This Mexican spiced coffee, better known as Cafe de Olla, is made with Mexican ground coffee, cinnamon, and raw dark sugar that we call "Piloncillo". This is a traditional Mexican drink recipe that has been enjoyed by many generations!
There’s one thing that you would always find in my grandma’s kitchen right next to the woodstove: the large enamel blue pot with coffee, no matter the time of day or the season of the year.
Jump to:
You will always find coffee.
Why? I don’t know, but that old pot was there for as long as I can remember, and it would always welcome the visitors with a warm cup of coffee.
Those times are long gone but the memories are still there, especially on a cold day when a good cup of coffee from México with cinnamon and piloncillo will warm you up.
I especially love making this coffee when we go camping. The firewood smoke gives an extra flavor to the coffee like the one sold in some of the Mexican small-town road restaurants!
Frequently Asked Questions About Café de Olla
Before I share my coffee recipe, here are a few questions I've been asked about this Café de Olla.
What does cafe de olla mean?
Cafe de Olla literally means "pot coffee" or "coffee from a pot". This is because it was traditionally made in a large clay pot or an enamel pot. It is still made that way in some areas.
Where do you find Café de Olla o Café de la Olla?
You can find this popular drink in Mexico in places like roadside eateries, small mom & pop diners, as well as in restaurants that sell Traditional Mexican food. People also make it at home, especially during wintertime. It is also served at the Christmas Celebrations (Posadas), and even it is served at some funerals.
What does cafe de olla taste like?
This Mexican spiced coffee is actually sweet, with a hint of spice from the cinnamon. The primary ingredients added to the coffee are cinnamon and piloncillo (a dark sugar with a taste that resembles molasses). Less commonly, some people might also add orange peel and star anise.
Is Mexican coffee strong?
I've found that coffee from Mexico typically has the strength of a medium to dark roast. The two most popular varieties of coffee in Mexico are the Planchuela and Caracolillo varieties. When using these types of coffee to make Café de Olla, the addition of cinnamon and piloncillo will help to balance out the flavors.
Can I add milk?
You can, but it honestly takes away from café de olla and you really don't need it. If you are looking to enjoy a cup of coffee with milk, then I recommend trying my recipe for cafe con leche instead.
Café de Olla Recipe
Here is a list of ingredients you will need:
- Water
- Piloncillo/panela (dark brown sugar)
- Mexican cinnamon stick
- Ground coffee (it would be better if you could get a dark Mexican coffee)
Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!
How To Make Café de Olla: Step By Step Tutorial
To make things easier for you, I am going to breakdown the directions to this recipe step by step.
- In a medium saucepan, place the water, cinnamon, and piloncillo.
- Turn the heat down and simmer until the piloncillo is dissolved.
- When the water starts boiling, add the coffee, turn the heat off and stir.
- Cover the pot and let it steep for 5 minutes.
- Pour through a strainer to serve.
- If you would like to add some spirits, a Coffee Liqueur-like Kahlúa is a good choice!
What To Serve With Café de Olla
Depending on what time of the day you are drinking this Mexican coffee, there are a few options as to what to eat alongside this cafe de olla.
If you decide to have a mug early in the morning, I prefer to enjoy it with some:
If I have a cup in the evening, say for dessert (with a shot of Kahlua), some of my go-to desserts to serve with it are:
- Traditional Mexican conchas
- Mexican polvorones (Sevillanos-style)
- Homemade churros dusted with sugar and cinnamon
More Mexican Drinks To Enjoy
If you enjoyed this recipe for cafe de olla, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican drink recipes:
- Café con Leche
- Sweet Corn Atole
- Lechitas Frías
- Mango Agua Fresca Recipe
- Agua De Chaya With Pineapple and Orange
I hope you make this recipe for cafe de olla! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment done below and tell us all about it! You can also check our recipe in Spanish.
📖 Recipe
Café de Olla Recipe
Ingredients
- 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, place the water, cinnamon, and Piloncillo (or brown sugar). Turn heat and simmer until the piloncillo is dissolved. About7 minutes.
- When the water starts boiling, add the coffee, turn the heat off and stir.
- Cover the pot and let steep for 5 minutes. Pour through a strainer to serve.
