Cafe De Olla (Mexican Spiced Coffee)

Cafe de olla is the kind of coffee that ruins regular drip for you. Traditionally simmered in a clay pot (the “olla” of the name), the brew picks up earthy mineral notes from the unglazed clay, but a heavy saucepan works fine and the spices do most of the Mexican flavor work anyway.

Brown sugar stands in for piloncillo, the unrefined cone sugar found in Mexican markets. If you can find piloncillo, use it, the molasses depth is more pronounced and authentic. Cinnamon sticks and whole cloves infuse the water before the coffee even hits the pot, giving the brew its warm, holiday-spice character.

The 3-minute boil is non-traditional (real cafe de olla simmers gently), but it works for instant coffee. Strain everything through a fine sieve before serving so no ground coffee or whole spice ends up in the cup.

Pro Tips

• Use Mexican cinnamon (canela) if you can find it, it’s softer, more floral, and dissolves more readily than the cassia cinnamon sold in most US grocery stores.
• Don’t let the spice water boil before adding coffee, hot but not boiling extracts spice flavor without bitterness.
• Replace instant coffee with 6 tablespoons of medium-coarse ground coffee and steep 4 minutes for a fresher, fuller-bodied brew.
• A strip of orange zest in each cup brightens the whole drink, citrus oil rounds out the spices.

Variations

• Add a star anise or a small piece of piloncillo for deeper traditional flavor.
• Spike with a splash of mezcal or coffee liqueur for an evening version.
• Stir in warm milk and froth for a Mexican spiced latte.