Want to add a little cheer to your Christmas celebrations this year? Add a festive Christmas coffee drink to your menu.
Few things can bring more joy to a holiday season morning than a perfectly crafted cup of Christmas coffee. There are so many wonderful options for festive flavors in a mug—and we’re excited to share with you our ideas! Let’s get brewing.
What makes these drinks good for the Christmas season?
Warm, cozy, and comforting—these drinks are a good mix of traditional Christmas flavors (looking at you, eggnog and peppermint) and standby cozy coffee drinks. We consider a coffee drink to be great for Christmas if it:
- Feels warming and cozy
- Uses festive ingredients or flavors like eggnog or peppermint
- Feels a little fancier than what you’d typically make at home
Below, you’ll find some super-festive drinks like an eggnog latte, peppermint mocha, and gingerbread latte. But we’ve also included some hot coffee drinks that you could technically make at any time of year, but they feel a bit more special in December with a festive mug.
Do I need espresso, or can I use drip coffee or French press?
Most of these recipes call for espresso because its strong flavor doesn’t get overwhelmed by milk, sweeteners, or other flavors. We love the Bialetti Moka Express for an affordable way to brew espresso that also doesn’t take up much kitchen space.
However, you really can use any coffee. If you are going to use a French press or drip coffee, we recommend going with a dark roast and brewing it a little stronger than you usually would. That way, you’ll still be able to taste the coffee among all the other tasty flavors!
Should I use whole beans or coffee grounds?
If you can, we highly recommend buying whole coffee beans and grinding them yourself at home. The coffee will taste fresher and more flavorful than pre-ground coffee.
Which of these are dairy-free or vegan?
It is easy to make most of these coffee drinks dairy-free—just swap out the milk you use. We particularly like oat milk or full-fat coconut milk to replicate the rich creaminess you’d get from whole milk or half-and-half.
And don’t think you can’t enjoy the eggnog latte if you are dairy-free—you can make it either with our traditional eggnog or our coconut milk eggnog!
How do I make boozy Christmas coffee?
If you want to add some liquor to make your Christmas coffee even more holly jolly, add a splash of alcohol at the end when you pour out a mug of your tasty drink. What liquor you use will depend on the drink:
- Peppermint schnapps will enhance the mint flavor of the peppermint mocha.
- Rum, bourbon, or brandy will complement the spices in the eggnog and gingerbread lattes.
- Bailey’s or another Irish cream matches well with the vanilla latte or white chocolate mocha.
7+ Christmas Coffee Recipes
Want to add a little cheer to your Christmas celebrations this year? Add a festive Christmas coffee drink to your menu.
Homemade Peppermint Mocha Recipe
This homemade peppermint mocha recipe makes a holiday-worthy drink that’s sure to become a favorite.
Dirty Chai Latte Recipe
Can't decide between coffee and tea today? With this Dirty Chai Latte, you can have the best of both worlds!
Homemade Eggnog Latte Recipe
A festive latte is just the thing for the holidays. Try this creamy eggnog latte to warm you from the inside-out.
Homemade Salted Caramel Mocha Recipe
Nothing beats a rich mocha on a cold winter morning. Here is a quick and easy version of salted caramel mocha that you have to try.
Vanilla Latte
Tired of paying more than $4 for your favorite vanilla latte? We'll show you how to make a DIY version that may be better than the original!
White Chocolate Mocha
A white chocolate mocha combines white chocolate with a traditional mocha beverage. We'll show you how to make this decadent coffee shop favorite!
Homemade Gingerbread Latte
The weather outside might be frightful, but you can still have a delicious gingerbread latte right at home. The nice thing about this gingerbread latte is that there is no fussing with making a syrup—you just warm everything up with the coffee or espresso!
