Wondering what spices are good in coffee?
We’ve got a list of 21 spices that will enrich your cuppa joe.
Cinnamon
The most obvious spice on the list.
A touch of cinnamon can make your coffee not only tasty but also healthy.
Cinnamon is great for your digestive health and can also help with your congestion problems. It can also help in lowering your cholesterol and glucose levels.
There are many ways to add cinnamon to your coffee.
You can
- Blend it with milk or cream before adding coffee
- Sprinkle some cinnamon dust on top of your coffee
- Immerse a whole cinnamon stick
Cinnamon is also a great alternative to sugar so do try it next time when want to control your cravings for sugar or an artificial sweetener.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg is also a great addition to your spiced coffee if you’re looking for some added spice.
Using nutmeg in moderation can give your coffee a nice zing. If you’re a fan of medium or dark roasted coffee, you need to get on the nutmeg train.
There are a couple of ways to add nutmeg to your morning coffee.
One, you can make your daily brew and then add nutmeg powder (1/4 teaspoon for 1 cup of coffee) with some vigorous stirring. Pay attention to not form clumps as it could disgrace your coffee.
Two, you can mix nutmeg with coffee beans before the grinding process. Once ground, the coffee comes with a nice nutmeg flavor imparted in it. This is a great way to bring some life back into a bag of stale beans.
Lavender
Adding lavender to coffee is one of the newer trends we are seeing in the world of caffeine.
While it may not be your first choice of drink, it is a worthwhile attempt to taste a contemporary coffee. Also, considering how stressful this year has been, lavender can surely help bring down some of that stress.
To add lavender to your coffee, you must first make lavender syrup.
Lavender syrup is made by boiling lavender in water. Once it comes to a boil, simmer for a bit and strain the flowers. Take a few teaspoons of sugar in another pan and add lavender water just enough to cover it.
Now mix sugar and lavender water for a while and then keep this mixture in your refrigerator. Your Lavender syrup is now ready.
For the easy goers, you can get this syrup readymade from a store.
Once you’ve brewed your coffee, add this lavender syrup to your coffee and stir well. You can also add milk or creamer to your coffee for a richer taste.
Cardamom
Cardamom is an excellent addition to your cuppa joe.
Adding cardamom to coffee is a routine practice in Israel and the middle east. It also brings down the acidity of your coffee as cardamom is alkaline.
How to add cardamom to your coffee? That’s easy. Just put a couple of cardamom pods in your brewed coffee, let it steep for a while, and voila, you have cardamom coffee.
You can also add cardamom during the brewing process. The taste might be a bit stronger but some will find it delicious.
Star anise
Star anise brings a pleasant freshness to the table.
If you’ve had licorice, then you will find the taste to be similar. For the same reason, you don’t want to add a lot of star anise to your coffee. Half a pod should be plenty for a cup of coffee.
You can either powder star anise and mix it with your coffee or you can dip a star anise pod with your coffee during the brewing process. Both methods will give you a palatable result.
Clove
Clove can be a great addition to your coffee, thanks to its incredible aroma and substantial health benefits.
With a couple of cloves in your coffee, it tastes and smells miles better. You can a classic beverage that makes you feel like an elite coffee drinker.
Adding clove to your coffee is a simple process. Take a couple of cloves and toss them along with your coffee when it is brewing. Once complete, you’ll have an aromatic cup of coffee that also tastes fantastic.
Cayenne Pepper
Need a drink that will wake you up for good?
Then try adding a bit of cayenne pepper to your morning coffee. Your taste buds will thank you for this welcome change.
Cayenne pepper is also great for boosting your metabolism, lowering blood pressure, and many other health benefits.
When adding cayenne pepper make sure you don’t add too much. Though tempting, it is not smart to add cayenne pepper when you’re mixing coffee and milk. It can become intense and a bit too much for your taste buds.
A sprinkle of cayenne pepper on top of your coffee should give you the zing and also the health benefits.
Vanilla Extract
Vanilla extract is an excellent addition to your cup of coffee.
As opposed to what many would think, adding vanilla extract will not impart a sweet taste to your coffee. It is more of a bitter flavor. But the presence of vanilla extract will make your coffee rich.
To add vanilla extract to your coffee, just add a couple of drops to your coffee and stir well. Anything more could become overpowering so exercise caution.
I’ve written a detailed post on adding vanilla extract to coffee. Do take a look if it’s something you’re interested in.
Turmeric
Turmeric comes with a ton of health benefits under its belt. It is rich in anti-oxidants, improves mood, helps with glucose levels, and even diminishes the risk of heart diseases.
The fact that you can make a turmeric coffee tells us how versatile turmeric is. Golden Milk Lattes are gaining a lot of attention but you can make your own at the comfort of your home.
Add a pinch of turmeric powder to your milk and coffee during the brewing process and enjoy your cup. If you’re not happy with the taste, you can add some honey or maple syrup to sweeten it.
Sage
On a cold winter day, nothing cheers you up like a cup of herbal coffee with some sage in it.
Sage works wonder for your diabetic problems, obesity, and depression. It also helps in handling the oxidative stress in the body.
To add sage to your coffee, you need to make a mix of milk, sage, and other spices of choice like cinnamon. Simmer them for a few minutes and filter them.
Add the milk mix to your brewed coffee and that’s sage coffee for you. Or you can call Sage Latte if you’re feeling fancy.
