Cafe de Olla - Traditional Mexican Spiced Coffee

I am a coffee lover and cafe de olla is one of my favorites! The warm spices combined with sweetness and slow steeping make this a truly unique coffee.

Jump to:

• What is cafe de olla?
• What is piloncillo?
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Recipe Variations:
• Related recipes
• Pairing
• Cafe de Olla - Traditional Mexican Spiced Coffee

What is cafe de olla?

Café de olla is a traditional Mexican coffee brewed with cinnamon, clove, star anise and piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar) in a large clay pot, or olla de barro. The process typically starts with boiling water in the olla, adding the spices, and the piloncillo until it dissolved. Ground dark roast coffee is then stirred in and steeped. If you don't have an olla de barro a standard saucepan will work just fine.

This was inspired by my Vietnamese coconut coffee on this site, and pairs well with pastelitos de guava.

What is piloncillo?

Piloncillo is an unrefined whole cane sugar. It is made by boiling down sugarcane juice into a dense syrup and then molding it into cone or block shapes. The name "piloncillo" comes from the Spanish word for "little pylon" or "small cone," describing its shape. Piloncillo has a deep brown color and a rich, caramel-like flavor with earthy and molasses-like undertones. Piloncillo also called panela in Colombia is very similar to jaggery made in India, Sri Lanka and South Asia.

If you don’t have piloncillo, you can substitute it with dark brown sugar or molasses for a similar flavor profile, though the result won't be quite the same.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients to make cafe del olla.

• Coffee: Use a medium to coarse grind in a dark roast or medium dark roast.
• PIloncillo: Use one 8 ounce portion. Substitute dark brown sugar or jaggery.
• Water: 8 cups of water.
• Cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves: These warm spices add a nice depth of flavor.
• See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Here are the steps to make cafe de olla in the traditional method. If you have a olla de barro be sure to use a heat diffuser and not place the clay vessel on an open flame. It is bit different from most brewed coffee but very simple.

• Step 1: Add the water to a saucepan and heat on medium. Add the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and piloncillo.
• Step 2: Once the piloncillo has completely dissolved bring the water to a boil. Once it boils, turn off the heat and then add the coffee. Allow the coffee to steep for about 5-6 minutes.

• Step 3: Pour the coffee through a strainer and serve.
• Step 4: Optional: Pour into a French press, plunge the strainer and serve.

Recipe Variations:

Here are some other flavors to try with your cafe de olla.

• Citrus: Some regions add orange peel or lime peel for a subtle citrusy brightness that complements the spices. Add the peels during the simmering step.
• Chocolate: Add a small amount of Mexican chocolate (like Abuelita or Ibarra) to enhance the richness and create a mocha-like version.
• Alcohol: Add a splash of rum, Kahlúa, or tequila for a spiked café de olla.

Related recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with cafe de olla: