Flavor Finesse: Five Natural Ways to Flavor Your Coffee

Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world — there’s a reason why you can find a coffee stop on just about every corner. But our coffee habit costs us; the average young adult in the US spends a whopping $21/week on coffee alone, adding up to about $1,092 spent in a year. Most people buy coffee at places like Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts because it tastes better than what they can make at home, but what if we told you that you can make your own delicious brew with ingredients already in your kitchen? Now that we have your attention, keep reading.

Spices

Using some of the spices in your kitchen cabinet will make for a simple and natural way to add flavor to your coffee. In order to enjoy the exotic flavor of the spices, you should either add the spices to your coffee grounds when brewing or store whole spices along with the coffee beans. Spices are naturally available and using them to flavor your coffee makes for a calorie-free option. Some of the spices you can use to flavor your beverage include cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg and black pepper.

Cocoa powder

Chocolate and coffee are soul mates — there’s a reason why you can find a mocha flavor for just about anything. If you are to enjoy the sweetness of chocolate in your coffee, add one tablespoon of ground cocoa to your coffee ground. Once you have mixed the two well, place the mixture in the brewing basket. The extra cocoa in your diet not only offers beneficial flavanols, but also a range of other health benefits.

Flavored homemade syrups

Homemade syrups can also help you flavor your coffee at home. To make your syrup, you should mix equal volumes of water and sugar. Place the solution in a saucepan and allow to it to simmer, giving you the base syrup. Once the sugar has dissolved, you can then add the spices of your choice and allow the mixture to simmer. Some of the flavors you can choose include dried fruit, star anise, clove, orange peel, fresh rosemary, and vanilla bean.

Extracts

Extracts also make for a simple and natural way to flavor your coffee. You can get plant extracts like mint, orange and vanilla from your local grocery store. Apart from extracts, you could also use essential oils as flavoring agents. Adding a few drops of the liquid extract in your cup of coffee will let you enjoy the beverage just the way you like it.

Almond milk

While the sweet taste of almonds will deliver the natural and nutty flavor you want in your coffee, adding some raw honey will sweeten the drink. This will take away any bitterness, allowing you to enjoy your drink.

Apart from flavor, it is important to understand what makes good coffee great. Quality, freshness, roast, as well as the brewing process will go a long way in ensuring that you can enjoy every cup.