Part of the fun of fall, winter and the holidays is enjoying hot drinks and treats. Holiday-inspired coffee can get a party started in cold weather. It can help you catch up with your people faster. Or, practically speaking, get all the gifts wrapped sooner. It’s also great for indoor hobbies in the cooler months, like reading, board games and crafts. With delectable, rich creams and interesting spices, holiday coffee has something for everyone. In true holiday spirit, add a sweet flavor or two also!
Easy Pumpkin Spice Latte
No list of holiday treats is complete without incorporating pumpkin spice—at least in the US in the past few years. Pumpkin spice lattes might be the most popular seasonal coffee drink ever. No matter whether this sounds appetizing or not, you can probably see why people enjoy it. For those of us who dislike cooler weather, it’s something to look forward to. In fact, with extra time around the holidays, it may be time to outdo the coffee shop with more pumpkin involved. Or more concentrated puree can delight serious pumpkin lovers.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
The ingredients you’ll need include:
- pumpkin puree
- sugar
- milk
- pumpkin spice
- vanilla extract
- coffee (espresso preferred)
- whipped cream
The simplest way to make it is conducive to preparing it in bulk for guests. Combine all the ingredients except the coffee (and whipped cream) in a pan on the stove. Heat it with no higher than medium heat. Then you can add it to the coffee and mix it in. Add whipped cream, and maybe a little pumpkin spice on the top.
Irish Coffee
One of the nice things about an Irish Coffee is it can bring a smile to people’s faces. That is especially the case if they like them but haven’t had one in a while. Many people look forward to celebrating and catching up with relatives over the holidays. Some people also do not! In the spirit of being truly useful over the holidays, we must put forth that Irish coffee can be great for bearing difficult conversations with relatives. It’ll give you the coffee kick of creativity to find a common-ground response to political baiting. Hopefully, it’ll also make you more agreeable—just don’t overdo it with the whiskey!
Irish Coffee Recipe
Using good, strong coffee is key to a great Irish coffee. For a recommendation of a strong, dark coffee, scroll all the way down. Whether or not you add whiskey is up to you. For those who don’t normally drink much, it can be a big deal to add both whiskey and Irish cream to a beverage that already affects your belly—coffee. The most traditional Irish coffees actually forgo the Irish cream.
- Warming the mug for an Irish coffee can be a great first step to help it stay warm despite the cold cream
- Pour in 5-7 ounces of hot coffee
- Mix in 1.5 ounces of whiskey
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of brown sugar until there’s no trace
- Pour in the desired amount of Irish cream and stir
- Add whipped cream
Topping with other fixings can top it off for guests. Chocolate sprinkles or grated chocolate or mint flakes this extra festive.
Gingerbread Spiced Latte
A gingerbread spiced latte helps you enjoy the magic of gingerbread—and might pep you up to take on building the three-story gingerbread house your child dreamt up and drafted on paper.
First, brew espresso or strong coffee. Then add a teaspoon each of nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon into a bowl. Add 3-5 ounces of coffee. Next, whisk it until the mix is uniform. Then, froth a cup and a half of milk. (See alternative frothing methods if you don’t have a frother). In two mugs, pour the coffee mixture, then top it with the milk froth.
To top it off, you can add whipped cream, along with more cinnamon and nutmeg. Holiday sprinkles from the cookies are cool too.
Peppermint Mocha Coffee
This recipe shines with a dark roast coffee or espresso. There are also several options for adding peppermint flavor, which makes this easier to make when you’re less prepared. One of them is crushing up a candy cane, which you may have on hand. You can also add mint extract.
- strong coffee or espresso
- milk
- a teaspoon of cocoa powder
- a bit of vanilla
- sugar
- a peppermint substance
Start by heating the milk, sugar and cocoa over medium heat in a pan. Dissolve the sugar. Later add in vanilla flavor, peppermint or mint extract and the espresso. Once it’s all warm, pour it into a mug. Topping with whipped cream and more peppermint flakes—or a peppermint-flavored chocolate on top will make it extra fancy!
Eggnog Latte
We love eggnog lattes because they pair well with strong coffee—which many of us need after a holiday food coma. Or we may need them to get going cleaning and cooking for a holiday. A dark roast works best in an eggnog latte. Whether you use homemade eggnog or buy one, it will taste great in this recipe. If you like cinnamon, you’ll want to have that on hand too.
First, brew some strong, dark-roasted coffee. Then at low heat, steam the eggnog, coffee and spices in a pan. Whisk them together. Allow it to keep heating for five or more minutes, until it’s warm enough to drink.
Finish it off with whipped cream if you like. Over the holidays, it’s great to put a little sweet spice into everything, including dark-roasted coffee. Perhaps dash some cinnamon on top?
A Dark Roast For A Great Cause
Subida Coffee Co.’s dark roast makes a great base for holiday drinks. Already evoking notes of brown sugar, this 100% Arabica single-origin is premium, specialty quality. Best of all, purchasing reflects a spirit of giving and gratitude. The proceeds from the coffee help the overseeing non-profit to support the education of teenage boys attending high school on the site where the coffee is grown and harvested. This agricultural center produces Honduran coffee and helps better the community. Learn more about the vision behind Subida.
