Interesting Spices To Add To Coffee

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Want to spice up your coffee? Coffee tends to be delicious by itself, but sometimes you want to change things up. Did you know that some spices are delicious with coffee? The last thing you want is to mix in spices that may put you off of coffee for good. So, which spices work well in coffee?

These are some of the most popular spices you can add to give your coffee a unique taste: cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, saffron, and a blend of spices making masala coffee. These spices are added to coffee in various parts of the world and are considered a norm in coffee.

You can add several spices to your coffee to give it lots of flavors, an extra oomph and enhance its natural taste. Choosing the correct spice is imperative as it could lead to some of the yummiest coffee you have ever tasted or the nastiest. The former is what I am aiming for.

What Are Some Of The Interesting Spices To Add To Coffee?

If you aren’t into flavored coffee beans, then here are spices used in various parts of the world that can add a lot of flavor to your regular coffee. They are usually incorporated in the brewing process so that they infuse into the coffee.

How To Add Cinnamon To Coffee?

Cup of americano coffee with cinnamon on table close up

If you are looking for a new twist, try a dash of cinnamon with your coffee. This spice mixes particularly well with coffee, and not only does it taste good, but it also has many health benefits. This spice is appealing because it does not alter the taste like most coffee additives.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 ¼ tsp ground coffee
  • 3 to 4 cinnamon sticks
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • Sugar

Instructions

  1. Pour one cup of water into a pan and add in the cinnamon sticks. Bring the water to a boil and wait for the water to be reduced to half a cup. Once this happens, pour the water and cinnamon sticks into a blender jar and pour the milk into the pan. Add in the vanilla extract and allow the milk to heat up. Once the milk starts to boil, add in your preferred amount of sugar and remove it from the stove.
  2. Add the coffee grounds into the blender jar and blitz. Pour the coffee into a mug and top up with the hot milk mixture. If you prefer a more straightforward method, you can brew your coffee, as usual, add a tsp or two cinnamon powder, and stir well.

Benefits

  • Whether you stir in a teaspoon or two or add a cinnamon stick to your cup of coffee, both methods will not only provide a sweet taste but will also increase your antioxidants.
  • Cinnamon will also put your brain to work. If the caffeine in coffee is how you get your brain up and running in the morning, then adding this spice to your coffee will improve your brain’s cognitive processing and spur your brain functioning, which will help you master your motor and visual responses.
  • Cinnamon will also help protect you against high blood sugar as it provides the sweetness you might need in coffee because it is a healthier choice over sugar. It will help slow the blood sugar spikes after eating, improving your body’s insulin effectiveness.
  • Many people use coffee to get an energy boost, and adding cinnamon to your coffee will lead to an even more considerable energy boost. While cinnamon helps keep your blood sugar levels stable, it also stabilizes your energy levels, which prevents the sugar spike and energy crash and fatigue that happens because of meals and snacks.

Can You Add Saffron To Coffee?

Saffron is an interesting spice that will give your coffee a sweet, earthy, and pungent taste. It is easily the world’s most expensive spice due to it being a complicated spice to harvest. It has many uses in the kitchen but did you know that it can add a unique twist to your coffee? Saffron spice is very popular in Arabic coffee.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk
  • Sugar
  • 15 to 20 Saffron Strands
  • 2 Tbsp coffee grounds
  • ¼ Hot water

Instructions

  1. In a medium pan, you will add the milk and allow it to boil. Once that happens, you add in the saffron strand and desired sugar amount and let it simmer for a few minutes while stirring the milk occasionally. Strain the saffron milk and set it aside.
  2. In a mug, you will add the coffee grounds and hot water and stir the coffee. You then add the saffron milk, stir, and enjoy your saffron spiced coffee. If you do not wish to go through the hassle of straining the milk, you can prepare your coffee as usual and sprinkle the saffron powder on top.

Benefits

  • Saffron is great for improving the overall health of the heart. When added to coffee, you will be regularly consuming it, which will reduce many of the risk factors associated with heart diseases because it strengthens the circulatory system. Because this spice is rich in riboflavin and thiamin, various cardiac issues can be prevented.
  • Because saffron has antioxidant properties, the overall health of your blood vessels and arteries is promoted to prevent clogging.
  • This spice is fantastic for the health of your brain. Studies have shown that age-related mental impairments can be treated by saffron as it helps improve memory and concentration.
  • Some people believe that coffee aids in weight loss. If that is the case, then pairing your coffee with saffron will provide double the effect as saffron is proven to aid in weight loss.

Does Star Anise Go Well With Coffee?

This is a dark star-shaped spice that is hand-picked from a special tree. It has a unique flavor, and the aroma is incredible. This spice originates from China and has a distinctly unique licorice taste that separates it from other spices.

