15 Coffee Recipes You Can Easily Master at Home

One of the things working strictly from home has taught me: My coffee cravings (which I dutifully satisfy) really do put a big dent in my savings. Apparently, a huge chunk of my life has been marked by breakfasts and brunches out, afternoon coffee dates, coffee shop runs, and working days spent at cafés… the list of coffee-related events goes on. Can you relate?

Since I haven’t been able to treat myself to my usual cuppa joe, I decided to try and get a little more creative with my homemade brew. And since I’ve never known myself to be a whiz in the kitchen, I stuck to super simple that anyone can master at home. Fellow coffee lovers, this one’s for you — pick your poison!

P.S. Dalgona coffee isn’t on this list of . We’re pretty sure you know how to make it already!

Simple you can master at home

1. Peanut butter, banana & coffee smoothie

I start this list of with a personal favourite!

There was a time I reserved my mornings for  fruit and veggie smoothies instead of cups of coffee. And though I do love that they’re healthy and delicious, there isn’t anything quite like starting my mornings with a much-needed caffeine kick — especially when I’m working from home. So I thought, why not start my days with both?

I scoured the web for the perfect caffeine and fruit smoothie until I found the perfect one on The Sweet Pea Chef. This coffee recipe is basically a banana smoothie mixed with brewed coffee and peanut butter. The special ingredient? Coffee grounds! (Who knew you could eat them?) They add a nice texture to the smoothie, and give it a nice “cookies and cream” kind of feel!

Ingredients

• ½ frozen banana
• ¼ cup chilled brewed coffee
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp coffee grounds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps

1. Brew your coffee. (I usually brew a whole cup.)
2. Add ice or place in the refrigerator until chilled. (I save the ¾ cup leftover for later!)
3. Place all ingredients in the blender.
4. Blend until smooth!

2. Cold brew

On average, a cold brew will set you back at least ₱100. But with a bit of patience and the necessary equipment, the same amount (or less, depending on how much you buy your coffee beans or grounds for) could go a much longer way.

If you’re not new to cold brew, you know very well by now that it isn’t synonymous to a chilled cup of brewed coffee. Brewing takes 12 to 24 hours, and this makes coffee stronger and less acidic. Once you’ve mastered the simple art of making your own cold brew, we guarantee you’ll be saying “Starbucks who?” Seriously, this is one of the I recommend mastering — because it serves as an excellent base for countless others!

Ingredients

• 1 cup coarsely ground coffee
• 4 cups cold or room temperature water

*This recipe makes enough servings to last you several days!

Steps

1. Place your coffee grounds in a big jar or wide-mouthed bottle.
   • If you have a strainer bag at home, place your grounds inside. It will save you the extra time and effort after your cold brew is ready!
2. Add water and stir. Make sure all your grounds are hydrated.
3. Cover your container with a lid and place it in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.
4. Remove from the refrigerator and filter out your coffee grounds with a strainer. For better filtering, you can place a cheesecloth over your strainer.
5. Voila! You have your cold brew concentrate. Depending on how strong you like your coffee, you can enjoy it on its own, or dilute with water as needed. Serve with ice!

3. Dirty Horchata

The thought of horchatas always takes me back to La Union; my friends introduced me to this sweet cinnamon drink on my first trip there. Those who enjoy their coffee sweet or are big fans of cinnamon-flavoured treats in general will love the dirty horchata, a.k.a. horchata topped with a shot of espresso, iced coffee, or cold brew. The following coffee recipe from Half Baked Harvest will transport you to El Union Coffee real quick!

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 2 ½ cups water
• ⅓ cup honey or real maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon (add extra if you’d like to top your drink with more cinnamon)
• 4 cups milk
• 1 cup cold coffee or espresso
• A pinch of salt

Steps

1. Place the rice and water in a large bowl. You can choose one of two options:
   • Soak the rice in steaming hot water for two hours.
   • Soak the rice in room temperature water for eight hours or overnight.
2. Pour the rice and water into the blender. Blend until creamy.
3. Add the honey or maple syrup, vanilla extract, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Blend until combined.
4. Pour the mixture into a pitcher or jar. Add milk and stir.
5. Chill until ready to serve.
6. Pour horchata into a glass with ice.
7. Pour your desired amount of coffee over your horchata.
8. Optional: Sprinkle cinnamon on top of your drink!

