Mexican Coffee Made in French Press

5 from 4 votes

Mexican Coffee Made in French Press

This rich, spicy Winter drink will keep you warm and cozy during the chilly Fall or Winter months. There is a recipe for the DIY spice mix in the notes that is easy to customize.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 44kcal

Author: Dorothy Stainbrook

Equipment

Measuring cups and spoons
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

**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.

**Want more like this? Subscribe to our Sunday newsletter to get recipes, gardening guides and diet help. Let’s go from Inspiration to Done!

If you enjoy all types of Mexican food, check out this category of ALL Mexican recipes, where you will find over 40 Mexican recipes, from casual, to low carb, to fancy.

Nutrition