15 Unique Hot Drink Recipes for Any Time of Year
Updated on March 13, 2023
Fall might only just be arriving, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not already in the full swing of autumn fashion and cooking! Don’t get us wrong; we adore summer, sunshine, and warm weather and we actually enjoy savouring those things for as long as we possibly can, but sometimes we just get a craving for something warm and cozy no matter what time of year it is, so we’re sure it’ll come as no surprise to you to learn that we like drinking hot drinks all the time. There’s just something about fall, however, that gets us particularly excited about warming ourselves with a hot beverage, which is probably why we’ve been on a total kick of looking for as many different unique hot drink recipes as we can find, just to keep things interesting.
Just in case you love a good hot beverage just as much as we do, if not more, and you’d also prefer to try making them yourself rather than constantly paying brand prices at your local coffee shop, here are 15 of the yummiest and most unique recipes and flavour ideas that we’ve come across in our search so far!
1. Champurrado
Are you the kind of person who will almost always choose chocolate over just about any other option? Well, just because you’d really like a satisfyingly rich, warm chocolate beverage doesn’t mean you can’t still put an awesome twist on the flavour of your drink! Personally, we’ve been pretty obsessed with the awesome kick that this champurrado drink featured on Serious Eats brings along with it. This is a Mexican hot chocolate and corn drink made with dark chocolate, brown sugar, cinnamon, and masa (an ingredient used to make tortillas). We’ve mentioned it once and we’ll say it again; this drink is satisfying.
2. Caramel brulee coffee
Besides being a huge coffee fan, are you actually the kind of person who simply adores sweet beverage recipes? Well, we can’t say we blame you! We’ll eat just about anything sweet, if we’re being honest, but something about sweet drinks when the weather starts to cool off just feels extra decadent. That’s why we love this fragrant caramel brulee coffee recipe feaured on Foxes Love Lemons so much! Even if you skip the whipped cream because you’re concerned about overdoing the sweetness, we promise you that you’ll still love the flavour.
3. Warm spiced vanilla cocktail
If you’re going to make yourself a fancy flavoured drink are you actually usually a big fan of getting creative with cocktails, unwinding with something yummy at the end of a long, hard work week? Well, believe it or not, this can actually be an opportunity for a warm fall drink as well! Check out how Kitchen Treaty used Baileys to make this warm spiced vanilla cocktail that just tastes like the holidays aren’t far off.
4. Apple cider rooibos hot toddy
If we’re being honest, part of the reason that we love a good warm drink in the fall is that we’re the kind of people who often get really bad colds when the seasons change. We’re not sure whether it’s the temperature or the change in plants and environment, but we get the sniffles every fall without fail! That’s why we’re always glad to have this apple cider rooibos hot toddy recipe on hand. Thanks to the tea, the apple element, and the splash of bourbon, it cuts through most of what’s ailing you and warms you to the bone when you have a chill you just can’t shake. Get the full details for making it on Minimalist Baker.
5. Crock pot wassail
Are you quite interested indeed in the hot toddy recipe because you are the kind of person that catches cold every fall, but you’re just not interested in putting bourbon in your hot drink, no matter how much you want to kick start your system? Well, we can’t say we blame you; that kind of kick just isn’t for everyone! That’s why we were so pleased to stumble across this similar alcohol free crock pit wassail recipe featured on Real House Moms. This option is made using apple cider, orange and lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, oranges, and apples.
6. Pomegranate white hot chocolate
We know we’ve already talked a little bit about hot chocolate, but there are just so many delicious kinds out there that we honestly feel like we could go on and on about it all darn day! That’s why we simply had to put this nearly gourmet tasting option on our list as well. Check out how The Speckled Palate got creative with both the flavour and the kind of chocolate involved when they made this mouth watering pomegranate white hot chocolate.
