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The holidays wouldn’t be complete without a coffee dessert or drink that will go great in the cold weather. Whether you prefer your coffee in the form of a dessert, hot drink, or even Irish’d up a bit, we’ve put together some great holiday coffee recipes that will be sure to delight both you and your guests this holiday season.
These recipes tend to come out the best when you use premium coffee beans, and grind them at home. The grocery store-bought coffee will work in a pinch – but it might not come out as good had you used high-quality Kona beans. The coffee you buy in the store is usually stale and well past its expiration date. Premium Kona coffee, on the other hand, is as fresh as you can get.
Great Holiday Coffee Recipes
Winter Warm-Up Latte
This is a great coffee drink that includes all the spices of the holiday season. This is a nice, sweet, coffee drink that will help you get in the festive mood.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of brewed coffee
- 1/4 cup of milk or cream
- 1 tablespoon of sugar (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Whipped cream and ground cinnamon for garnish (optional)
Directions
- The first thing you’ll want to do is brew a cup of coffee using your preferred method.
- Next, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk or cream, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is heated through.
- Grab your mug and pour the brewed coffee into it followed by the milk mixture. Stir to combine.
- Top the coffee with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, if desired.
Mint Espresso Drink
First created in the 19th century, mint espressos have been popular with European students, faculty, and politicians alike. It is a sensation for your taste buds as the chilled and fragrant mint blends perfectly with the hot espresso. A dash of cocoa powder on the top makes this a drink to remember.
Ingredients
- Cappuccino
- Cocoa powder (bitter)
- Mint Milk Cream
- .70fl oz. of whole milk
- 5fl oz. of double cream
- 1 fl oz. of mint syrup
Directions
- First brew a cup of espresso into a cappuccino cup.
- Next add 2fl oz. of Mint Milk Cream.
- Take the cocoa powder and lightly sprinkle on top.
Mint Milk Cream: You might have a challenging time finding this delectable treat in the grocery store, so here’s how to make it at home: Take the cold whole milk and pour it into a large bowl. Add double cream and syrup. Use hand or electric whisk to whip until you have a soft fluffy mixture.
Mocha Chocolate Cake
You can never have too many desserts around the holidays. People are used to the usual pies and ice cream, but why not step up your game a bit this year and blow your guests away with this incredible coffee based chocolate cake!
Ingredients
- 1 cup of brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
- Whipped cream and chocolate shavings for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sugar together, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and brewed coffee. Add the melted butter mixture and stir until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake the coffee chocolate cake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve the coffee chocolate cake with a dollop of whipped cream and some chocolate shavings, if desired.
Cinnamon Ginger Coffee
No holiday hot coffee beverage would be complete without a touch of cinnamon. Cinnamon Ginger Coffee is a holiday favorite amongst many people. Both ginger and cinnamon combine with the coffee to create a wonderful flavored beverage that’s perfect to sip when it’s cold outside.
Ingredients
- Cappuccino
- Fresh ginger
- Milk cream (hot)
- Cinnamon-icing sugar mix
Directions
- Take 2 slices of ginger and cut them in half. Put inside a small empty glass.
- Prepare the espresso inside the same glass. Dust liberally with the cinnamon-icing sugar mix.
- At the very top, add the hot cream milk. Try to add as little milk as you can – only the cream.
- Add another sprinkle of the cinnamon-sugar icing mix to the top of the cream.
Kona Coffee Ganache
You won’t need a degree in French pastry history to be able to make and enjoy this coffee-infused treat. Ganache is a whipped filling that’s usually made up of chocolate, cream, and other flavors. It’s used as a topping for desserts and cakes. We’re going to put a coffee twist on the ganache and create a topping that will go great with any holiday pastries or cakes you might serve for dessert.
Ingredients
- 12oz of finely chopped semi or bittersweet chocolate (don’t go over 61% cacao)
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (cut into ½’ cubes)
- 1-1/4 cups of heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons of high quality, finely ground Kona Coffee.
Directions
- Put the butter and chocolate into a bowl.
- In a separate pan, bring the coffee, cream, and 2 tbsp. of water to a boil.
- Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl with the chocolate and butter.
- Remove coffee grinds and discard.
- Stir until melted and the ganache has a smooth consistency to it.
- Chill in fridge for 1 hour and it’s ready to serve!
Old Fashioned Coffee
The old-fashioned coffee has been around for quite some time. This versatile drink can be created any number of ways, using any kind of alcohol. This recipe calls for bourbon or rye whiskey (depending on your preference). If either one is too strong, you can always substitute with Baileys Irish Cream for the alcohol part.
Ingredients
- Double shot of espresso (~2oz.)
- Room temperature rye whiskey or bourbon (1oz.)
- 1/4oz. simple syrup
- Pinch of Peychaud’s bitters
- 1” piece of a lemon peel.
Directions
- Take the espresso, bourbon, syrup, and bitters and combine into a shaker and fill with ice.
- Take a bar spoon and stir for around 30 seconds, then strain into a glass filled with ice.
- Twist the lemon peel over the drink and rub it around the glass rim.
- Garnish drink with lemon peel leftovers.
Santa’s Coffee
After delivering presents to the entire world in just a few short hours, Santa Claus likes to come home and relax with his favorite holiday coffee drink. For this coffee you’ll need Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel whiskey to start out (and finish) with.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 oz. Jack Daniels Single Barrel whiskey
- 1/2oz. peppermint syrup
- Hot coffee (add to taste)
- Light whipped cream.
Directions
If you want to make the peppermint syrup at home, simply take a few holiday candy canes and crush them until you have 1 cup. Add the crushed candy canes and 1 cup of water into a sauce pan and heat until the candy dissolves into a liquid. Let cool.
Combine all ingredients and top off with cream. Take remaining crushed candy canes and sprinkle liberally on top.
Enjoy the Holidays With Coffee
These holiday coffee infused treats and drinks will be sure to keep you and your guests warm on the cold winter nights. They go great with or after any meal, at any time of the day!
Keep mind that each recipe can be customized to your tastes, so feel free to experiment and see if you can create a timeless holiday classic in your kitchen. There’s always room for a splash of alcohol in these drinks if you want to spice it up a little bit.
Be sure to use the highest quality coffee to get the best flavors out of these coffee based recipes as well. You’ll absolutely impress all your guests with these incredible flavors.