Ingredients

  • Star-shaped spice
  • Ground coffee
  • Hot water
  • Sugar

Instructions

  1. The first thing to do is boil water. Once you have hot water, you will add your ground coffee and sugar and place two to three-star anise on top. Stir the coffee well and enjoy.
  2. The star anise spice is usually enjoyed whole in coffee, but they can be broken up for more flavor and aroma.

Benefits

  • If you would like to lower your blood sugar level, then incorporating the star anise spice into your coffee is a common and simple way to do it. It has an amazing number of antioxidants due to it being low in the glycemic index.
  • Star anise spice also helps to stop the growth of bacteria and fungi because of its strong antimicrobial properties. It has been used in teas for a long time because it is effective at stopping the development of fungi and bacteria. There is no reason that it should not be a popular addition to coffee too.
  • Although most people drink coffee to make them awake and alert, some drink coffee because it helps them sleep. Adding it to your coffee is a great idea as it improves sleep due to it having sedative properties that stimulate the levels of hormones and neurotransmitters involved in sleep.
  • By incorporating star anise into your coffee, you will drastically reduce the chances of you getting a cold or developing any cold symptoms, as it has been proven to increase immunity. It is also used in a drug used to treat flu.

How Does Cardamom Taste In Coffee?

Coffee latte with cardamom, traditional arabic coffee

Cardamom is a traditional spice that is used in coffee throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa. It has a sweet, pungent flavor and pairs well with coffee.

Ingredients

  • Pulverized seeds from one cardamom case
  • ¾ Glass low-fat drain
  • 3 Tbsp finely ground espresso
  • Preferred amount of sugar

Instructions

  1. To make cardamom coffee, you will need pulverized seeds from one cardamom case, ¾ glass low-fat drain, 3 Tbsp finely ground espresso, and your preferred amount of sugar.
  2. You will need to simmer the cardamom seeds and milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat ⅔ cup water, almost to boiling. Place your ground coffee in a drip cone set on a large mug or cup and pour the hot water over the coffee grounds.

You will then strain the milk into the coffee so that none of the seeds land in it. You can stir in however much sugar you want or drink it as is. If you are not a fan of milk in your coffee, you can brew the coffee grounds together with the seeds in the cardamom pod, as that is where the entire flavor is.

Benefits

  • Cardamom added into your coffee will aid your digestion and promote gut health.
  • Not only will it give an amazing taste to your coffee, but it also helps to regulate blood pressure levels and helps your body detoxify.
  • Because of its soothing aroma, it is also considered a breath freshener, which is a great addition to your coffee as coffee breath is not usually the best.

Why Is Masala Coffee The Best?

If you enjoy some spice and want to spice up your mornings and get your day off to a great kick start, then these spices in coffee will be perfect for you. Masala coffee is often a blend of spices, some of which are already added into the coffee. The mix of various spices in the coffee will leave your taste buds tingling.

Ingredients

  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 1 clove
  • ½ inch long cinnamon stick
  • 3 to 4 black peppercorns
  • 1 inch ginger
  • Half 3 prongs star anise
  • 2 Tsp coffee beans.
  • Water
  • Milk
  • Sugar

Instructions

  1. Grab a dry pan and place the spices in it on moderate heat. This will loosen up the essential oils in the blend of spices. This can be done for 3 minutes and is optional. You can choose to go straight to crushing the spices together and adding them to a pot.
  2. Add ⅓ cup water and 2 tsp ground coffee to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and add ⅔ cup milk. If you prefer powdered milk, then add 1 heaped Tbsp for ⅔ cup water.
  3. Bring the mixture to a boil again, stirring it occasionally, and switch off the heat. Use a strainer when pouring the mixture into a cup and add sugar to taste. A trick to enhance the flavor is to pour the coffee back and forth from the cup to the pot and vice versa two to three times.

Benefits of Masala Coffee

  • All the spices used to make masala coffee not only have their health benefits, but when mixed, they work extremely well to help your body fight off any inflammation.
  • As coffee is the best way to help fight fatigue, adding this blend of spices that also help beat fatigue away means that you will be wide awake and energized in no time.
  • It will also help boost your metabolism, which will help you lose weight and help your body digest and use food efficiently.
  • Masala coffee is infused with various spices’ containing great anti-fungal and antibacterial properties, ensuring that your immune system will be strengthened to keep touches of flu at bay.

What Are The Interesting Spices To Add To Coffee?

Morning coffee is the ritual without which many of us cannot begin our day. Not only will the addition of these spices in your coffee make it taste better, but they also have a lot of health benefits and will leave your house smelling like the coziest place on this planet.


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