4. Kori-Kohi

Is UCC one of the cafés you frequent? If so, you’re probably no stranger to the magic that is Kori-Kohi: coffee cubes served with warm milk. It was one of the first coffee drinks I learned to love when I was old enough to enjoy caffeine, and I love that it’s so easy to make at home!

Ingredients

• 3 cups coffee
• 3 tbsp sweetener of choice (personally, I like muscovado)
• Milk (desired amount)

*This recipe can fill a 12-piece ice cube tray.

Steps

1. Brew your coffee.
2. Mix in your sweetener.
   • If your chosen sweetener is in the form of a syrup, then you can skip this step and just mix it in when your Kori-Kohi is ready to drink!
3. Allow coffee to cool a bit, then proceed to filling your ice cube tray with your coffee. Don’t fill all the way to the top as the liquid will expand when frozen.
4. Leave overnight (or until frozen).
5. Pour four to five ice cubes into a glass, depending on how strong you like your coffee.
6. Pour warm milk over ice cubes as desired!

5. Vietnamese iced coffee (cà phê sua đá)

If you love your coffee both strong and sweet, I won’t be surprised if Vietnamese iced coffee is your poison of choice. Since not all of us have a phin (Vietnamese coffee filter) at home, it’s easy to resign ourselves to just heading out to the nearest coffee shop that offers a good cup of cà phê sua đá.

However, this is one of those coffee recipe that are actually much simpler than you’d think. All you need is a strong brew — instant black coffee is fine, too — and some condensed milk. Enjoy!

With brewed coffee

Ingredients

• 1 cup coffee (preferably Robusta, but any bitter or dark roast will do)
• 1 ½ tbsp sweetened condensed milk (can add more if you’re after a sweeter flavour)

Steps

1. Brew your coffee.
2. Pour condensed milk into a glass.
3. Pour your coffee over the condensed milk and mix until blended well.
4. Add ice!

With instant coffee

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hot water
• 1 ½ tbsp instant coffee
• 1 ½ tbsp sweetened condensed milk

Steps

1. Pour condensed milk into a glass.
2. Add a layer of instant coffee powder on top of the condensed milk.
3. Pour hot water on top.
4. Mix until blended well.
5. Add ice!

6. Egg coffee (cà phê trung)

Yes, this list has not one, but two Vietnamese ! Besides their cà phê sua đá, the Vietnamese are also well-known for their egg coffee. Some say it tastes like tiramisu in liquid form — yum! With the following recipe by Moka Bees, you’ll be able to enjoy a quality cup of egg coffee, whether or not you happen to have a phin at home.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Vietnamese coffee or any dark roast (Robusta is preferable)
• 3 tbsp condensed milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 cups boiling water

Steps

1. Prepare your coffee.
2. Combine egg yolks, sugar, and condensed milk in a bowl. Mix with an electric whisk until thick and foamy.
3. Place your serving glass in a bowl of hot water.
4. Pour ⅔ of your coffee into the serving glass.
5. Add the entire egg mixture on top of the coffee.
6. Let your serving glass sit in the water for a couple of minutes to let the egg cook.
7. Remove your serving glass from the water.
8. Pour the rest of your coffee on top and let it soak through the egg!

7. Thai iced coffee

I hear a lot about Thai iced tea and milked tea, but not much about Thai iced coffee! Perfect for those who love their coffee on the milky side, this coffee recipe is very simple and easy to prepare. For a more authentic take on this drink, you’ll have to use Thai coffee grounds and a Thai coffee filter to match. However, if you have none, you can make do with the coffee you have at home!

Ingredients

• 1 cup coffee
• 1 ½ tbsp sweetened condensed milk (add more if preferred)
• 1 tbsp evaporated milk (add more if preferred)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps

1. Brew a cup of your coffee of choice.
2. Mix the condensed milk and evaporated coffee together in a glass.
3. Add ice.
4. Pour coffee on top of the milk.
5. Add vanilla extract.
6. Mix everything together!

8. Affogato

The Italian word “affogato” means “poached” or “drowned”; and true to its name, this dessert refers to ice cream drowned in hot espresso. Sophisticated as it may seem, it’s actually one of the simplest out there.

While it’s usually served with vanilla gelato, we love making it at home means you get to mix your coffee with just about any ice cream flavour — we hear that even avocado is a great choice! Plus, if you don’t have an espresso maker at home, you can recreate this dessert with strong brewed coffee or instant coffee, too.

Ingredients

• 1 shot espresso or 3 tbsp strong brewed coffee (Arabica is most recommended)
• 1-2 scoops ice cream of your desired flavour (vanilla, chocolate, and hazelnut are the most commonly used)
• Chocolate (or any flavour of choice) syrup

Steps

1. Brew your coffee right before serving.
2. Place your ice cream in a glass.
3. Drizzle your ice cream with chocolate syrup.
4. Pour your coffee over the ice cream!
5. Optional: If you’re feeling fancy and are all about the presentation, you can top with chocolate shavings — just grab a chocolate bar and a grater!

9. Peanut butter iced coffee

Sometimes, simply adding ice to my homemade brew is enough to make my daily cup of coffee a little more exciting. Other days, this just won’t cut it! I discovered that adding peanut butter to my coffee adds an extra hint of flavour that instantly makes my morning or afternoon cup taste extra special.

While there are many different peanut butter out there, I love that this one hits the spot without the need for too many ingredients!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coffee
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 ½ tbsp milk
• 1 tsp coconut oil 
• Desired amount of your sweetener of choice (3 tsp of muscovado is my personal favourite)

Steps

1. Brew your coffee.
2. If your sweetener of choice is sugar, Splenda, or muscovado or anything similar, mix it in while your coffee is hot.
   • Skip this step if you opt for any kind of syrup!
3. Place all ingredients in the blender.
4. Blend until everything is mixed well.
5. Optional: Add ice!
6. If you’re having your coffee iced, you may add your sweetener of choice (sugar syrup, honey, or maple syrup) as needed!

10. Mocha latte

Mocha lattes are among my favourite drinks to order when I’m at a café or on a coffee run. The extra flavour definitely provides me with a much-needed sugar boost in addition to the caffeine. With this coffee recipe by Jess Fuel, you can easily whip up your own in just a few minutes!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp instant coffee
• 1 tbsp hot cocoa mix
• 1 cup hot water
• ½ cup milk

Steps

1. Add instant coffee and hot cocoa mix to a glass of hot water. Stir until blended well.
2. Pour milk into a jar, then cover with a lid. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
3. Remove the lid, then heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. (Transfer to a microwave-friendly container beforehand if necessary.)
4. Pour the milk into the coffee and mix.
5. Spoon foam on top.
6. Optional: Add ice!

11. Dirty Chai Latte

There’s just something so delicious and soothing about masala chai. This tea, originating from India, is made with a lovely, fragrant mix of herbs and spices. And though I really do enjoy it, I like having it with a little kick; hence, I opt to have mine with a splash of coffee (or, as they say, I prefer to have mine dirty. Lol!)

You have several options when it comes to securing your chai, which is the main ingredient. Choices include using (1) chai tea bags, (2) chai concentrate, or (3) making your own. Once you have your chai, the hard part is over — because making your own dirty chai latte is super easy! You’re basically the boss, because you can customise all the quantities according to your preferences. Below, I share my personal recipe!

Ingredients

• ¼ cup masala chai concentrate

⅛ cup cold brew concentrate (1 shot espresso or ¼ cup brewed coffee are good alternatives, too)

• ½ cup milk of choice
• Sweetener of choice, as needed*

*If your chai concentrate is already sweetened, no need to add any sweetener (unless you’d like your dirty chai latte super sweet, of course).

Steps

1. Pour your masala chai concentrate into a glass.
2. Add coffee.
3. Froth your milk with an electric frother or by shaking it in a mason jar, then pour it into the glass.
4. Add sweetener to taste.
5. Optional: Enjoy with lots of ice!

12. White Chocolate Mocha

Ever since one of my sisters successfully replicated one of our favourite iced coffee drinks, all my outside world coffee cravings ceased to exist! It’s one of the top I recommend to those who love their coffee milky and sweet. We particularly love having it iced — ideal for a pick-me-up on a hot, lazy afternoon!

