Café de Olla Recipe (Mexican Spiced Coffee)

Café de olla is a traditional Mexican coffee that’s known for its distinctive flavor from warm spices. It gets it’s name café de olla because it’s trafitionally made in by simmering coffee in clay pot (olla de barro). It’s literal translation is “coffee from the pot” however it can easily be made in a regular saucepan.

It’s amazing served in the mornings prefferably with a homemade concha to dunk it in.

If you’re a coffee lover and have never tried café de olla you are missing out! In my honest opinion it’s superior to rgular coffee because it has a unique, slightly sweet and warming flavor that regular coffee just doesnt provide.

Ingredients Overview

If you make Mexican food often you most likely have all the ingredients on hand to make this mexican coffee.

Water
Water is the base of the coffee and is simmered and combined with the other ingredient to create it’s distintive flavor base.

Mexican Cinnamon (Canela)
Mexican cinnamon sticks are softer and more aromatic than regular cinnamon sticks. They add a warm, slightly sweet flavor that’s essential to traditional café de olla.

Whole Cloves
Whole cloves add additional flavor that pairs perfectly with the cinnamon.

Piloncillo
Piloncillo is unrefined cane sugar commonly used in Mexican cooking. The flavor is very reminisicent of caramel.

Ground Coffee
Regular ground coffee is added near the end of the brewing process and allowed to steep with the spiced liquid.

How to Make Café de Olla

It’s super easy to make this at home. You don’t need a fancy clay pot. A regular saucepan will do the job.

Simmer the Spices

Add the water, Mexican cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and piloncillo to a pot. Heat over medium heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the piloncillo completely dissolves.

Add the Coffee

Add the ground coffee to the pot and give it a stir.

Let It Simmer

Allow the coffee to simmer for a few minutes so the flavors combine.

Let It Steep

Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the coffee sit for about 5 minutes.

Strain and Serve

Strain the coffee into mugs to remove the spices and coffee grounds. Serve hot and enjoy.

I personally enjoy mine with milk but it’s pretty delicious served as is.

What is Piloncillo?

Piloncillo is unrefined cane sugar commonly used in Mexican cooking. It’s usually sold in cone-shaped blocks although you can find it sometimes in smaller pieces. It’s flavor is similar to caramel or molasses.

Piloncillo is often used in traditional Mexican recipes like champurrado, atole and Mexican oatmeal because it adds a richer flavor than regular sugar.

However If you can’t find piloncillo, you can substitute brown sugar, but piloncillo will give the most authentic flavor.