This Mexican spicy coffee, commonly known as Cafe de Olla, is prepared with cinnamon, Mexican ground coffee, and raw dark sugar, which we call “Piloncillo” (pee-lon-SEE-yoh). This is a popular Mexican drink recipe that has been loved for decades to come!
There’s one thing you’d always find inside my grandmother’s kitchen right beside the woodstove: a big blue enamel pot of coffee, no matter the time of the day or the season of the year.
You would always find coffee.
Why? I wouldn’t know, but that old pot has been there for a long time, and it would welcome visitors every time with a hot cup of coffee.
Those days are long past, but the flashbacks are still there, particularly on a chilly day when a good cup of Mexico’s cinnamon and piloncillo coffee will warm you up.
I especially love to make this coffee when we go camping. Firewood fumes add an extra taste to the coffee sold in many of the small-town Mexican road cafes!
What does cafe de Olla mean?
Cafe de Olla simply means “pot coffee” or “coffee from a pot” This is because it has historically been produced in a big pot of clay or an enamel pot. In some places, it’s still made that way.
Where do you find Café de Olla?
You can buy this famous drink in Mexico in places like small mom & pop diners, roadside eateries, as well as in restaurants that serve traditional Mexican food. People also do it at home, particularly during the winter. It is also offered at the Christmas Festivities (Posadas) and is also served at some funeral services.
Nutrition:
- Carbohydrate: 18g
- Calorie: 77kcal
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 12mg
- Iron: 0.2mg
- Calcium: 18mg
- Serving: 4cups
What is in Cafe de Olla?
- 4 tablespoons of ground coffee. it would be nicer if you could have a dark Mexican coffee.
- About ⅓ cup dark brown sugar or 3 oz Piloncillo/Panela
- 1⁄2 Mexican cinnamon stick
- 4 cups of water
- Optional: Anise Star
Substitutions
Can’t get all the ingredients in this recipe? Here are some of the substitutions that could be useful:
- Don’t have Mexican cinnamon sticks? Alternatively, you can use standard cinnamon sticks.
- You could use 1/2 cup dark brown sugar rather than piloncillo.
- Don’t have star anise? You may just leave it out absolutely. It brings a great taste to the coffee, but it’s all right if you don’t use it.
How to make the olla café: how to tutorial
To make it simpler for you, I’m going to break down the instructions to this recipe step by step.
- Put the sugar, star anise, cinnamon, and piloncillo in a medium saucepan.
- Turn the heat down and steam until the piloncillo has dissolved.
- When the water begins to boil, add the coffee, turn off the heat, and stir.
- Cover the pot and let it steep for five minutes.
- To serve, pour through a strainer.
- If you’d like to introduce some spirits, a coffee liqueur is a decent choice!
Hints and tips
- Let the coffee simmer for 6 minutes for a regular-strength café de Olla.
- Leave the coffee to steep for 8 minutes for extra-strong café de Olla.
- Do you have any leftovers? Turn it into an iced Mexican coffee! Just transfer the filtered coffee to an airtight jar and let it cool in the refrigerator. Serve the coffee over ice when you’re ready for a drink!
Notes
- Whenever you buy Piloncillo/Panela, be sure to look for a refined version, as seen in the picture above. There’s a look-alike variant in some supermarkets that’s just regular sugar in a cone form that lacks the authentic Piloncillo taste and nutrients.
- To break the piloncillo easily, heat it first. This is going to soften the piloncillo.
- Mexican Coffee is now conveniently accessible online; try searching for it. Mexican Coffee is regarded as a Gourmet Coffee and is a Natural Organic Fair Trade Coffee. Mexico’s Coffee Industry ranks 6th highest out of the top twenty coffee-producing countries.
What to serve the Café de Olla with?
Depending on the time of day you’re drinking this Mexican coffee, there are a few choices about what to eat with this olla coffee.
If you choose to have a cup early in the morning, I like to drink it with some:
- Creamy oatmeal topped with cinnamon
- Gorditas de harina
- Huevos Motuleños (eggs Motul-style)
If I need a cup in the evening, let me assume for dessert (with a shot of Kahlua), a few of my desserts are:
- Traditional Mexican conchA
- Mexican polvorones (Sevillanos-style)
- Homemade churros sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon
FAQ
What’s the taste of cafe de Olla like?
Is Mexican coffee strong?
Can I add some milk?
What’s the piloncillo made of?
How do you use piloncillo?
Is piloncillo the same as panela?
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Disclosure: No compensation or free products were received in exchange for writing this review.
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