The 20 Best Coffee Recipes to Make at Home
Kick your Starbucks habit with barista-quality hot and iced drinks at home.
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For many of us, buying coffee out is a treat and is hard to replicate at home even with the best coffee maker, espresso maker or coffee accessory. To help you become your own barista, we’ve rounded up the best specialty coffee recipes, from the perfect cup to iced coffee, cold brew and to lattes; plus, we've included the tools you need to achieve them and spoke to Dan Pabst, coffee expert and new product development manager at Melitta, for his insights into home brewing. Once you master your ingredients and preferred brew method, these recipes will guide you to coffee perfection:
The Perfect Cup
For a pristine cuppa, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has preparation standards for everything from water temperature and quality to specific ratios that make a “perfect” cup of coffee, from the time the beans are harvested until they reach your cup.
Get the recipe for Pour Over Coffee from Prime Roast Coffee »
French Press
The French press is a simple, elegant, and easy-to-use tool for making a delicious cup of coffee. It works by soaking ground coffee directly in hot water, which you then separate using a plunger. It can make many multiple servings per brew, depending on the size of the carafe.
Iced Coffee
A summertime favorite for many, iced coffee is versatile and highly adaptable. It's drip coffee that can be served over ice or on its own, and can be adapted with different types of milk and sweeteners.
Cold Brew
Like the name suggests, cold brew coffee is prepared without heat. Unlike traditional iced coffee which involves chilling hot drip coffee, cold brew entails soaking beans in water over a period of many hours, reducing acidity and bitterness and strengthening the caffeine content of the brew. It can be made in a special cold brew maker, or even in a French press.
Cappuccino
Small but mighty, the cappuccino is a classic Italian hot coffee drink that is usually 6 ounces in volume and made of equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam. Enjoy it with a flaky pastry or alone for a classic breakfast.
Latte
This popular Italian standby is usually 10-12 ounces in volume and is made of one part espresso to two parts steamed milk with a thin layer of milk foam. It can be adapted with different flavored syrups, including vanilla, mocha, and of course, pumpkin spice.
Flat White
This espresso drink from Australia (or New Zealand, depending on who you ask) is very creamy in consistency thanks to how the microfoam is blended into the espresso. Although measurements vary, a typical flat white consists of a double shot of espresso with about 4 ounces of milk and little to no foam, making it smaller than a latte. They're great for people who like lattes but don't want as much milk.
Café au Lait
Similar to the latte, the café au lait is a classic French drink that pairs equal parts strong hot coffee and steamed milk. Unlike its Italian counterpart, it’s made without espresso and typically with minimal or no foam topping. We recommend using a moka pot to make a strong brew.
Cortado
Cortado comes from the Spanish word meaning “to cut,” and this small drink uses warm milk to “cut” the bitterness and acidity of espresso. Like the café au lait, the cortado is made of equal parts coffee and milk, although it’s both smaller and stronger thanks to the short size of the espresso.
Macchiato
This small Italian drink is designed to be consumed in the afternoon, a counterpoint to the morning cappuccino. The name roughly translates to “marked” or “stained,” which refers to the dollop of milk foam right in the center of the beverage. It's the most espresso-forward of the Italian coffee drinks topped with milk.
Americano
Although the history is debated, the cafe Americano is so called because it’s how American GIs would order their espresso from Italian cafes during WWII—a shot of espresso with water added to mimic drip coffee. There are no hard rules about preparing this drink, but the strongest version is simply equal parts espresso and hot water.
Irish Coffee
A popular coffee cocktail for brunch, dessert and more, Irish coffee balances hot coffee with Irish whiskey and lightly whipped cream.
Dalgona Coffee
This whipped, playful coffee (believed to be from South Korea, although its precise origins are unclear) has been popularized across platforms like Instagram and TikTok. The cloud-like drink involves rapidly whisking equal parts instant coffee powder, sugar, and hot water until it forms soft creamy peaks, then adding it on top of hold or cold milk.
Affogato
This classic Italian dessert has two simple ingredients: Hot espresso and cold vanilla ice cream. The name refers to the ice cream being “drowned” in the espresso. You can mix up this recipe to your liking by adding a dessert liqueur like Frangelico or Kahlúa, some grated chocolate, or other sweet elements.
Mexican Coffee (Café de Olla)
Café de olla is a Mexican coffee traditionally prepared in an earthen pot with ground coffee, cinnamon, and raw dark sugar called piloncillo. Other optional elements include cloves, star anise, and orange rind. It's great for the winter months, but can be enjoyed year-round.
Get the recipe for Mexican Coffee from Mexico in my Kitchen »
Espresso Martini
This now-classic cocktail combines espresso, vodka, and Kahlúa liqueur into a frothy pick-me-up.
Get the recipe for Espresso Martini from Absolut »
Turkish Coffee
Although it has different names and variations throughout North Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Turkish coffee is typically prepared unfiltered with extra finely ground coffee and ground cardamom. Both are traditionally heated in an ibrik, but the recipe can be adapted to suit a saucepan.
Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cà Phê Đá)
A sweet and intense version of iced coffee, this drink typically combines fresh French roast coffee made with a Vietnamese coffee maker and sweetened condensed milk over ice.
Get the recipe for Vietnamese Iced Coffee from White on Rice Couple »
Dirty Chai
This coffee shop favorite combines the spicy sweetness of a chai latte with the extra pick-me-up of an espresso shot. Masala chai is prepared latte-style with frothed milk, and the espresso (or brewed coffee, if you prefer) is added to serve. It can also be made alcoholic with coffee liqueur, or chilled over ice.
Frappuccino
More dessert than coffee, the Frappuccino is a Starbucks classic — a blended concoction of milk, sugar, coffee and ice, topped with whipped cream and flavored syrups. Although there are dozens of variations, the vanilla, mocha, and caramel versions are all easy to make at home.
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