It’s that time of the year when the temperature can actually drop below 80 degrees around Central Florida, and with that comes the rise of seasonal hot drinks being sold at every coffee shop, cafe, bakery, and local eatery. But instead of going through the trouble of waiting in that long line at Starbucks, spending nearly half of your paycheck or allowance on exotic-sounding drinks, why not try out these delicious recipes that won’t hurt your budget and can be very easy to make*?
*You can find all of the ingredients for these recipes at Wal-Mart, Publix, and Target!
1.) Easy Chai Tea
Ingredients: cardamom seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, fresh ginger, whole milk, black tea, sugar to taste
Estimated total price for ingredients in full at store: $10-12
Total time to make: ~20 minutes
Review: This is an awesome recipe because you can easily adjust the amounts of spices and levels of flavor to your liking. The spices may be on the pricier side than your average salt and pepper, but if you buy in bulk and make a lot of this recipe, it totally pays off!
Ingredients: canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, black pepper, sugar, vanilla extract, whole milk, sugar, expresso, heavy whipped cream
Estimated total price for ingredients in full at store: ~$8-12
Total time to make: ~20-30 minutes
Review: Ah, the one that really gets everyone going! Well, not only can you now have the infamous pumpkin spice latte – you can make anywhere from 6 to 10 servings of the stuff from this recpie if you buy the ingredients in full, and as always you can alter the recipe to suit your taste.
3.) Apple Cider with Hibiscus Syrup
Ingredients: apple cider, fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, hibiscus flower syrup (hibiscus tea as substitute)
Estimated total price for ingredients in full at store: ~$15-17
Total time to make: ~15-20 minutes
Review: The hibiscus syrup adds a certain kick to the traditional apple cider drink but if it is too pricey, you can use hibiscus tea as an adequate substitute, though it won’t taste as obvious.
Ingredients: Nutella, low fat milk, cocoa powder (sweetened or unsweetened), marshmallows, crushed nuts
Estimated total price for ingredients in full at store: ~$8-10
Total time to make: ~15 minutes
Review: Who doesn’t like Nutella? This recipe puts a savory, incredibly sweet twist on everyone’s favorite hot chocolate recipe. Nutella is significantly heavier than regular cocoa powder, and you will taste the difference after trying out this recipe.
Ingredients: orange, cloves, whole milk, brown sugar, cocoa powder, coffee crystals, rum extract, cinnamon sticks
Estimated total price for ingredients in full at store: ~$10-15
Total time to make: ~25 minutes
Review: This is a recipe that is very kind in the belly. The cloves, brown sugar, and cinnamon sticks blend well together, and you can make multiple servings from one mix.
There you have it, five cheap and easy recipes for hot drinks that you can make at home in preparation for the fall season. Cheers, to both these delicious recipes and not breaking your bank account for a one-time deal at Starbucks!