Juniper
The Juniper Latte got a lot of attention when it debuted at Starbucks. Some loved it, some hated it, but we think it’s a great way to add the goodness of Juniper berries to your coffee.
First, you need to make a Juniper syrup for your coffee. To make it, add a tbsp of juniper berries, a cardamom pod, sugar (to taste), and water (just enough for a syrup) in a pan and simmer it till you get a syrup-like consistency.
Once done, slide it into the fridge and then filter the solids to get the syrup. You can now add this Juniper syrup to your coffee to get the best of both Juniper as well as cardamom.
Instead of cardamom, you can also try adding cinnamon, cloves, and other spices.
Rosemary
Rosemary is one of the easiest spices when it comes to adding them to your coffee.
All you have to do is boil some water in a pan and add some rosemary. Leave it on medium heat for a while and strain rosemary from the water.
Now you can use this water to brew your coffee resulting in a coffee that has a touch of rosemary in it.
Rosemary is known to improve your mood, concentration, memory, and can help in lowering your anxiety levels.
Ginger
Though it might sound like a recipe for an unappetizing cup of coffee, adding ginger to your coffee makes for a great drink in the morning.
There are many ways to add ginger to your coffee.
The simplest way is to add ginger powder to your coffee and mix well. A teaspoon of ginger powder should be fine for a cup of coffee (or two, based on how strong you want your coffee).
Another way is to add a slice of ginger to your coffee and wait till the flavor seeps in. The result could be a light ginger-flavored coffee that will be perfect for those looking for a ginger-lite drink.
You can also try adding ginger syrup to your coffee, but the two methods above deliver superior results.
Pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin pie spice is another novel way to spice up your coffee.
All you need to do is mix pumpkin pie spice with ground coffee (1 tbsp for 3/4 cups of coffee) during the brewing process. Add 6 cups of water to this mix and you get 6 servings of pumpkin pie spice coffee.
Peppermint
Peppermint is an overlooked spice when it comes to coffee.
While you can’t effectively add peppermint directly, you can use its extract, syrup, or oil to get the flavor.
The easiest way is to mix water, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract in a pan and then add the same to brewed coffee. Adding milk or creamer will elevate the taste prominently.
Be sure to not add too many drops of peppermint extract. A couple of drops will be fine for most people.
Cocoa powder
Cocoa powder is another common ingredient and is a people favorite.
Dissolving cocoa powder in coffee might be a bit challenging as it can form a gooey slush at the bottom of the cup.
To combat this problem, you can try dissolving the cocoa powder in hot water first and then add it to your cup of coffee.
Here’s a post that discusses adding cocoa powder to coffee the right way. It’s an interesting read for those looking to cocoa-fy their coffee!
Ashwagandha powder
If you’re looking to make your coffee super healthy, then adding ashwagandha powder will surely help.
Ashwagandha, also known as Indian Ginseng, is a nightshade that is known for its uses in traditional medicine. It can reduce blood sugar levels, battle depression, fight cancer, and do several other things.
Ashwagandha comes with a strong flavor, so use only a pinch when adding it to your coffee. If you find it harsh to taste, then you can try adding cinnamon or maple syrup to sweeten the deal a bit.
Oregano
We’ve all heard of oregano tea, but did you know that you can use oregano in coffee too?
You can add some oregano to water and put it on the stove for a few minutes. Once done, filter the water from the oregano leaves and use it to make your cup of coffee.
Being a herbal coffee, health benefits galore, but it also gives you a fresh new taste to relish. You can also add honey or maple syrup to make it sweeter.
Maca powder
Powdered maca root can be a great addition to your coffee if you’re looking to improve your sex life.
Maca root is known to enhance your fertility, increase sex drive, and also increase athletic performance. It is filled with nutrients and is a great superfood overall.
The easiest way to add maca powder is to mix a teaspoon of the same to your cup of coffee.
Allspice
Allspice is another medicinal plant that comes with a lot of health benefits.
When used right, it is great for gut problems, menstrual issues, and also can fight obesity.
How to add?
You can mix a teaspoon of allspice powder into your cup of coffee. Stir it well and you have a healthy drink in your hands.
You can also add cinnamon powder and other spices to enhance the overall taste of the coffee.
Chicory
If you’re used to drinking 100% coffee, then you can add chicory to the mix. The reason we say this is because chicory is added (usually) as a part of the instant coffee mix.
Adding chicory to your coffee will also help in reducing your overall caffeine intake which can trigger an array of health benefits.
Chicory powder is made from raw chicory roots and is then mixed with coffee to be used for the brewing process. The final result is a delicious cup of coffee with reduced caffeine levels.
Can You Combine Multiple Spices With Coffee?
You can add more than one spice to your cup of coffee.
Here are some combinations that work well.
- Cinnamon + Cloves
- Cinnamon + Cloves + Allspice
- Cardamom + Clove + Cinnamon
- Cardamom + Cinnamom + Nutmeg + Clove
- Cardamom + Cinnamon + Clove + Cocoa + Pepper
- Star anise + Cinnamon + Clove
- Star anise + Cinnamon + Cardamon
We hope this helped.
These spices elevate the flavor of your coffee to the next level.
If you’re planning to spice up your coffee, you should. It tastes better and also brings numerous health benefits to the table.
If you have any questions, do let us know.
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