8+ Ways to Add Flavor to Your Coffee
A coffee routine is a beautiful thing.
Whether you take it black, with cream and sugar, or some combination in-between, you know what you like. And this routine brings a peaceful balance to your life.
But occasionally, even the most routine parts of us crave a little something extra. So we’ve brought you 8 ways to add some extra oomph to your coffee. You can thank us later!
1. Spices
When we say “add a little spice to your life,” we mean it literally. Adding spices to your coffee instantly changes the flavor profile and provides some added health benefits.
Bonus points for already having many of these on hand in your spice cabinet.
Cardamom
A popular Middle Eastern spice, cardamom helps to offset the negative effects of caffeine and boosts your fiber intake for the day.
Try a sprinkle over your brewed coffee or add a few seeds in with your coffee beans before you grind.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon adds both a pleasant smell and taste to your coffee. It’s popular in Mexican coffee and can even be added before you brew.
Cinnamon also packs a healthy punch through its strong dose of antioxidants, its anti-inflammatory properties, and its ability to reduce the risk of heart disease.
It’s both a healthy and flavorful change from cream and sugar.
The Gingerbread Spices
Ginger, nutmeg, and clove, all essential spices for gingerbread and other holiday treats, also make delicious substitutes for cream and sugar.
If you like earthy, warm, and zesty flavors, try these three spices – together or individually.
2. Extracts
Either in bean or liquid form, extracts make for a sweet addition to coffee. If you’re using beans, add them before you brew. The liquid type can be added by drops to your finished cup of coffee.
Try a little bit of vanilla extract for a sweet and creamy flavor, almond extract for a nutty twist, or peppermint extract for a holiday snap.
3. Florals
For a spring-infused drink, try adding rose water to your latte or a few lavender flowers to your coffee beans before grinding.
Even just a hint of these floral herbs dramatically changes the flavor of your coffee. Rose pairs well with cardamom and lavender complements mocha well.
You can even strew a few buds over your drink after its brewed for a look that’s as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palette.
But floral notes aren’t just for boutique coffee shop drinks and Instagram feeds. They carry medicinal properties as well, making for an all-around surprising addition to your coffee routine.
4. Chocolate
Semi-sweet or dark chocolate morsels integrate naturally with the flavor of most coffees, but they especially enhance coffees with chocolate notes.
Or consider adding cocoa (or cacao) nibs. These small parts of the cocoa seed provide the flavor of chocolate without the added sugar you find in most morsels. They can be added in with your whole beans and ground together for a creamy chocolate taste.
You can even add a sprinkle of cocoa poweder on top of a brewed coffee. Toss in some sugar and marshmallows for a hot chocolate flavored coffee, a perfect treat for a cold winter night.
5. Butter
A growing fad among Paleo dieters, dropping a pat of butter into your morning coffee promises to boost your energy levels throughout the day.
This drink, made popular in the US by Dave Asprey and nicknamed Bulletproof Coffee, may actually claim roots from Tibet and Singapore.
But what does it taste like? Adding butter to coffee might sound less than appetizing, but the end result is a creamy, silky coffee mouthfeel with only a hint of butter flavor.
6. Salt
You read that right! Salt can be a secret ingredient for better coffee, especially in an emergency. If your cup of coffee tastes too bitter, you don’t necessarily have to throw it out.
Simply sprinkle in a dash of salt to take away some of the unsavory bitterness. Salt works to reduce bitterness because the sodium ions interfere with the transduction of the bitter flavors.
But salt isn’t just for emergencies. Many people enjoy a sea salt topping on their cold brew coffee for just the right amount of salty, sweet, and slightly acidic coffee.
7. Alcohol
Irish Coffee, White Russian, Coffee Old Fashioned. Mixing coffee and booze together for a coffee cocktail brings together two worlds of specialty drinks. The result? A good time had by all.
Just be careful when spiking your coffee with a little something extra as caffeine and alcohol don’t always play nicely together.
8. Ice Cream
But what does always play nicely with coffee? Ice cream! Also known as an affogato, this combination of sweet and bitter, cold and hot turns your morning pick-me-up into a sweet treat.
After all, it’s basically like adding cream and sugar but in a cold, refreshing way. Play around with ice cream flavors too such as peppermint, raspberry, or even coffee.
Part drink, part dessert, all delicious, adding ice cream to your coffee infuses a little bit of childhood into your morning coffee ritual.
Endless Possibilities
We rounded up at least 8 different ways to shake up your coffee routine. But go to any coffee shop, and you’ll probably find a dozen more.
We’d love to hear your favorite ways to flavor your coffee – the bolder the better. Drop us a note in the comments to share.