep about a week in a sealed jar in the fridge.
Dark chocolate sauce
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- ½ cup (about 45 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- A pinch of salt and ½ tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
Whisk water, sugar, cocoa and salt in a small pan over medium heat until smooth and just simmering, about 2–3 minutes. Take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
White chocolate sauce
- 4 oz (115 g) good white chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk or half-and-half
Warm the milk until steaming, pour it over the chocolate, wait one minute, then stir until glossy. Use real white chocolate that lists cocoa butter as an ingredient. It melts more smoothly than candy coating.
How to Make a Hot Tuxedo Mocha
Makes one 12 oz (355 ml) drink.
- Add 1 tbsp (15 ml) dark chocolate sauce to your mug.
- Pull 2 shots of espresso (about 2 oz / 60 ml) straight onto the sauce and stir until fully dissolved.
- Stir 1 tbsp (15 ml) white chocolate sauce into 8 oz (240 ml) cold milk, then steam or froth it to about 140–150°F (60–65°C). No steam wand? Our guide to frothing milk at home covers jars, French presses and handheld frothers.
- Pour the white chocolate milk into the dark mocha, holding back the foam with a spoon, then spoon the foam on top.
- Finish with a thin zigzag of dark sauce over the white foam.
Mixing the white chocolate into the milk before frothing is the key move. White chocolate sauce is thick and tends to sink and sit at the bottom if you add it to the cup at the end.
How to Get the Layered Black and White Look
Layers depend on density: sweeter, colder liquids sink, and hot, foamy ones float. A clear glass shows it best.
- Bottom (white): 1 tbsp white chocolate sauce stirred into 3 oz (90 ml) warm milk.
- Middle (light): 5 oz (150 ml) frothed milk, poured gently down the side of the glass.
- Top (dark): 2 shots of espresso mixed with 1 tbsp dark sauce, poured very slowly over the back of a spoon so it settles on the foam.
For zebra stripes, drizzle dark sauce down the inside of an empty glass before you start, then fill. The stripes stay visible against the pale milk.
Iced Tuxedo Mocha
- Stir 1 tbsp (15 ml) dark sauce into 2 shots of hot espresso until dissolved, then let it cool for a minute.
- Whisk 1 tbsp (15 ml) white chocolate sauce into 6 oz (180 ml) cold milk.
- Fill a 16 oz (475 ml) glass with ice and pour in the white chocolate milk.
- Slowly pour the dark espresso over the top. It will cascade into the milk in dark ribbons.
- Top with whipped cream and a little shaved dark chocolate if you like.
No espresso machine? Use 4 oz (120 ml) of strong coffee, brewed at about double strength, or cold brew concentrate. Avoid regular-strength coffee, which tastes thin once the ice melts.
Variations and Tips
- Mint tuxedo: add 1–2 drops of peppermint extract to the dark sauce. A little goes a long way.
- Salted tuxedo: a small pinch of flaky salt on the foam sharpens both chocolates.
- Flavored bean shortcut: brew a chocolate-flavored coffee instead of plain espresso and use only white chocolate sauce. You get both notes with half the sugar.
- Pick a roast that cuts through: two chocolates and milk can bury a light coffee. Medium-dark and dark roasts keep the coffee in the conversation. Our coffee and chocolate pairing guide explains why.
- Use whole milk for the richest texture. Oat milk is the best dairy-free match because it stays creamy with chocolate.
Tuxedo Mocha FAQ
What is the difference between a tuxedo mocha and a white chocolate mocha?
A white chocolate mocha uses only white chocolate. A tuxedo mocha uses both dark and white chocolate, so it tastes deeper and slightly less sugary, with more cocoa bitterness to balance the sweetness.
Is a zebra mocha the same as a tuxedo mocha?
Yes. Zebra mocha, tuxedo mocha and black and white mocha all describe espresso and milk with dark and white chocolate. Recipes vary in the ratio and presentation, not in the core idea.
How much caffeine is in a tuxedo mocha?
Most of the caffeine comes from the espresso, so a two-shot drink has about the same caffeine as a double espresso. Dark chocolate adds a small amount, while white chocolate contains essentially none because it has no cocoa solids.
Can I make it decaf?
Absolutely. Use decaf espresso and the drink tastes the same. It makes a good evening dessert drink.
Make Your Own Black and White Mocha
A tuxedo mocha is two sauces, two shots and a little patience with the pour. Use a coffee bold enough to stand up to both chocolates: the dark-roasted 6 Bean Blend is a strong espresso base, our Mocha flavored coffee doubles the chocolate without extra sauce, and Decaf Espresso keeps it cozy after dark. Every Feel Espresso coffee is roasted 1–5 days before it ships to you.