For some of us, visiting our favourite cafes for a cup of coffee is a weekly routine. There's nothing better than kicking it back in a cosy space while enjoying a satisfying sip of creamy latte or warm cappuccino. However, there are days when you just don't feel like stepping a foot out the door. So what do you do then? Make your own cup of coffee of course! With this list of easy coffee recipes, there's no need to settle for instant coffee at home ?
1. Dalgona coffee
There's no better way to kick off this list than with the drink that took the world by storm during the height of the pandemic - Dalgona coffee. Inspired by a Korean candy, you just need a 1:1:1 ratio of instant coffee, sugar and hot water. Mix this up in a bowl until it becomes a frothy caramel-coloured cream - it's totally doable by hand, but far easier if you have a hand mixer or one of those small battery-operated hand-held milk frothers. Once you have your foam ready, pour yourself a glass of milk (either hot or cold), and top it with the coffee cream.
2. Caramel macchiato or caramel coffee
Whether you're you can make espresso at home (via a machine such as a Nespresso or Dolce Gusto) or brew up a cup of black coffee, make your coffee extra special with homemade caramel sauce. You can find readymade caramel sauce in supermarkets nowadays, but it's easy to make your own! All you need is butter, brown sugar, and milk or cream, cooked over the stovetop (you can refer to this recipe from AllRecipes or this recipe from Fifteen Spatulas). Once you make a batch of caramel sauce, you can use it to make caramel coffee and have extra on-hand to drizzle over desserts or over ice cream!
3. Cubed iced coffee
Take your iced coffee up a notch by opting for coffee ice cubes! You'll often find this type of deconstructed lattes in fancy cafes, but you can totally do it at home. Make some black coffee (if you prefer your coffee sweeter add sugar and mix in) and wait for it to cool. Pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze it. When you're ready for your home cafe moment, pop out the frozen cubes of coffee and put it in a glass. Pour over cold milk, and as the coffee cubes melt, you'll have your iced-coffee drink! The best thing about this is that your coffee won't get diluted as it usually would with regular ice cubes.
4. Vietnamese egg coffee
Take a break from your usual morning coffee routine and transport yourself to Vietnam with one of Hanoi’s most unique drinks - egg coffee (ca phe trung). Made with sweetened condensed milk, egg yolk and Vietnamese ground coffee, it's a combination that sounds pretty strange but seeing as how it’s well-loved by locals and even tourists, it’s one that definitely works! Not at all eggy like how you would expect it to taste, this beverage is actually rich and creamy thanks to the egg foam that sits on top of it. And when coupled with a dark and smooth coffee, you’ll be wanting to make this drink time and time again - click here to check out its easy recipe.
5. Pumpkin Spice Latte
If there's one drink that perfectly captures the essence of the autumn season, it's pumpkin spice latte. Fragrant and creamy with a hint of sweetness that hits the spot just right, this delicious drink is a widely-loved drink that you can typically get at your nearest Starbuck outlet for a limited time. If you're trying to save up some cash or simply not in the mood to head out, why not whip one up yourself? It may sound complicated to make but the reality is that you only need less than 10 ingredients to enjoy a cup of pumpkin spice latte.
#HHWTTip: Swap out vanilla extract with vanilla essence
And there you have it! A few easy coffee recipes that you can easily make at home if you don't feel like going out to your favourite cafe for the weekend ?
Want to whip up more drinks at home? Get yourself started with these: