Quick Summary: Café de Olla is traditional Mexican coffee brewed with cinnamon, piloncillo (or brown sugar), and warm spices. This recipe gives you two methods (stovetop and French press) plus an optional chile pepper spice blend for added heat. Prep: 5 min | Cook: 10 min | Serves: 4 to 6
Jump to: RECIPE | What is Café de Olla? | Ingredients | Spicy Blend | 2 Methods to Make Cafe de Olla | Hot Chocolate | Slow Carb? | FAQ
While I had tried different versions of Mexican coffee in the U.S., it was on a trip to Oaxaca where I developed a true food memory around this drink. Determined to replicate the flavors at home, I developed a coffee with the same flavor profile of dark rich coffee, cinnamon, vanilla, brown sugar and orange zest.
I made it the traditional way in a pot on the stovetop, but I also tried it in the French press, which worked well. I spiced it up a bit with some of the chile peppers from my farm, but the spice is totally optional.
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What is Café de Olla?
The name Café de Olla means coffee in a pot. Traditionally it is made in a large clay pot on the stovetop rather than a coffee machine or a French Press.
The flavor additions to Café de Olla will vary region to region, but the technique of making it in a large pot is consistent.
Using a dark roasted Mexican coffee, is the most consistent ingredient, with the spices and flavorings then customized to satisfy each family’s recipe.
Cinnamon is another traditional ingredient, with piloncillo or brown sugar, vanilla, and sweet spices, like star anise, being popular additions.
Although it is not traditional, I like to add a touch of powdered chile pepper for some added heat.
While Café de Olla is a staple for starting the day in Mexican homes, it is also traditional to serve it at special occasions when people gather together.
You will typically see this drink served at Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations, winter holiday feasts, or as a comforting drink at funerals.
Ingredients and Substitutions
The following photo shows you all the ingredients you will need for this recipe. For details on measurements, see the recipe below.
Here are the key ingredients to play around with, whether you’re making a mocha Mexican coffee, a Oaxacan coffee or a Mexican hot chocolate:
- Mexican chocolate
- Cinnamon
- Star Anise, cloves or Five Spice
- Brown sugar or piloncillo
- Coffee
- Powdered chile peppers
- Vanilla
- Orange zest
The ratios are up to you and your preferences. I like a pretty spicy pepper and enough orange zest that the flavor comes through the more robust chocolate.
You can start with my spice blend below and then customize.
Can I Make Mexican Coffee Spicy?
The powdered chile pepper is the most important variable to get right in a spicy blend. It needs to be spicy enough to compete with the rich flavor of cocoa, yet not be overpowering.
If you are a true chile-head you’ll want to add the hotter chile powders like serrano or habanero.
If you want more complexity with a smoky chile powder, go for a chipotle powder or an Ancho powder.
I tried smoked and unsmoked peppers in the Mexican coffee. In the end I preferred a combination of both. Adding spice to your coffee, or any Mexican dish, is a very individual preference. You could start with this variety pack if you are new to chile pepper powdered spices.
Homemade vs Commercial Spicy Coffee
When I first heard that Starbucks was offering a Chile Mocha Coffee, I rushed down to try one out, only to be sorely disappointed. No heat!
I was anticipating a spicy, cinnamon, chocolaty rich coffee topped with a fluffy whipped cream with soft peaks . I asked the barista why I couldn’t taste any spice in my coffee and they said really there was just a little spice on the top, but mostly it was a coffee mocha. Harrumph!
The bottom line is it’s easy to customize homemade Mexican coffee to your own preference of heat and sweetness, and it is infinitely better than commercial offerings.
Homemade Mexican Coffee Spice Blend
This is a standalone powdered spice blend that you can keep in the pantry to add to hot milk or coffee when you don’t have time to make the traditional Café de Olla.
The recipe card below mimics this spice blend but the directions call for adding ground coffee and steeping on the stovetop or in a French press. This is the recipe for just the spice blend itself.
Makes 3/4 cup
- 1/4 cup 100% cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup brown sugar or piloncillo
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- ¼ teaspoon hot pepper powder cayenne, aji, habanero, etc. (not smoked)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla powder if available
- ¾ teaspoon orange zest, grated fine
- 1 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon
Does The Spice Blend Work With Mexican Hot Chocolate?
The traditional way to make Mexican hot chocolate would involve heating milk and Mexican chocolate in a pot and vigorously beating the chocolate with a wooden molinillo until the chocolate was fully dissolved.
The recipe below uses powdered ingredients for a Mexican spice blend that you can keep in your pantry and use when you want a spicy, rich, complex Mexican coffee or hot chocolate.
I have added it to just plain hot water and also to steamed milk (coconut or almond milk works well also). Whipped cream on top is always a nice option, especially for celebrations.
In fact I’m having one right now as we speak as I just came in from planting my chile peppers on the farm.
How to Make Traditional Café de Olla on the Stovetop
Traditional Mexican coffee is called Café de Olla, which means coffee in a clay pot.
For this method, you would add the piloncillo or brown sugar, the spices and the orange peel to a large saucepan (traditionally this would have been made of clay), and then stir in the coffee after the spices have dissolved.
This mixture would then be allowed to stand for 10 minutes before ladling into cups. Depending upon the additions used, it may need to be strained through a mesh sieve before pouring into cups.
How to Make Café de Olla in a French Press
Using a French Press to make Café de Olla is a nice alternative because it allows you to easily strain the spices and orange peel before pouring into cups.
You will need to steep the piloncillo, cinnamon sticks, orange peels and any additional whole spices in 4 cups of water for 5-7 minutes first to extract all of the flavors.
I use 2 oz piloncillo, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 whole star anise, 1 teaspoon powdered hot chile pepper spice, and 1/4 cup dried orange peels for the spice infusion.
If you have vanilla powder, this is a wonderful addition to the infusion.
While the water infusion is still quite hot, pour it into the French Press and add 4-5 tablespoons ground coffee. Let the mixture steep for 4-5 minutes and then plunge and pour into cups.
**Tip: a shot of brandy added to the Mexican Hot Chocolate takes the chill off of cold Winter nights!
Can this Drink be Slow Carb?
The 100% cocoa powder, the chile spice, the cinnamon, the vanilla, the coffee and the whipped cream are all slow carb ingredients. The brown sugar or piloncillo will have to be sugar substitute however, if you want to make this a slow carb beverage.
This is my favorite sugar substitute when I am making slow carb drinks. Whether you use brown sugar or a sugar alternative, you will want to limit the amount of sugar so that the chile spice and rich cocoa powder can shine through as the star ingredients.
Check out this detailed post on sugar alternatives for a deeper dive into the pros and cons.
Just know that slow carb or low carb does not necessarily equal low calorie. The whipped cream may take you over your calorie goals if you have too many of this wonderful concoction.
What to Serve with Café de Olla
Because the coffee is so strong, Café de Olla is typically served in the morning or early afternoon as a pick-me-up. When served at celebrations, It is often paired with Mexican sweets. Here are a few of my favorite pairings:
- Biscochitos: Mexican Shortbread
- Champurrado: Chocolate Atole
- Pumpkin Amaretto Quick Bread
- Candied Pumpkin
- Pumpkin Pancakes for a Crowd
- Whipped Cream for the Hot Chocolate
FAQ
Yes. Brew it hot to dissolve the sugar and spices, let it cool, then pour over ice.
Café de Olla specifically refers to coffee brewed in a clay pot with piloncillo and spices. Other Mexican coffees might use different brewing methods or skip the traditional sweetener.
Absolutely. Use the stovetop method and strain through a fine mesh sieve before serving.
The coffee, spices, and cream are all slow carb compliant. Substitute the piloncillo or brown sugar with Truvia or another sugar alternative to keep it slow carb.
Start with just chipotle powder for medium heat and smoky warmth. Add cayenne or habanero powder in small increments if you want more heat.
Mexican Coffee Made in French Press
Equipment
- medium bowl or covered tupperware
- stirring spoon
Ingredients
For Café de Olla
- 4 cups water
- ¼ cup 100% cocoa powder
- ¼ cup brown sugar piloncillo if available
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder or other smoky chile powder
- ¼ teaspoon hot chile pepper powder cayenne, aji, habanero, etc. (not smoked)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla powder if available
- ¾ teaspoons dried orange zest grated fine
- 1 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons dark roast coffee ground, but not pre-made
- ½ cup whipped cream optional
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add all 8 spice blend ingredients to 4 cups of water and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 4-7 minutes to allow spices to infuse into the water.1/4 cup 100% cocoa powder, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon chipotle powder, 1/4 teaspoon hot chile pepper powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 3/4 teaspoon vanilla powder, 3/4 teaspoons dried orange zest , 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, 4 cups water
- Pour the infused water into a french press and add the ground coffee. Allow it to steep 4-5 minutes. Plunge after steeping and pour into coffee cups. Serve with a cinnamon stick for stirring.4 tablespoons dark roast coffee
- Add cream or serve topped with whipped cream if desired, sprinkled with chocolate shavings or cinnamon.1/2 cup whipped cream
Notes
- To make a Mexican hot chocolate add the spice ingredients to milk instead of water and steep on the stovetop 5-7 minutes. Strain into mugs and top with whipped cream.
- If you want to make this drink low carb, you will need to switch out the sugar with a sugar alternative. Truvia is my choice of a sugar substitute, but there are other options. Check out this detailed post on sugar alternatives for a deeper dive into the pros and cons.
Dorothy Stainbrook says: 
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