Holiday Coffee: 8 Festive Coffee Drinks to Make at Home

Some of my favorite memories around coffee have very little to do with standing in front of a coffee roaster.

They're Christmas mornings when the house is still quiet. A pot brewing while family and friends are arriving. Coffee after a long dinner when everyone stays at the table a little longer than they planned.

I've been roasting coffee since 1980, and around the holidays I like to have some fun with it. Chocolate, peppermint, ginger, cinnamon and caramel can all make wonderful holiday coffee drinks.

I just have one rule: I still want to taste the coffee.

Start with good coffee, keep the other flavors in balance, and you can make some wonderful holiday coffee drinks at home.

Here are eight of my favorites.

What Is Holiday Coffee?

Holiday coffee usually refers to coffee and espresso drinks made with flavors associated with the holiday season, including peppermint, chocolate, ginger, cinnamon, caramel and warming spices.

You might call them holiday coffee drinks, festive coffee drinks or seasonal coffee drinks. Whatever you call them, I think the best ones have something in common:

The coffee remains at the center of the cup.

A peppermint mocha should still taste like coffee. So should a gingerbread latte.

What Makes a Great Holiday Coffee Drink?

When you add milk, chocolate, caramel or spices, you're asking the coffee to do a lot more work.

That's why I like coffee with enough body and character to remain present in the finished drink.

I also believe in restraint. You can always add a little more chocolate or peppermint. Once you've added too much, it's difficult to find the coffee again.

Brew good coffee. Taste as you go. Let the ingredients work together.

8 Holiday Coffee Recipes to Make at Home

1. Peppermint Mocha

Chocolate and peppermint are holiday classics, but peppermint can take over a cup quickly. You want that cool peppermint finish to come after the chocolate and coffee, not before them.

Ingredients

• 1 shot espresso or 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

• 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

• 1 tablespoon peppermint syrup or 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

• 1 cup milk of choice

• Whipped cream

• Crushed peppermint candies for garnish

How to Make It

Brew the espresso or strong coffee. Add the chocolate and peppermint and stir well.

Froth or warm the milk and pour it into the coffee mixture. Finish with whipped cream and crushed peppermint candies.

Makes 1 serving.

John's Coffee Tip: Peppermint and chocolate are strong flavors. I want enough body underneath them that I can still taste the coffee. Weaver's Espresso Coffee is a medium-dark roast developed specifically for espresso, with the body and balanced sweetness to work well in lattes, cappuccinos and other milk-based drinks. 

2. Gingerbread Latte

A gingerbread latte should smell good before you ever taste it. Ginger, cinnamon and molasses bring warmth and sweetness, but they shouldn't overwhelm the coffee underneath them.

Ingredients

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 2 teaspoons molasses

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 tablespoons strong brewed coffee

• 1 cup milk of choice

• Sweetener of choice, optional

How to Make It

In a small saucepan, combine the cinnamon, ginger, molasses and vanilla. Warm until fragrant.

Add the brewed coffee and stir. Heat and froth the milk, then add it to the spiced coffee.

Taste before adding any additional sweetener. The molasses already brings plenty of character.

Makes 1 serving.

John's Coffee Tip: Ginger and molasses aren't shy flavors, so your coffee shouldn't be shy either. I look for enough depth to keep the coffee present after the spice fades.

3. Salted Caramel Mocha

Chocolate, caramel and coffee naturally work together. A touch of salt can make those flavors even more interesting.

The important words there are a touch.

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk

• 1 cup hot, strong coffee

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

• 2 tablespoons caramel sauce

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• Whipped cream and caramel sauce for topping

How to Make It

Heat and froth the milk.

Brew the coffee and combine it with the cocoa, caramel sauce and sugar. Divide between two mugs and add the frothed milk.

Finish with the salt, whipped cream and a light drizzle of caramel.

Makes 2 servings.

John's Coffee Tip: There is already a lot happening here. Give the chocolate and caramel a solid coffee foundation instead of trying to make the drink stronger by adding more sweetness.

4. Spiced Caramel Latte

This is caramel with a little more warmth.

Cinnamon and nutmeg bring the holiday character while espresso gives the sweetness something to work against.

Ingredients

• 1 shot espresso or 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

• 3 tablespoons caramel sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 cup milk of choice

• Whipped cream for topping

How to Make It

Brew the espresso or strong coffee and stir in the caramel, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Froth the milk and pour it into the coffee mixture. Top with whipped cream and, if you'd like, a small drizzle of caramel.

Makes 1 serving.

John's Coffee Tip: With milk, caramel and spices all in the same cup, balance matters. I want enough coffee body to carry the drink all the way through the finish.

5. Black Forest Coffee

Chocolate and cherry make this one of the richer holiday coffee recipes, and I especially like the idea of serving it after dinner.

It's also easy to prepare for several people at once.

Ingredients

• 4 cups hot brewed espresso or strong coffee

• 1/2 cup chocolate syrup

• 1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice

• Whipped cream

• Chocolate syrup for drizzling

• Maraschino cherries for garnish

How to Make It

Brew the coffee and combine it with the chocolate syrup and cherry juice.

Pour into mugs, filling each about two-thirds full. Finish with whipped cream, a light chocolate drizzle and a maraschino cherry.

Makes 6 servings.

John's Coffee Tip: This is where I'd reach for a fuller-bodied dark roast. Weaver's French Roast Coffee has deep roast character, full body and notes of dark chocolate, smoky caramel and toasted sugar, so it has enough presence for a rich drink like this. 

6. Christmas Cocoa Cappuccino

This drink brings together cappuccino, cocoa and eggnog in one holiday cup.

There's plenty of richness here already, so let the espresso provide the backbone.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup prepared espresso

• 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup

• 1/3 cup milk

• 1/4 cup eggnog

• Grated nutmeg or crushed candy cane for garnish, optional

How to Make It

Stir the chocolate syrup into the freshly brewed espresso.

Heat and froth the milk and eggnog together. Pour the milk mixture into a mug, leaving room for the espresso, then slowly add the espresso.

Finish with nutmeg or crushed candy cane if you'd like.

Makes 1 large or 2 smaller servings.

John's Coffee Tip: Espresso works beautifully in a drink like this because you get concentrated coffee flavor without adding a lot of extra water.

7. Masala Coffee

I like this recipe because the spices become part of the aroma of the coffee rather than simply sitting on top of it.

Cardamom and cinnamon can be beautiful with coffee. As with all spices, balance matters.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups milk

• 2 1/2 cardamom pods

• 1 1/2 cups water

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 1/2 cinnamon stick

• 3 tablespoons ground coffee

How to Make It

Combine the milk and water in a saucepan and heat until nearly boiling.

Add the cardamom, cinnamon, sugar and coffee. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

Strain, return to heat if necessary, and serve hot.

Makes 2 servings.

John's Coffee Tip: With a spiced coffee, I want to smell the spice first and then find the coffee underneath it. Neither one needs to overpower the other.

8. S'mores Hot Chocolate

This one is dessert in a mug.

The original recipe makes the espresso optional, but if I'm making it, you can probably guess which way I'm going.

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk

• 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 2/3 ounce bittersweet chocolate chips

• 2/3 tablespoon honey

• 1 tablespoon graham cracker crumbs

• 2 marshmallows

• 1/2 shot espresso, optional

How to Make It

Brew the espresso if you're using it.

In a saucepan, heat the milk and sugar, then whisk in the chocolate chips.

Coat the rim of your mug with honey and graham cracker crumbs. Carefully toast the marshmallows, pour the hot chocolate into the mug, add the espresso and finish with the marshmallows.

Makes 1 serving.

John's Coffee Tip: The sweeter the ingredients around the coffee become, the more important it is to give the coffee enough strength to stay in the cup.

How to Choose Coffee for Holiday Drinks

I've spent most of my life thinking about what happens to coffee when you apply heat to it.

When I'm choosing coffee for a holiday drink, I come back to the same thing I think about when I'm roasting:

Balance.

For chocolate and mocha drinks, I want body and depth.

For peppermint drinks, the coffee needs enough character to remain present because peppermint can dominate a cup quickly.

For gingerbread and spiced drinks, I want richness and balance rather than simply making the coffee as dark as possible.

For milk-heavy lattes and cappuccinos, espresso is useful because it gives you concentrated coffee flavor that can stand up to the milk.

And for rich dessert drinks like Black Forest Coffee, a fuller-bodied dark roast can work beautifully.

If you're making espresso-based holiday drinks, Weaver's Espresso Coffee is the natural place I'd start. It's a medium-dark roast created specifically for espresso extraction and works well as the foundation for lattes and cappuccinos. 

For richer chocolate-heavy drinks, French Roast Coffee brings deeper dark-roast character and full body. 

And if you're brewing a pot for family and friends, Original Blend Coffee is a versatile medium roast with chocolate, caramel and light citrus notes that works beautifully as drip coffee and across several other brewing methods. There isn't one correct coffee for every holiday recipe.

Choose the coffee for the drink you're making and don't forget to taste the coffee itself.

Can You Make Holiday Coffee Without an Espresso Machine?

Absolutely.

An espresso machine is useful for lattes, cappuccinos and mochas because espresso provides concentrated coffee flavor that can stand up to milk and other ingredients.

But you don't need an espresso machine to make good holiday coffee at home.

Several of these recipes already work with strongly brewed coffee, and drinks like Black Forest Coffee are made for brewed coffee or espresso.

I've never believed enjoying coffee should require a kitchen full of equipment.

How to Serve Holiday Coffee for Family and Friends

When I'm serving coffee to people, I try not to overcomplicate it.

Brew the coffee close to the time you're going to serve it. If you're making individual lattes or mochas, get the other ingredients ready beforehand so you're not measuring cinnamon while everyone else is having a good time.

For a larger group, choose one of the recipes that can be made several servings at a time.

And I always like having good regular coffee available too.

Not everybody wants peppermint, chocolate, caramel or whipped cream.

Sometimes the person sitting across the table just wants a great cup of coffee.

Make the Coffee Worth Gathering Around

I've been roasting coffee since 1980. I've spent countless hours thinking about green coffee, heat, airflow, time and all the little decisions that change what eventually ends up in your cup.

But coffee has never just been about roasting to me. It's about what happens after you brew it.

It's the pot you make because people are coming over. It's Christmas morning before the house gets noisy. It's the cup you pour after dinner when everyone stays at the table for another half hour.

Maybe you make a peppermint mocha this year. Maybe it's gingerbread. Maybe you skip every recipe on this page and simply brew a great pot of coffee.

Start with good coffee. Make something you enjoy. Share it with somebody you care about.

That's a pretty good holiday tradition.

— John Weaver
Master Coffee Roaster & Co-Founder
Weaver's Coffee & Tea

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