4 Hot Coffee Recipe Ideas for Fall
Coffee is a delicious drink for all seasons. After a summer of iced coffee and cold brew coffee, fall brings with it delicious flavors like the beloved pumpkin spice latte. However, what if there were other flavor options that could give you the same warm, fuzzy fall feelings without seeming so repetitive? What if we went out and found new favorites this season?
We’re here to give you fresh, festive ideas for hot coffee drinks that are delicious and still spark those same delightful fall feelings. First, we’ll dive into the different types of hot coffee drinks, and then we’ll talk about the best ways to add in your fall flavors.
What Are Different Types of Hot Coffee?
When it comes to freshly brewed coffee for the fall, latte recipes definitely lead in popularity. With help from add-ins like cocoa powder, cinnamon, white chocolate, and nutmeg, it’s easy to get a foamy fall latte that tastes just right.
However, there are many different options available that are simple and delicious! Aside from different roasts of hot coffee, there are many different types of hot coffee beverages.
Non-Espresso Based Hot Coffee
Regular drip coffee, or non-espresso-based coffee, is a cultural staple. Despite not being popular in the United States until after the Boston Tea Party in 1773, hot coffee is the classic brew that everyone knows and loves. It’s made with a simple combination of water and ground coffee.
Many people drink it with a bit of whole milk or cream and sugar, while others prefer it as black coffee. However, there is a lot more you can do with non-espresso-based coffee than just adding milk.
If you want a delicious mocha-like drink, you can add chocolate syrup, hot chocolate mix, or condensed milk to your drip coffee. Regular hot coffee can also be made into a cafe au lait — half hot coffee and half frothing milk. It’s a fantastic option if you’re looking for a creamy coffee without the espresso.
Regular coffee may seem boring, but it can produce rich and flavorful combinations, especially when you get creative with different add-ins.
Espresso-Based Hot Coffees
Espresso beverages have two main ingredients: espresso and steamed milk. What differentiates specific espresso beverages from another is the ratio of espresso to steamed milk. We will quickly describe the different drinks and what makes them unique and special.
Cappuccinos are made from espresso, steamed milk, and foamed milk. By aerating the milk, you get a frothier drink. The milk in a cappuccino is meant to be light, airy, and full of macrofoam.
Flat whites and breves are other espresso-based beverages that are intended to be six to eight ounces in size. These drinks are meant to be rich in espresso flavor but have enough milk to balance out the bitterness of the espresso.
A flat white is basically the opposite of a cappuccino because the milk is dense and has a very minimal layer of foam.
A breve is the same as a flat white except for one crucial difference. Breves are made with steamed half-and-half instead of milk. Half-and-half is creamier and sweeter, and it makes the beverage smoother and sweeter without adding any extra sweetener.
Last but not least, we have lattes. Lattes are just espresso and steamed milk. The milk is aerated slightly, just enough to form a thin layer of microfoam. Lattes can vary in size, but the espresso to milk ratio is always 1:3.
Adding Flavors to Hot Coffee
At its core, coffee has its own natural flavors. These flavors can range from fruity with hints of cherries, strawberries, and plums to rich and chocolatey. Depending on the coffee roast, different natural flavors are able to shine through.
Many add-in flavors can be exceptional complements to the natural flavor notes in coffee. Mocha, caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla are just a few of the extra flavors that can be added to coffee that enhance its natural taste.
Four Easy Drink Recipes for Fall
Now that we have a background in the different types of hot coffees, let’s dive into how you can warm up and enjoy all the benefits of coffee at home.
These easy recipes are guaranteed to please any coffee lover out there, and they’ll rival festive fall drinks at your local coffee shop. Each has a quick prep time and tastes like fall in a cup.
1. Maple Cafe au Lait
While pumpkin spice often takes center stage in the fall, there are many other iconic fall flavors to enjoy — such as maple. Maple is an underrated flavor in coffee, and adding it in makes a truly wonderful combination.
To make this cafe au lait yourself, you will need to have half of a cup of regular hot coffee. If you want faster, more convenient hot coffee, coffee concentrates like our Maple Coffee Concentrate provide all the delightful flavors of maple without any additional sugar.
To make coffee with coffee concentrate, all you need to do is add hot water. Next, you will need to heat the milk. Once the milk is heated, it can be placed in a frother and aerated.
After the milk is frothed, top off the maple hot coffee with the hot milk foam, and you have yourself a delicious maple cafe au lait!
2. Cinnamon Vanilla Coffee
A simple flavor combination that is guaranteed to produce happy and warm feelings is cinnamon and vanilla. Cinnamon is a delicious addition to your morning coffee which has also been found to have a few health benefits as well. Vanilla is a natural kick of sweet flavor that can brighten up any cup of coffee.
Combine the two flavors together, and you have a naturally sweet coffee beverage without having to add any extra sweetener.
If you are looking for a flavorful sugar boost, simple syrup is an excellent option. However, if you are looking to cut back on sugar, adding cream or oat milk can help alleviate the bitter flavors.
An easy way to make a cinnamon vanilla hot coffee at home instantly is by using a coffee concentrate, hot water, cinnamon powder, and vanilla extract. Mix them all up, and you have a fun, simple, and delicious beverage that can make you feel ready for fall!
3. Brown Sugar and Hazelnut Cappuccino
Another simple flavor that is often forgotten is brown sugar. Brown sugar is a sweet, delicious complement to coffee's natural flavors. Hazelnut adds a delightful nutty taste that sends your taste buds straight into fall mode.
With the recipe, you can make this amazing coffee drink at home — no espresso machine needed!
Coffee concentrates are rich in flavor and are an easier, faster way to have strong coffee at home. Just add a little water to dilute the concentrate, and you have a great base for your espresso drinks.
To steam your milk at home, you can use a handheld milk frother. The milk needs to be preheated before adding it to the frother. Once it is frothed, add the milk to the coffee concentrate. Next, mix in your brown sugar and hazelnut flavoring, and you have your own cappuccino!
4. Pumpkin Spice White Mocha
Last but certainly not least, a pumpkin spice drink — it had to make the list! There is a reason why it’s such a fall staple. It’s delicious, and everyone knows it. Even if it brings jokes and teases along with it, pumpkin spice is a fabulous fall beverage.
White mocha added to pumpkin spice results in a delicious, sweet, extra creamy coffee that encapsulates a fall scented candle on a rainy day. The best way to make your own pumpkin spice white mocha at home is through a coffee concentrate, hot water, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and milk.
If you want a non-dairy milk alternative, oat milk is the creamiest non-dairy alternative available. You can make this either as a latte or a cafe au lait. The difference is the amount of water used to dilute the concentrate.
To add a little extra fun to your pumpkin spice white mocha, go ahead and add some whipped cream to the top. No one here will judge you!
Make Your Own Fall Coffee Beverages
Fall brings simple, delicious flavors to any coffee cup. Sometimes those flavors are just what you need to capture the spirit of the season. This fall, you have all the knowledge you need to make your own delicious coffee drinks at home! The beverages listed are written to be hot, however, these flavor combinations are great for iced drinks, too!
Iced coffee, cold brew, and iced lattes are all great options to try these flavor combinations with as well. With coffee concentrates, it is easy to make hot or iced, and it is delicious either way!
Give these recipes a try, and let us know which ones you liked best on our Instagram page @javy.coffee.
Sources:
The Caffeinated History of Coffee | PBS
Three Potential Health Benefits of Cinnamon | Cleveland Clinic