7. Hot buttered rum
If you’re going to go to the trouble of making yourself a special, warm, homemade drink this fall, would you rather it be some kind of classic that you remember the adults in your life enjoying when you were a child? Well, there’s a reason that certain drinks become “traditional” and continue to be enjoyed despite being old fashioned, and that’s because they’re delicious! Hot buttered rum is the perfect example of what we mean. Blooming Bites guides you step by step through the process of making it out of powdered sugar, spiced rum, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
8. Warm apple pie cocktail
Did we really catch your attention when we started talking about warm flavoured cocktails but you’ve simply never been a huge vanilla fan because you actually find it a little bit too subtle in taste? Perhaps you’ve actually always thought Bailey’s was a little bit too sweet. In either case, we’d suggest taking a look at this delicious recipe from Food Network instead! Their tutorial shows you step by step how to make a warm apple pie cocktail that’s full of flavour (and tastes great with or without a delicious dollop of real whipped cream on top).
9. Chile hot chocolate
When we mentioned earlier that the Mexican hot chocolate recipe made with masa had more of a kick to it, did you really think that we meant spice and that made you really excited? Well, we’re sorry to report that that’s not quite the kind of kick we meant in that particular beverage… but it certainly is in this one! Check out how Chowhound used cayenne pepper to amp up the flavour of their hot chocolate in a totally irresistible way.
10. Honeyed hot cocoa
Are you actually the kind of hot chocolate lover who is a pretty big fan of the classic recipe and flavour, despite the fact that you are looking to change it up just a little bit, so you’ve had trouble choosing a warm drink recipe so far because you just can’t seem to find one with the perfect balance of what you want? In that case, we have a feeling you’ll get along very well indeed with something like this honeyed hot chocolate recipe featured on Saveur! They show you how to create a fantastically even flavour experience above and beyond the chocolate by adding a small drop of honey and a little pinch of salt, just to make sure things don’t taste too sweet.
11. Hot almond n’ cream drink
What if you’ve never actually really been the biggest fan of hot chocolate, warm cocktails, or coffee, despite the fact that a hot drink still sounds like an irresistible idea to you? Well, don’t worry just yet, because your options aren’t quite exhausted! So long as you don’t have any nut allergies, we’d definitely suggest taking a look at howTaste of Home made this completely scrumptious hot almond and cream drink using butter, brown sugar, vanilla ice cream, almond extract, and nutmeg.
12. Raspberry white hot chocolate
Did we actually really catch your attention when we started talking about the sweet, delicious concept of white hot chocolate, since white chocolate has actually always been your favourite, but the pomegranate element just didn’t really speak to you? Well, lucky for all of us, Sugar Hero is here with an awesome alternative for berry lovers! Check out how they made this decadent raspberry white hot chocolate that’s so good we’re pretty sure we could happily drink at least two a day all year long.
13. Gingerbread hot chocolate
Are you the kind of holiday flavours lover who firmly believes that any type of drink should be enjoyed any time of year so long as it means you get to have your favourite tastes whenever you please? Then we have a feeling you’ll be very into this delicious gingerbread hot chocolate idea featured on Eat Drink Love despite the fact that Christmas is still months away! Even just the smell of this drink is enough to make mouths water.
14. Maple cinnamon latte
Coffee lovers rejoice, we have yet another amazingly flavoured option for you and it’s one that we think you’ll find surprisingly simple to make! Port and Fin guides you step by step through the process of creating a completely delicious hot latte that, besides being perfectly balance between milk, espresso, and the thinnest layer of foam on top, gives you a delicious blend of maple and cinnamon that will have your whole house smelling yummy from top to bottom.
15. Lavender hot chocolate
Just in case you’re the kind of kitchen based DIY enthusiast who loves nothing more than keeping up with the latest flavour trends and trying your hand at whatever the gourmet shops are selling right now, here’s a deliciously subtle but irresistibly fragrant hot chocolate recipe from Sugar Hero that will let you be a part of the way lavender is sweeping the drinks and baking scene, and for very good reason!
Do you have another favourite hot drink for fall that you absolutely love making and that your family adores but that you don’t see here on our list? Tell us all about it or link us to the recipe in the comments section!