While you can definitely have yours with espresso or regular brewed coffee, I personally make use of cold brew concentrate. At home, we use homemade white chocolate syrup, too — although you can also buy these ready-made! Feel free to adjust the quantities according to your liking; but as a guide, I share my own recipe below for your reference.

Ingredients

• ½ cup cold brew concentrate
• ½ cup milk of choice
• 1 ½ tbsp white chocolate sauce 
• Optional: Whipped cream, as needed

Steps

1. Pour your cold brew concentrate into a glass.
2. Add milk.
3. Add white chocolate sauce.
4. Add ice.
5. Optional: Top with as much whipped cream as you’d like!

13. Coffee jelly

The mere thought of coffee jelly takes me back to my childhood. We’d make coffee jelly to top our vanilla ice cream on hot afternoons; and during the rare times my parents would allow me to have a bit of caffeine, I’d take a sip of my dad’s coffee jelly drink from Starbucks. I just loved its subtle flavour and chewy texture!

Years later, my colleagues and I would end our lunch breaks by grabbing coffee jelly from our office’s in-house restaurant. It easily became one of my favourite desserts: coffee jelly mixed with a generous amount of sweetened cream. With the following coffee jelly recipe from Kawaling Pinoy, you can enjoy yours the way you prefer: in your coffee, with ice cream, or with sweetened cream! Don’t you just love versatile ?

Ingredients

• 1 box unflavoured gelatin
• 4 cups water
• 2 tbsp instant coffee
• ½ cup sugar

Steps

1. In a sauce pot, bring three cups of water to a boil.
2. Add instant coffee and sugar, and stir until dissolved.
3. In a large bowl, sprinkle the gelatin into the remaining one cup of cold water. Let stand for about a minute, or until the gelatin powder begins to bloom.
4. Gradually add the three cups of boiling coffee to the bowl and stir constantly for about two to three minutes, or until gelatin is completely dissolved. 
5. Transfer the mixture into a baking dish and allow it to completely cool.
6. Refrigerate the mixture for about two to three hours, or until completely set.
7. Enjoy according to your preference!

14. Vanilla sweet cream cold brew

When I was first introduced to the concept of cold brew coffee, I found it quite intimidating — especially since back then, I wasn’t a black coffee drinker. So, when Starbucks came out with their Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew option, I jumped at the chance to ease my way into trying out this hot trend.

I have this drink to thank for my present love for cold brew coffee — it’s smooth, non-acidic, and provides you with an excellent caffeine kick! The sweet cream adds a nice touch, too, especially if you like your coffee with just the right amount of milkiness and sweetness. The great news? You can make your own version of this at home, and it’s so easy! Below is a recipe by The Tummy Train.

Ingredients

For the sweet cream

• 1 cup heavy cream, milk, or half and half (according to your preference)
• 1 ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the drink

• ⅔ cold brew concentrate
• ⅓ cup water
• Sweet cream, as needed

Steps

1. Whisk together the cream, condensed milk, and vanilla, until thoroughly blended. 
2. In a tall glass, add about ⅔ cup cold brew concentrate and ⅓ cup water (feel free to adjust ratio as preferred).
3. Pour in your desired amount of sweet cream.
4. Mix well, add ice, and enjoy!

15. Caramel macchiato

Iced caramel macchiato is my sister’s favourite coffee drink — so it brought us such great pleasure to find out that it’s actually one of the easiest to try at home! Surprisingly, it’s just the way that things are layered that give it such a fancy look! Cool, huh?

The following recipe from AllRecipes makes use of cold brew concentrate, but feel free to use espresso or brewed coffee if that’s what you readily have at home. You can enjoy it hot or iced. To each his own!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vanilla syrup
• ¾ cup milk
• ½ cold brew concentrate
• 1 tbsp caramel sauce

Steps

1. Pour vanilla syrup into the bottom of a glass. Add ice cubes and pour in milk.
2. Slowly pour in cold brew concentrate.
3. Drizzle with caramel sauce!

Also read: Dalgona Coffee: What It Is, How to Make It & Alternatives for Non-Coffee Drinkers

With so many to choose from, it’s time to make your barista dreams come true! Don’t forget to snap photos of your concoctions and tag us on Instagram at @tripzillaph!