Anita
Love the cup & dish pictured with your recipe above. Do you have a store that sells them?
Mely Martínez
Hello Anita,
I bought them in Mexico. However, I have found that they are also sold at Latin grocery stores in cities with a large Mexican population. There are some similar ones on Amazon.
Sarita
Love this recipe! Thank you for sharing. I tried it and we love it!! We are coffee lovers and I think we will always have it this way. Another fave.
Andrés
I made this for my friends and had to make three batches for the five of us! Tastes just like what you'd get at in the restaurants. Quick and easy, an amazing recipe.
Brandy Barbee
Husband made it this morning- took me back to Las Caletas. Delicious!!!
Gwendolyne
What brand coffe do you use
Mely Martínez
Hello,
I had been using a coffee from the State of Veracruz.
Joe
Finally got around to making it this weekend and it was awesome. I added 2 cloves and a small anise star (didn't have an orange for the peel). I used the fatter, flakier cinnamon bark, which, I think, is more traditional. Will it work similarly with the tightly curled Indonesian cinnamon, because the other type isn't as readily available?
Mely Martínez
Hello Joe,
Thank you for trying the recipe, I love that you added the cloves and the anise.
Juan
Can you leave the piloncillo out to add the sugar at you taste?
Mely Martínez
Hello Juan,
Yes, you can, it will not taste the same but sure you can use sugar. You can also buy ground piloncillo online instead of sugar. Or dissolve the piloncillo in a separate pot.
Mark Hazell
My friends in Teotitlan del Valle in Oaxaca make something similar by grinding canela with coffee beans when making expresso. They then add steamed milk with piloncillo dissolved in it - delicious! It’s like a blend of cafe de olla and cafe con leche - different than either, but so good!
Mely Martínez
Hello Mark,
That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Maria
One of the Best Cafe de olla I have tried.
Tee
Hi. I tried making it and poured it over a strainer before drinking it. But the coffee grounds still go through. Is this right? We just drink some coffee grounds with th coffee?
Mely Martínez
Hello Tee,
After allowing 5-7 minutes for the coffee grounds to go to the bottom of the pot Before straining it. The strainer has to be a fine-mesh strainer. And, not coffee grounds in the coffee.
Gloria
Great recipe. Is cream ever added to cafe de olla?
Mely Martínez
Hello Gloria,
It's not common to add cream to "Café de Olla", but you can add it if you want.
Kelsey
I lived in Mexico for a while and would drink this all the time. Finally decided to attempt to make it myself and this tastes spot on. Thank you!
adelicia
if I make it the night before can I reheat it the next morning for work?
mmartinez
Hello Adelicia,
Only if you like reheated coffee. Juts do not reheat for too long.
Gwendolyne
Love this , thank you it brought me back to my grandmother's kitchen
Kathe
Hi there
Having Mexican food at meeting tomorrow and want to serve this. Is there anyway we can make a larger amount in a drip coffee pot? Could we make the syrup somehow and add it to the coffee? I noticed these comments stopped in 2012 so hoping you get this
mmartinez
Hello Kathe,
What you can do is add the cinnamon in small pieces mixed with the coffee grains. I had tried and it tastes good, Not exactly as the one you make in the regular pot. For the piloncillo, yes, you can melt and have it on the side, so everyone can pour to their own liking to sweetend the coffee.
I hope this helps you.
Sandi
Hello Mely,
I happened upon your site while seeing a yelp review of a local Mexicans restaurant. I will seek out authentic piloncillo at one of our local Mexican Marketsbecause I cant wait to try this recipe. So long as it’s a dark roast coffee I’m all in! I grew up enjoying the darkest richest roasted coffees because” that’s how my Italian parents & entire family served it. I’m also interested in trying something called “ (a cool/cold chocolate like beverage that’s vigorously whipped (?) by hand till frothy) if you have a recipe for that I’d love to see it to try it as well.
I hope you’re having a wonderful summer!
mmartinez
Hello Sandi,
Thank you for stopping by. Is that chocolate drink one from Oaxaca or Veracruz. There are some drinks made with chocolate that have a frothy foam on those 2 state in my country.