After the holidays, our wallets are all a little lighter, so we find ourselves tightening up our purse strings where we can. This month we are skipping our daily stop at the coffee shop by making these delicious coffee shop recipes at home. Sure, we all want to take the chill out of the air with a warm & cozy drink, but let’s face it—sometimes the ambience is just better at home! Light a few candles, pile up under some blankets, and relax with your favorite book or music. You know what they say. “There’s no place like home!” With this mindset in place, there’s no need to purchase fancy $5+ coffee drinks when we can make our own with Paula’s at-home coffee shop drink recipes!
In addition to saving money, you can also save some calories by lightening up your drinks with lower fat milks and sugar substitutes. There’s something comforting about knowing exactly what’s in your drink. No mystery ingredients needed! Plus, we can’t forget the biggest perk of all—you can make your drink exactly how you like it. No more too-sweet coffees or too-hot teas—we’re going for the Goldilocks of it all and making it juuuuust right.
Coffee Shop Tips & Tricks
Here are Paula’s best tips and tricks to make your homemade coffees, hot chocolates, and teas taste just like you’d find at your favorite coffee shop!
- Freeze your coffee into ice cubes for frappes, so your drink never gets watered down.
- No espresso machine? You can use strongly brewed coffee.
- Homemade coffee syrups make a great gift for the coffee lovers in your life!
- For creamier drinks, try condensed milk in hot chocolates and coffees.
- When making hot chocolate, heat the milk ‘til it’s hot but not boiling. Whisk constantly for a smooth and scorch-free drink.
- Hot chocolate keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days, so you can spread out the enjoyment!
- For spiced teas, steep the spices first, then, add the tea bags in for just a couple minutes. Oversteeping the tea can make the drink bitter.
From caramel and spice lattes and iced mocha frappes to decadent hot chocolate and cinnamon spiced teas, Paula has a homemade coffee shop recipe for all sorts of cozy coffee shop drinks. Let us know in the comments what your go-to coffee shop order is and if you’ll be swapping it out for one of Paula’s cozy drink recipes.
