Café con Miel

Café con Miel
Alys Tomlinson/Getty Images
Prep: 1 mins
Cook: 4 mins
Total: 5 mins
Servings: 3 to 4 servings

Way before the craze of flavored coffee, the Spaniards were drinking a delicious after-dinner coffee filled with spices and sweetened with honey. Easy to make, it combines vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a sugary cup of creamy coffee. It's great to enjoy as a light dessert or soothing mid-afternoon pick-me-up, and you don't have to pay big bucks to have it.

Honey, miel in Spanish, is a natural sweetener that has been used for centuries. Many people choose to have it for breakfast as it's a great way to start the day.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups freshly brewed coffee

  • 1/2 cup whole milk, or non-dairy alternative

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 dash ground nutmeg

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Warm all the ingredients in a small pot over low-to-medium heat, but do not bring to a boil.

  3. Stir well to dissolve the honey.

  4. Serve in small mugs.

  5. Enjoy hot!

Tips for Making a Great Cafe con Miel

  • The Coffee: This recipe really sings with fresh coffee, so take the time to make a fresh pot, or press a single cup in your French press or AeroPress to get a richer cup of coffee. These are both great ways to brew just a small amount of coffee and the quality of the coffee is perfect for mixed coffee drinks like this.
  • The Milk: When warming up the ingredients, the milk is your biggest concern. There is a fine line between warm and scalded milk and this is why it's very important to keep the heat low enough so you can manage it; boiling your cow's milk will make it curdle and you'll have to strain it through a fine colander to remove the cooked proteins that have formed. Alternatively, use your favorite non-dairy milk like rice, almond, or soy beverages.
  • The Honey: Honey comes in many flavors. Depending on what the bees were feeding on it can be made of the nectar of just one flower or many, and you can find it raw or pasteurized. The honey you choose will change the flavor of your coffee so buy a few types and experiment. Or try infusing the honey with spices.
  • The Spices: Don't be limited to the three spices included in this recipe. They are recommended and traditional, but not necessary. If you run out of one, skip it or substitute it with another spice you enjoy, like ginger, peppercorns, cardamom, or cloves.

How to Infuse Honey

Place whole spices in a small jar and cover them with honey. Allow this to sit for about 5 days, then strain off the spices and rebottle the flavored honey under a tight seal. Whole spices work best, so a vanilla bean, a cinnamon stick, and coarsely ground nutmeg are recommended. Remember that the more spices you add to the jar or the longer you allow the honey to infuse, the stronger the flavor will be.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
85 Calories
1g Fat
19g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 85
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 16mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 39mg 3%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 110mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)