Sip in the holiday cheer with this festive cold brew creation that will make you merry all week long (depending on how quickly you reach for the Cold Brew Coffee Maker). The secret to this sip is slowly cold brewing whole spices (cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise) along with cacao nibs and coarsely ground coffee for a smooth, spiced flavor. The best part is that you’ll be adding everything to our Cold Brew Coffee Maker’s fine mesh filter so that straining the spices and coffee is as simple as can be.
Sweetly aromatic cinnamon is mixed with warm/woody cloves, licorice-like star anise and the nutty/chocolatey flavor of cacao nibs to capture the scents of the season and elevate the rich coffee flavors. Practice patience by letting the spices sit for 24 hours – trust us they need the time to express their flavors. Swirl in vanilla and a pinch of salt (don’t skip this step because salt actually brings out the sweet flavors).
When you’re ready to treat yourself to glass, try a ratio that makes your holiday heart skip a beat – whether that’s ¾ coffee to ¼ milk or even 50/50 for a milky treat (opt for whole milk, cashew milk or oat milk- richness is necessary here). And while any sweetener will do, just a touch of maple syrup will bring everything together. A sprinkle of ground cinnamon takes it over the top – and isn’t that what the holidays are for? Cheers to a very merry holiday season!
Holiday Spice Cold Brew Latte
Ingredients for 1 QT
- 4 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
- 5 whole cloves
- 5 whole star anise
- 20 grams cacao nibs (2 heaping tablespoon)
- 86 grams coarsely ground coffee (approx. one very full and tightly packed cup)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- Unsweetened milk of choice (whole, cashew or oat recommended)
- Sweetener of choice (maple syrup recommended)
Ingredients for 2 QT
- 5 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
- 8 whole cloves
- 8 whole star anise
- 32 grams cacao nibs (1/4 cup plus ½ tablespoon)
- 160 grams coarsely ground coffee (11/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
- 1 ¾ tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- Unsweetened milk of choice (whole, cashew or oat recommended)
- Sweetener of choice (maple syrup recommended)
Place the star anise pods in a mortar and pestle and lightly crush the pods (or add to a durable measuring cup and crush with a wooden spoon). Add the star anise to the coffee filter along with the broken cinnamon sticks, cloves, cacao nibs and coarsely ground coffee. Twist the filter into the lid. Add cold water (4.5 cups for 1 QT and 7 cups for 2 QT) to the Takeya Cold Brew Coffee Maker.
Lower the filter into the water, seal airtight, shake for 60 second to moisten the grounds, spices and cacao nibs. Cold brew for 24 hours.
Remove the filter, and place into a large glass or measuring cup, allowing the coffee to drain from the filter. Rinse the interior of the lid (which may have grounds from shaking). Add the vanilla and salt to the coffee. Pour in additional coffee that has drained from the filter. Seal the lid airtight and shake to mix. Refrigerate or serve. When ready to serve, fill glass ¾ of the way with cold brew coffee, top with milk of choice and sweeten to taste. Optional: garnish with a cinnamon stick or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
