10 ways to make the milk in your coffee much more delicious

Is the oat cappuccino with a shot of caramel the most exciting coffee with milk you’ve ever had? Boring! You can make that milk much more fun. We’re sharing 10 ingredients that work wonders for your coffee milk. The best part: you probably already have most of these additions in your pantry.

Just to be clear, we’re talking about regular milk here. Cow’s milk, oat milk, soy milk—that sort of thing. Not old-school coffee creamer: that blue carton that probably only your grandmother still has in the house. No, it turns out to be a fantastic workhorse for all sorts of other things.

Milk with breakfast cereal

Do you know that episode of Chef’s Table about Milk Bar in New York? Milk Bar owner Christina Tosi came up with the genius idea of making a panna cotta with a cereal milk flavor. In other words, the flavor of milk infused with breakfast cereal. Brilliant, because that milk is genuinely delicious. Why not put cereal milk in your coffee? It gives your cup of joe a wonderfully nutty flavor. Plus, you don’t pour that last bit of cereal milk down the drain—you drink every last drop. Win-win!

Cinnamon-flavored milk

Christmas in a cup: that’s what you get when you give your coffee milk a cinnamon flavor. You can of course stir a generous pinch of ground cinnamon into the milk, but it’s even better to infuse warm milk with a cinnamon stick for a few hours. Take a moment to smell it too while the pan of cinnamon milk is on the stove. Don’t you just want to capture that scent in a bottle and use it as perfume? P.S. Cinnamon also turns out to be the ingredient that takes your pasta to the next level. Just sayin’.

Milk with lemon

Want to add a truly exciting touch to your coffee? Go for lemon. A little lemon zest or some lemon juice, for example. I’m explicitly saying “a little,” because you don’t want to turn it into a sour bomb. Some coffee beans are naturally more acidic too, so pay attention to what kind of coffee you have. And choose a milk with a fairly neutral flavor. Coconut milk and lemon aren’t the most popular combination, but they might just give you Club Tropicana vibes too.

Mint-flavored milk

Do you eat yourself sick on After Eights? Then there’s a good chance you’ll also enjoy coffee with mint milk. Make it by infusing sprigs with mint leaves in the milk. Include the stems too, because they’re full of flavor. Infuse it for as long as you like. Naturally, the longer the mint sprigs sit in the milk, the stronger the mint flavor will be. Tip: choose a coffee with chocolatey notes. That will bring you closest to the After Eight experience.

Milk with Earl Grey

In England, they do it all the time: milk in their tea. So why couldn’t it work the other way around? Earl Grey has light citrus and bergamot notes. These flavors subtly infuse the milk. Basically, you just steep an Earl Grey tea bag in the milk. 5 to 10 minutes is enough; otherwise, it can become rather bitter. And suddenly you have coffee with a tea flavor.

Milk with peanut butter

Milk and peanut butter are the basis of homemade satay sauce. You may not be able to picture it just yet, but this is genuinely delicious in coffee. It not only makes your coffee taste nutty, but also creamier. The trick is not to use cold milk. Peanut butter will just float around in clumps. So heat the milk in a pan first, then let a spoonful of peanut butter melt into it. You can make your peanut butter coffee even more special with maple syrup. And if you really want to make it a party: a dollop of whipped cream and some chopped peanuts on top. It’s also a perfect way to use up that last bit of peanut butter!

Milk with cayenne pepper

For many people, a cup of coffee is the perfect way to wake up properly in the morning. Want to get rid of your sleepy face in one go? Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to your milk. It gives your milk—and therefore your coffee—a nice kick. Don’t worry: it’s not so spicy that your mouth will be on fire at 7 a.m. There are limits. Milk is also naturally a fire extinguisher, so it tones down the heat anyway.

Milk with saffron

Turn your coffee into a genuine cup of liquid gold by adding some saffron-infused milk. Yes, it’s one of the most expensive spices in the world. So I understand if you use it sparingly. But I promise you: this hack is worth using a pinch of saffron for. 2 to 4 strands are enough to give your milk that earthy, complex flavor. Remove the strands once they’re fully infused in the milk. Tip: a little brown sugar or vanilla will make your coffee even more delicious.

Lavender-flavored milk

In the mood for something unexpected? Head into the garden, snip a sprig from your lavender bush and put it in your milk. Lavender gives your milk and coffee a floral flavor. And floral is also an aroma found in many coffees. So the two can only reinforce each other! Tip: don’t infuse the lavender for too long. You don’t want to feel as though you’ve taken a bite of that lavender bush.

Oreo-flavored milk

Oreos are meant to be dunked in milk. I wonder if anyone actually does that. Maybe in America, but here in the Netherlands I’ve never seen anyone reach for a glass of milk and Oreos at the same time. Still, I say: do it! Put those Oreos in your milk and let them sit there for a good long while. Milk with an Oreo flavor is fantastic, especially in your coffee. Bonus point: you can still happily eat those soggy Oreos afterward. You’ll have a cookie with your coffee too. Be sure to vary the Oreo flavors as well, because there are plenty to choose from.

Read also:

• Morning! This is the coffee maker of your dreams
• Research proves it: four cups of coffee a day promotes kidney health
• Cola with milk isn’t as disgusting as you might think

Source: Tasting Table