Going to a coffee shop and studying with friends is one of my favorite parts of being in college. And with classes being online and everyone practicing social distancing, I miss my study dates. But then I thought, why does it have to end? I don’t have to spend crazy money on iced coffee to have a good time and drink good coffee with my friends. I can be my own barista!
So, my friends and I have been FaceTiming and messing around with different coffee recipes before we do some homework together.
From all the different recipes we’ve tried, here are some of the most fun and easy ways we’ve discovered we can all zhuzh up our coffees together:
Why let your coffee get watered down when your ice cubes can be made of coffee?!
Using an ice cube tray, pour cold brew into each ice cube mold and freeze. That’s it! That’s how easy it is to make sure you never have watered down coffee again.
If you’re looking to get extra fancy, try mixing in cinnamon, sweetened condensed milk or flavored sweetener into your cold brew before freezing.
Oat milk is so expensive, but it’s also so delicious. Save money by making some at home.
Recipe:
1 cup rolled oats
4 cups of water
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 tablespoons of honey
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for about 45 seconds until oats are chopped into small pieces. Strain through a sieve or thin towel until you are just left with the milk. Refrigerate and enjoy!
A fun tip that can help cut down on waste is to use the oat “pulp” that is left over to make cookies. That way, you can have some delicious oatmeal cookies and milk.
If you want to add some different flavored syrup, replace the vanilla with the flavor of your choice.
Make your coffee the bee’s knees
This is my favorite coffee trick I’ve come up with. Honey straws are one of my favorite snacks, and recently I discovered they are an amazing way to step up your coffee game. Just pick the honey straw you think sounds the best and squeeze it into your coffee.
Some of my favorites are peppermint, blackberry, amaretto, chai and peach! It’s a really easy way to take your coffee to the next level when you’re on the go.
Don’t be afraid to try new things!
Sometimes the best recipes are the ones that seem too crazy to try. Believe me, I was hesitant at first, but these coffee combos are worth a try.
As we get closer and closer to summer, a coffee lemonade is quite refreshing. The tip here is to make sure the coffee is not sweet or it’s just a sugar overload.
As fans of Harry Styles, we of course had to try his favorite, the Bullet Coffee. Mix coffee with coconut oil and a little butter. It is really creamy, and if it’s good enough for Harry, it’s good enough for me. Lastly, adding espresso to soda is a great combo. Who doesn’t want to have bubbles? Flavored sparkling water can be a good place to start, but vanilla coke with espresso and vanilla syrup… *chef’s kiss.*
Healthier sweetener substitutes
I’m always looking for a natural and somewhat healthy sugar substitute. Raw blue agave has been my favorite because it gives coffee a caramel flavor. Honey is, of course, another great sweetener, but when you are drinking iced coffee the honey can get a little clumpy. My suggestion here would be to put a lid on your coffee cup and shake it so the honey can get better incorporated.
When it comes to flavored syrups, I have started trying to make my own so I can control the ingredients. My favorite sugar-free flavored syrup is made with monk fruit. Monk fruit is a sugar substitute that is 150-200 times sweeter than sugar, so be careful, a little goes a long way. The thing I like the most about it is it isn’t trying to be sugar so there isn’t that fake sugar aftertaste. It’s just a really natural sweet taste. Combine equal parts water and monk fruit and slowly heat until the monk fruit is dissolved. If you want, you can also add in an extract to add another layer of flavor. My favorite is lavender, and I taste the syrup after adding the extract to see if I want to add more depending on how strong I want the flavor to be.
From all the research I’ve done over the past few weeks, these are my best recommendations and tips. We’re all stuck at home doing online classes, so tomorrow morning when you make your coffee why not treat yourself? And while you’re at it, call a friend and make it a Zoom date.
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