Make the most of your espresso machine this holiday season with these 3 festive coffee ideas

Christmas drinks like eggnog and mulled cider tend to take center stage at Christmas time. Where’s the room for Christmas espresso drinks in the holiday season? It can be hard to find time for your beloved espresso machine. I know my De’Longhi La Specialista Opera — one of the best espresso machines, in my opinion — feels a bit left out during the festive period.

However, don’t fret — I’ve come up with three super easy ideas to get your espresso machine going this Christmas. Whether it’s useful for making decadent desserts, morning refreshers, or indulgent liquid delights, I’m sure there’ll be at least one idea here you can whizz up.

I’m an ex-barista, so I’ve combined all that professional knowledge with my love for coffee and my insatiable appetite for culinary experimentation. Here’s my favorite Christmas coffee recipes.

Easy Christmas espresso drinks: Espresso Cubano

This espresso will be the base of all these drinks. A Cubano (also known as a Café Cubano) is a coffee made in a moka pot with brown sugar. To adapt this for an espresso machine, you need to pull your shot with brown sugar in the portafilter basket. This creates a luxurious, sweet, and rich espresso, perfect for those indulgent holiday mornings.

The recipe

Ingredients

  1. 18g medium or dark roasted coffee
  2. A sprinkle of brown sugar

Instructions

  1. Finely grind the espresso
  2. Dose the espresso in your portafilter
  3. Sprinkle a thin layer of brown sugar over the top of the coffee
  4. Tamp your shot well
  5. Pull the shot

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

While this isn’t explicitly a Christmas drink, there’s something so warming and comforting about brown sugar. You can festive-ify this espresso even further with the next idea on this list…

Easy Christmas espresso drinks: Irish Cream Latte

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

What’s better than Baileys? Baileys and coffee. You can serve this drink hot or iced but I think it tastes better iced.

The recipe

Ingredients

  1. 1 double shot of espresso (espresso Cubano)
  2. 1 fluid ounce of Baileys Irish Cream
  3. Sweetener of your choice to taste — I use brown sugar syrup
  4. 6 ounces of milk of your choice — I use Oatly Barista
  5. Milk frother

Instructions

  1. Froth your Baileys — it might take a while.
  2. If you want sweetener, add it to your milk now.
  3. Pull a double shot of espresso.
  4. Pour your milk and espresso into your glass or mug.
  5. Top with Baileys and dust with cocoa powder or cinnamon.

Easy Christmas espresso drinks: Eggnog Latte

This drink combines the best Christmas delicacy with delicious sweetened espresso for the ultimate indulgent post-dinner treat.

The recipe

Ingredients

  1. 1 double shot of espresso (or espresso Cubano)
  2. 7 fluid ounces of eggnog

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Instructions

  1. Froth 7 fluid ounces of eggnog with your milk frother, or steam on your espresso machine (it will be very loud!).
  2. Pull a double shot of espresso.
  3. Combine in a glass or mug of your choice.

Easy Christmas espresso drinks: Yule Log Mocha

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

This is perhaps my favorite drink on this list. There’s nothing better than a decadent Yule Log to tuck into post-Christmas dinner, so why not liquify it?

The recipe

Ingredients

  1. 1 double shot of espresso (espresso Cubano)
  2. 6 fluid ounces of milk of your choice
  3. Cocoa powder
  4. 2 fluid ounces of condensed milk or dulce de leche
  5. A dash of vanilla
  6. Whipped cream
  7. Cocoa powder

Instructions

  1. Make your hot cocoa according to package instructions
  2. Combine with vanilla
  3. Combine with condensed milk or dulce du leche
  4. Pull a double shot of espresso (espresso Cubano)
  5. Give it a good stir
  6. Serve in mug of your choice with whipped cream and cocoa powder

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