Café de Olla
Cinnamon-Piloncillo Coffee
Piloncillo, cinnamon, and warm spices simmer in a clay pot before coarse dark-roast coffee steeps briefly in the spiced syrup, giving Mexico's classic spiced coffee its perfume.
Café de Olla
✦ Antes de Empezar
Before you cook
Why does my café de olla taste bitter or harsh?
It's likely over-extracted — don't let the coffee boil for long once it's added. Bring it just back to a boil, then turn off the heat and let it steep for 5 minutes before straining.
Ingredientes· 6View
The Brew
- 6 cupsWater
- 1/2 cupCoarsely Ground Dark Roast Mexican Coffeeuse high-quality beans
Spices & Sweetener
- 2Mexican Cinnamon Sticks (Canela)
- 6 ozMexican Piloncillo Conegrated
- 2Whole Cloves
- 1Star Aniseoptional, for depth
Instrucciones
5 pasosCombina los ingredientes
Combine everything
Combine the water, piloncillo, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and orange peel in a clay pot or saucepan.
Hierve las especias
Simmer the spices
Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, until the piloncillo dissolves and the spices perfume the water.
Agrega el café
Add the coffee
Add the coffee, stir once, and return just to a boil.
Deja reposar
Let it steep
Turn off the heat, cover, and let it steep for 5 minutes.
Cuela y sirve
Strain and serve
Strain through a fine sieve or cloth and serve immediately — don't let the coffee boil long, or extraction turns harsh.
Authentic Culinary Gear for this Recipe
Heritage Mexican cooking relies on dedicated craft tools to develop authentic blisters, toasts, and emulsified textures.
10.5" Heavy Cast Iron Comal
Distributes high, dry radiant heat for charring poblanos, toasting chiles, and warming tortillas.
Cast Iron Tortilla Press (8")
Heavy calibrated leverage to press fresh heirloom masa dough into thin, supple rounds with zero sticking.
Heirloom Masa & Dried Chiles
Single-origin Mexican dried chiles (Ancho, Guajillo, Pasilla) and heirloom nixtamalized corn masa.
✦ Recommended gear reflects genuine kitchen utility standards. Outbound links support our independent culinary archive.