As the temperatures fall and the days grow shorter, coffee lovers have a variety of delicious winter beverages to choose from. And it isn’t necessary to visit a local café or coffee bar to enjoy them: even the most imaginative and creative winter drinks are easy to prepare at home. Here are some of the many options.
Salted Caramel Mocha
Serving size: 1
To make a salted caramel mocha, one needs the following ingredients:
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 cup of hot, strong coffee
- 1 tablespoon of cocoa
- 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
First, heat the milk in a saucepan on a low heat, then froth it. Second, combine the coffee, caramel sauce, sugar and cocoa and split this mixture between two mugs. Third, pour the hot, frothy milk into the mugs — half of into one mug, half of it into the other. And fourth, add the toppings: 1/8 teaspoon of salt, whipped cream, more caramel sauce and 1/8 teaspoon of additional sugar.
Eggnog Frappe
Serving size: 1
Eggnog is often served with rum during the holidays, but it can also work delightfully well in a coffee beverage — for example, an eggnog frappe, which calls for these ingredients:
- ½ cup of eggnog
- ¼ cup of milk
- ½ teaspoon of stevia
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- ½ cup of brewed espresso or another type of strong coffee
- 5 ice cubes
After all of these ingredients have been mixed in a blender, pour them into a cup and add the toppings: 2 tablespoons of whip cream and sprinkled nutmeg.
Gingerbread Latte
Serving size: 1
Gingerbread cookies are synonymous with the holiday season, and the taste of gingerbread works equally well when used in the tasty winter drink known as a gingerbread latte — which requires the following ingredients:
- ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 cup of milk
- 3 tablespoons of strong coffee
- 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons of molasses
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- sugar
All of these ingredients should be combined in a small pot, heated on the stovetop and poured into a cup.
Winter-Spiced Coffee
Serving size: 1
Winter-spiced coffee is a unique winter drink that uses everything from Kahlua to cinnamon. To make winter-spiced coffee, one needs:
- ½ cup of Kahlua
- ¼ cup of coffee beans
- ½ cup of heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon of sweetened cocoa
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
- 10 crushed cardamom pods
- 2 teaspoons of star anise
- 1/3 cup of powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup of brown sugar
- ½ quart of water
While the cream, a bowl and a mixer’s wire attachment are chilling, mix the coffee beans, cardamom, star anise and water in a one-quart pot — and simmer the pot’s contents on a low heat on the stovetop until they have been reduced by about half.
Beat the cream with the wire attachment at a medium speed for 90 seconds, and make sure it is soft. Then, add the sugar and beat it for another 2 or 3 minutes — and after that, mix all of these ingredients and pour the mixture into 6 cups, all of which should be topped with cream, cocoa and cinnamon.
Peppermint Mocha
Serving size: 1
A peppermint mocha is both delicious and easy to prepare. The ingredients needed are:
- ¼ cup of coffee
- ¼ cup of milk
- 1 drop of peppermint extract
- 1 tablespoon of dark chocolate syrup
While brewing strong coffee, heat and froth the milk — and after pouring the coffee, add the peppermint extract and dark chocolate syrup to it. Then, pour the hot, frothy milk into this mixture.
Maple Pecan Latte
Serving size: 1
Maple pecan is a flavor that tastes great on a cold winter day, and a maple pecan latte calls for:
- 2 tablespoons of pecan syrup
- 1 shot of espresso
- ½ cup of steamed milk
After these ingredients have been combined, a maple pecan latte can be topped with whipped cream and chopped, toasted pecans.
Coffee Smoothie
Serving size: 1
Coffee isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of smoothies, but in fact, a coffee smoothie is a winter drink that combines smoothie elements with the exhilaration that coffee provides. The ingredients are:
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2cup coffee
- half a banana
- 1-2 drops vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon nut butter
- ice
When combined in a blender, the result is a first-rate coffee smoothie.
Peanut Butter Espresso Smoothie
Serving size: 2
Like a coffee smoothie, a peanut butter espresso smoothie fuses coffee with smoothie elements — but with the taste of peanut butter. The ingredients, which should be mixed in a blender, include:
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup espresso
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 dates
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 banana
Experimentation is perfectly acceptable with a winter drink. Instead of cow’s milk, one might prefer almond, soy or coconut milk — and a sweetener, depending on personal preference, could be anything from white powdered sugar to raw turbinado sugar. Whatever one’s preferences, the options are unlimited when it comes to the pleasures of winter drinks.
