Whether you start your day with one cup of coffee or you sip (or guzzle−no judgment here) throughout the day, it’s fun to try variations to get out of your coffee rut.

Not that coffee is ever a rut.

In fact, in my house, it’s a required liquid to ensure I start my day in a pleasant and human-like manner.

Just ask my husband. He knows not to speak to me before (at least) my first cup of coffee.

So, when I find time to play with my coffee, I’m never disappointed. And this Easy Mexican Iced Coffee definitely did not disappoint. Keep reading for all my insights on this recipe.

Be Your Own Barista

I’m always on a quest for new Be-Your-Own-Barista coffee ideas because I firmly believe you don’t need to go out and spend $5 per cup to enjoy new varieties and flavors of coffee.

If you’re a coffee addict like me, it only makes sense to try new variations at home.

In fact, we’ve been playing with our coffee for years. It started by adding some ground cinnamon to our coffee grounds pre-brew. Then we dashed in some ground nutmeg. Yummy!

Another quick and easy way to change up your coffee is to flavor the brewing water. Are you a fan of vanilla? Pour in a teaspoon or so of pure vanilla extract (if you’re making a full pot of coffee). Or, if you have vanilla beans on hand, scrape the seeds into your brewing water. They’ll steep during the brewing process and add that hint of vanilla to your coffee.

The point is, you don’t have to spend extra money on the syrups that are out there because you probably already have the spices and other ingredients to make your own flavored coffee.

Need More Coffee Ideas?

If you’re looking for other ideas to shake up your morning (or anytime) coffee routine, check out our post with insights on Spiced Coffee with Maple Cream, Thai Iced Coffee, and Home-Made Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup/Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Simple to Make−Easy Iced Mexican Coffee

Get the recipe from: Coffee at Three

When I was looking for an iced coffee recipe, I wasn’t expecting to find one utilizing the warm spices I more typically enjoy in a hot coffee. But the Easy Iced Mexican Coffee from Jee at Coffee at Three caught my eye and I’m very glad I added to my to-be-tried list.

We all know chocolate and coffee are a match made in heaven, but the addition of the cloves and cinnamon elevates this Mexican coffee and delivers unexpected warmth and comfort.

In fact, it’s that juxtaposition of the warm spices and the chocolate in an iced coffee that makes this an extremely intriguing drink.

Could you make this as a hot coffee? I’m sure you could. Do you really want to? I’m not sure you do. I say stick with it as an iced beverage.

Four things to know about the Easy Iced Mexican Coffee recipe:

  • The prep time really is 4 minutes. In the time it takes to make your pot of coffee, you can easily whip up the cream for the topping. Then you’re just adding the spices and chocolate, mixing in the milk, and topping with cream.
Whipping the cream for the Easy Iced Mexican Coffee.
  • You can add the dry spices to your coffee grounds to infuse them while your coffee brews. We’ve been playing with adding spices to our coffee grounds before brewing for years. So, feel free to add the cinnamon and cloves to your coffee grounds. You will need to multiply the quantities of the spices based on how many cups you’re brewing. For example, if you’re brewing 8 cups, you’ll want to add 2 tsp ground cinnamon and 2 tsp ground cloves. For a 12-cup pot, you’ll add 3 tsp ground cinnamon and 3 tsp ground cloves.
  • Don’t skip the sea salt garnish! After you dust your drink with cinnamon, be sure to grind some sea salt on top of the coffee. The sea salt provides a nice counterpoint to the sweetness of the chocolate syrup and cream. Think about it this way−ice cream has a salty goodness and it wouldn’t taste the same without that kick of salt. You’ve got some serious ice cream ingredients in this coffee (heavy cream and chocolate syrup) so grind that salt onto your coffee! You’ll be glad you did!
  • Allow the coffee to sit for a few minutes and watch the magic happen. Once you top the coffee with the cream, cinnamon and sea salt (re-read the bullet point above if you’re still skeptical about the sea salt), let it sit for a few minutes and the cream will slowly and wonderfully drizzle down into the coffee. Don’t rush this. Enjoy the self-mixing beauty of it.

Comment and post a photo of your Easy Iced Mexican Coffee showing us your cascade of cream!

Cascade of cream!