Coffee Drink

Barbajada: Milanese Coffee & Chocolate Recipe

Name: Barbajada
Total time: 7 min
Ingredients: 60 g (2.1 oz) prepared hot brewed coffee; 60 g (¼ US cup) whole milk; 45 g (3 US tbsp) water; 5 g (1 US tbsp) unsweetened natural cocoa powder; 10 g (2½ US tsp) granulated sugar

Barbajada is a Milanese drink of coffee, chocolate and milk, whisked together until frothy. Make this cocoa-based home version with brewed coffee, a saucepan and a whisk.

By Mara EllisonReviewed by Online Coffee Guide editorial teamPublished September 27, 20266 min read

A small ivory cup of chocolate-brown Barbajada with fine froth beside a whisk and cocoa

Drink Snapshot

Caffeine: 35 mg referenceBrewed coffee and cocoa referenceBoth ingredients contribute caffeine.
Calories: Estimated 90 kcalWhole-milk recipe, no toppingIncludes 10 g (2½ US tsp) added granulated sugar.

Serving, sugar and sources

Serving: One small drink; 60 g (2.1 oz) coffee + 60 g (¼ US cup) milk + 60 g (2.1 oz) cocoa-base ingredients
Made with: Brewed coffee, cocoa and whole milk; contains milk
Sugar: Estimated 13.1 g total. Includes milk sugar and the added sugar.
Preparation: About 7 minutes with brewed coffee ready

USDA Standard Reference ingredient records, calculated for the weighed recipe; checked 27 September 2026. See the full calculation or label comparison.

Key Takeaways

Whisk the cocoa into a smooth base before combining everything; dry lumps spoil the otherwise soft texture.
Frothing the whole drink gives an airy coffee-and-cocoa mixture; a separate whipped-cream cap makes it heavier.
For a cold barbajada, chill the smooth mixture and whisk it again just before serving.

On This Page10 Sections

What Does Barbajada Taste Like?

Barbajada tastes of sweet cocoa and warm milk with coffee running through the whole cup. Brewed coffee gives a roasted edge that keeps the chocolate from tasting like plain hot cocoa, while whisking adds a light, bubbly texture. The finish should carry both cocoa and coffee, with milk rounding their bitterness.

I prefer whisking light froth through the barbajada itself because the small bubbles lighten the cocoa and milk in every sip.

Barbajada Recipe

Makes one small hot drink in about 7 minutes with the coffee already brewed. A 250 ml (8.5 US fl oz) heatproof cup leaves room for the froth.

Recipe

Barbajada

Makes:: 1 small serving
Time:: About 7 minutes with brewed coffee ready

Ingredients

60 g (2.1 oz) prepared hot brewed coffee
60 g (¼ US cup) whole milk
45 g (3 US tbsp) water
5 g (1 US tbsp) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
10 g (2½ US tsp) granulated sugar

Equipment

Scale
Small saucepan
Whisk
Hob or compatible heat source
250 ml (8.5 US fl oz) heatproof cup

Method

Make a cocoa paste. Mix the cocoa and sugar in the saucepan. Whisk in a little of the measured water until smooth, then gradually add the rest.
Warm and whisk. Add the prepared coffee and milk. Heat gently while whisking until steaming and frothy; do not bring to a hard boil.
Serve. Remove from the heat and whisk briskly for about 30 seconds. Pour into the cup and serve.

Estimated nutrition: 90 kcal · 13.1 g total sugar. Per Barbajada, using whole milk and the stated sugar.

YesMilano describes a classic equal-part combination of coffee, drinking chocolate and milk or cream, warmed and whisked together. This recipe translates that idea into three equal-weight ingredient groups: 60 g (2.1 oz) coffee, 60 g (¼ US cup) milk and 60 g (2.1 oz) cocoa-base ingredients. The weighed formula is our home adaptation.

Equipment and Preparation

Brew coffee normally, then weigh 60 g (2.1 oz) of the collected liquid. The drip-coffee guide covers filter preparation; this amount is neither a dry coffee dose nor the water to put through the grounds.

Choose plain unsweetened cocoa, rather than a sweetened hot-chocolate mix. Its sugar is added separately here. Keep the saucepan small enough for the whisk to work through the shallow liquid without splashing.

The aim is a smooth, drinkable mixture with small bubbles on top. You are frothing the combined drink, not making a separate layer of steamed milk or whipped cream. Heating and liquid left in the pan can change the final yield; the ingredient weights total 180 g (6.3 oz) before preparation.

Coffee, cocoa and milk combine into a uniformly chocolate-brown barbajada with fine froth from whisking. — Coffee, cocoa and milk are whisked together for a light froth.

Barbajada vs. Mocha and Bicerin

All three combine coffee with chocolate. The useful distinction is how the ingredients are prepared and served.

Three coffee-and-chocolate drinks, three preparations

Three coffee-and-chocolate drinks, three preparations
Drink	Coffee and chocolate approach	Milk or cream and serving
Barbajada	Coffee and drinking chocolate mixed together	Milk or cream joins the mixture, which is whisked frothy; this recipe uses milk
Mocha	Usually espresso with chocolate sauce, cocoa or chocolate	Milk is added; many café versions use steamed milk and optional toppings
Bicerin	Coffee and drinking chocolate served with distinct components	A separate cream cap; traditionally enjoyed without stirring the layers together

Is Whipped Cream Traditional or Optional?

