Just because the world is changing doesn’t mean your coffee order has to.
Usually on breaks from school, I can substitute my Evanston coffee routine with a hometown coffee shop run. However, stay-at-home orders and restaurant closings make this daily task challenging. During the quarantine so far, my sister and I have mastered a few DIY copycat recipes that take me back to my favorite NU coffee shops. Since going to the grocery store can be risky these days, the following drinks can be made using simple ingredients that you probably already have. Also, if you are missing Northwestern as much as I am, I hope these drinks give you a taste of Evanston at home until you can enjoy the real thing again.
Coffee Lab Vanilla Latte
My go-to coffee shop order is always a vanilla latte. Therefore, I was eager to perfect this drink during quarantine to control my tempting Starbucks drive-thru trips. After many attempts, I finally developed the best recipe that tastes just like Coffee Lab’s vanilla latte.
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¾ cup of strong coffee
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½ cup of whole milk
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2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
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1 tablespoon of white sugar
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Ice (optional)
Combine the vanilla and coffee in a mug. In a separate container, stir the sugar into the whole milk and microwave for 2 minutes on high (be sure not to boil it!). Whisk the warm milk and sugar vigorously for about a minute or until it becomes frothy. Pour the frothy milk over the vanilla coffee and enjoy. This recipe is a pretty mild combination of flavors, but the vanilla, milk and sugar amounts can be adjusted to satisfy your preferences. It can also be poured over ice if desired.
Peet’s Cinnamon Cappuccino
This drink was easy to make and made a mild but delicious beverage. I highly recommended for a rainy morning.
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1 cup of strong coffee
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1 teaspoon of cinnamon
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⅓ cup of whole milk
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1 tablespoon of white sugar
Stir the cinnamon into a hot cup of coffee. Combine the sugar and milk in a separate container and heat in the microwave for 2 min on high (again, make sure it doesn’t boil over). Whisk the milk for about a minute or until it gets frothy. Pour the milk over the cinnamon coffee and sprinkle with additional cinnamon (or chai) if you would prefer a stronger flavor.
Cupitol Iced Mocha Latte
Sometimes you need dessert AND coffee. This drink will satisfy your sweet tooth while you get your caffeine fix. If you don’t love the taste of coffee, you can easily mask its bitterness in this recipe with additional chocolate and cream.
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1 cup of strong coffee
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1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
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¼ cup of whole milk
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2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup
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Ice
Drizzle the chocolate syrup around the inside of your cup, then fill with ice. Pour coffee over the ice and gently mix with the vanilla extract and milk. This iced mocha latte looks amazing and tastes even better.
Viet Nom Nom Vietnamese Coffee
Although Viet Nom Nom is not a traditional coffee shop, their Vietnamese coffee is near perfection. If you know me, you know this is by far my favorite Evanston coffee. This two-ingredient recipe is super easy and turned out great!
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1 cup of strong coffee
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2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk
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Ice
All you need to do is stir these ingredients until combined, then pour over ice. It’s the perfect sweet, creamy and refreshing drink with a unique flavor. It can also be served warm but I definitely recommend you try it iced.
Norbucks Peppermint Latte
Even though it’s spring, peppermint drinks still satisfy on cold mornings. This latte tastes like Christmas and is PINK.
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½ cup of strong coffee
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½ cup of whole milk
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2 starlight peppermint candies (for color), can also substitute for 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract
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1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
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1 tablespoon of sugar
Combine coffee and vanilla in a mug. In a separate container, mix milk and sugar then add in the starlight mints. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time and mix. Slowly, the mints will melt and make the milk pink. After about 2 minutes of this the milk will be frothy and light pink. Pour over your coffee and enjoy!
*Add 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup instead of vanilla for a peppermint mocha.
While we might be missing school, hopefully these coffee treats can make it feel like you’re back in Evanston. Enjoy!