Description
Those days may be behind us, but the memories linger—especially on a chilly day like today, when a warm cup of Mexican coffee infused with cinnamon and piloncillo brings comfort and nostalgia. I especially love brewing this coffee when we’re out camping; it’s the perfect way to warm up and savor the moment.
Ingredients
Scale
-
- 4 cups of water
- 3 oz. Piloncillo/Panela or dark brown sugar about ⅓ cup
- ½ a stick of Mexican Cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoons of ground Coffee it would be better if you could get a Dark Mexican Coffee.
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, cinnamon stick, and piloncillo (or brown sugar).
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the piloncillo is fully dissolved—this should take about 7 minutes.
- Once the water reaches a gentle boil, add the ground coffee, turn off the heat, and stir well. Cover the saucepan and let the mixture steep for 5 minutes. Strain the coffee into mugs and serve warm.
Notes
- This is the most traditional version of Café de Olla, though some variations include additional spices like cloves or anise seeds for extra depth of flavor.
- When purchasing piloncillo (also known as panela), be sure to choose the pure, authentic kind—like the one shown above. Some imitations found in stores are simply refined sugar molded into cone shapes, lacking the rich flavor and natural nutrients of true piloncillo.
- For easier cutting, gently warm the piloncillo beforehand. This softens it and makes it much easier to handle.
- Mexican coffee is now widely available online, and it’s worth seeking out. Known as a gourmet, naturally organic, and fair trade harvested coffee, it ranks among the best in the world. In fact, Mexico holds the 6th spot among the top 20 coffee-producing countries globally.
- Prep Time: 5mins
- Cook Time: 10mins
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Drinks
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: how to make cafe de olla,cafe de olla,recipe for cafe de olla