5 Coffee Drink Recipes You Can Make at Home

Short answer: you don't need a barista or a fancy machine to make café-quality coffee drinks at home. Below are five recipes you can make with basic kitchen tools, a blender or a whisk, and one of our coffees. From an iced vanilla latte to a coffee cocktail, here's exactly how to make each one.

In this article

• Iced French Vanilla Latte
• Mocha Frappe
• Affogato al Caffè
• Coffee Old Fashioned
• Cinnamon Hazelnut Cold Foam
• FAQ

Iced French Vanilla Latte

The easiest way to turn your morning coffee into something closer to a café order. Brew a double-strength cup of French Vanilla (use about 1.5x your normal amount of coffee), let it cool slightly, then pour over ice. Add milk of your choice, starting with a 1:1 ratio of coffee to milk and adjusting to taste. No syrup needed since French Vanilla already brings the flavor.

Mocha Frappe

Brew a cup of Mocha, let it cool completely (or use cold brew for the fastest route), then blend with ice, a splash of milk, and a spoonful of chocolate syrup or cocoa powder if you want it richer. Blend until smooth and slushy, about 30 to 45 seconds. Top with whipped cream if you're feeling indulgent.

Ratio to start with: 1 cup brewed Mocha, 1 cup ice, 2 to 4 tablespoons milk. Adjust ice for a thicker or thinner texture.

Affogato al Caffè

One of the simplest dessert-coffee combinations there is: pour a hot shot of espresso directly over a scoop of vanilla ice cream and eat immediately, before it melts too far. The contrast between hot, bold coffee and cold, sweet cream is the entire point.

No espresso machine? A very strong, small batch of drip coffee, brewed with less water than usual, works as a reasonable substitute.

Coffee Old Fashioned

For the adults in the room. Combine 2 oz bourbon, 1 oz cold brew concentrate, 1/4 oz simple syrup, and 2 dashes of aromatic bitters in a mixing glass with ice. Stir, don't shake, until well chilled, then strain over a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange peel.

A dark, bold cold brew concentrate holds its own against the bourbon without disappearing, which makes a coffee like our 6 Bean Blend or Italian Roast a better fit here than something lighter.

Cinnamon Hazelnut Cold Foam

A simple topping that turns any iced coffee into something more café-style. Combine 1/2 cup cold milk (whole milk or oat milk froths best) with 1 teaspoon sugar and a pinch of cinnamon in a jar. Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds, or use a milk frother, until it's light and foamy. Spoon over an iced cup of Cinnamon Hazelnut for a topping that actually matches the coffee underneath instead of just floating on top.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use regular coffee instead of espresso in these recipes?

For the affogato, yes, a very strong, concentrated brew works as a substitute for espresso in a pinch. For the others, regular brewed coffee (or cold brew concentrate where noted) works fine as written.

What about dalgona (whipped) coffee?

Dalgona coffee specifically requires instant coffee, since the whipping technique that gives it that fluffy texture doesn't work with brewed or ground coffee. If you want to try it, you'll need a jar of instant coffee alongside your regular Mount Dora bag.

Can I make any of these recipes decaf?

Yes, swap in Peru Decaf for any recipe calling for brewed or cold brew coffee. The flavor profile will shift slightly since it's a different bean, but the techniques work exactly the same.

Do I need special equipment for any of these?

A blender helps for the frappe, and a cocktail shaker or mixing glass helps for the old fashioned, but none of these require an espresso machine except the affogato, and even that has a workaround with strong drip coffee.

How far ahead can I make cold brew concentrate for these recipes?

Up to two weeks if stored in a sealed container in the fridge, which makes it easy to batch it once and use it across several of these recipes throughout the week.