Whipped cream is optional for this recipe. Add it if you want a cream-topped presentation, and count it separately from the untopped serving estimate below. Lavazza's published Milan café menu documents one such version with espresso, water-based chocolate, milk and whipped cream.

Get a Smooth Cocoa Base and Useful Froth

Start with a paste. I whisk the cocoa and sugar with a little water first so I can see and work out dry pockets before the pan is full. Add the remaining liquid only once the paste is smooth; chasing lumps through hot coffee and milk is harder.

Fix the part of the Barbajada that needs attention

Fix the part of the Barbajada that needs attention
What you notice	What to change
Dry cocoa lumps	Work the paste smooth before adding the remaining water, coffee and milk
Coarse bubbles or splashing	Lower the heat, use a small pan and keep the whisk moving through the liquid
A milk skin or scorched smell	Avoid prolonged heating; use gentle heat and keep whisking rather than boiling the drink
Too sweet for your preference	Try 5 g (1¼ US tsp) sugar next time; keep the coffee, milk and cocoa amounts fixed
Coffee gets lost behind chocolate	Check the brewed coffee first; use a brew you enjoy before increasing the coffee portion

The 5 g (1¼ US tsp) sugar option has estimated totals of 70 kcal and 8.1 g total sugar, using the same ingredient records. Caffeine stays the same because the coffee and cocoa portions are unchanged.

Barbajada Caffeine, Calories and Sugar

The untopped recipe has estimated totals of 90 kcal, 13.1 g total sugar and 35 mg caffeine. It contains milk, including lactose. The estimates use the weighed ingredients below.

Serving calculation and source assumptions

USDA Standard Reference values per 100 g are: brewed coffee, NDB 14209, 1 kcal, 0 g sugar and 40 mg caffeine; whole milk, NDB 01077, 61 kcal and 5.05 g sugar; unsweetened cocoa, NDB 19165, 228 kcal, 1.75 g sugar and 230 mg caffeine; granulated sugar, NDB 19335, 387 kcal and 99.8 g sugar. Links to each record appear in the sources panel.

Scaling those values to the weighed ingredients gives 0.6 + 36.6 + 11.4 + 38.7 = 87.3 kcal, rounded to 90 kcal. Sugar is 0 + 3.03 + 0.0875 + 9.98 = 13.0975 g, displayed as 13.1 g. Water contributes no energy or sugar.

Caffeine is 24 mg from coffee + 11.5 mg from cocoa = 35.5 mg, shown as 35 mg to the nearest 5 mg. Brew strength and cocoa composition vary. The 5 g sugar option is 67.95 kcal and 8.1075 g sugar before rounding.

Does Decaf Make Barbajada Caffeine-Free?

No. Cocoa contributes caffeine too. In this calculation, the 5 g (1 US tbsp) cocoa portion supplies 11.5 mg before counting any coffee. Decaf reduces the coffee contribution while the cocoa caffeine remains.

Coffee Choices and a Cold Version

Brewed coffee is the defined base here because it works without an espresso machine. A small portion of moka coffee is a possible alternative; prepare it normally using the moka-pot guide, then weigh the collected coffee. Its concentration and caffeine will differ from the reference above.

Espresso also appears in café versions, including the Lavazza example. It changes the coffee portion's concentration and caffeine. Use an espresso recipe you already have dialed in; do not extend a shot simply to reproduce the brewed-coffee weight.

Cold Barbajada: YesMilano also describes the drink as enjoyable cold. For a home variation, make the smooth mixture, transfer it to a suitable container, cool and refrigerate it, then whisk again before serving chilled. That keeps the measured ingredients together; adding ice makes a more diluted variation.

A plant drink can replace the milk in a home adaptation. Pick one you like with coffee and check its label; sweetness, frothing and nutrition will change. Check the cocoa and all other ingredients too if avoiding milk.

The Café Drink Behind the Name

Barbajada connects Milan’s coffee tables with its theatrical life. The Museo Teatrale alla Scala recounts that Domenico Barbaja worked at the Caffè dei Virtuosi before becoming a powerful opera impresario. In the museum’s story, his coffee-and-chocolate drink helped make his name before the stage did. The drink is also known by the Italianized name barbagliata.

The Comune di Milano lists Barbajada among its De.Co. products, with municipal recognition in 2008. That recognition date is distinct from the drink’s older history.

Common Questions

Can I use drinking chocolate instead of cocoa in barbajada?

Yes, but use it as the prepared chocolate portion rather than adding it on top of all the cocoa-base ingredients. Drinking chocolates vary in sugar, milk content and thickness; the recipe estimates on this page apply to its measured unsweetened-cocoa version.

Does Barbajada need an espresso machine?

No. This recipe uses prepared brewed coffee and a whisk. Espresso is an alternative found in café versions.

Is Barbajada just hot chocolate?

No. It contains coffee as well as chocolate and milk. Leaving out the coffee makes a different drink and changes the caffeine estimate.

Should I stir barbajada or keep the layers?

Mix and whisk it. The home recipe produces a uniformly chocolate-colored drink with froth, rather than separate coffee, chocolate and cream layers.

Editor's Take

Sources and Further Reading

View 9 references

Origins and preparation

Serving estimates

Milan history

Museo Teatrale alla ScalaMuseo Teatrale alla Scala: Promenades, module 2PDFMuseo Teatrale alla Scala · Museum account linking Barbaja’s café work and the coffee-and-chocolate drink.(opens in a new tab)