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How to Make Hazelnut Coffee
A look at the different ways to make hazelnut coffee.
Published March 18, 2022
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Erik Hedlund
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
If your favorite type of coffee is smooth and nutty, then chances are that you enjoy hazelnut coffee a lot. It’s a popular flavor of coffee that is served in coffee shops and cafes all over the world. You can add hazelnut flavoring to pretty much any kind of coffee that you like including hot coffee, iced coffee, cappuccinos, lattes, and even mochas. Hazelnut is also a great addition to coffee that has been made with alternative ingredients such as almond milk. These days, more and more people are saving money by skipping the line at Starbucks and other coffee shops and making their favorite brews at home instead. But when you like a specialty coffee like hazelnut coffee, can you still make this taste just as good at home? The good news is that making a tasty hazelnut coffee in your kitchen is easier than you might think. There are several different recipes that you can try for making hazelnut coffee including with DIY hazelnut coffee syrup or using coffee bean hazelnut powder for a quick and easy drink. Keep reading for some hazelnut coffee recipe options to try, how to make the best hazelnut syrup for coffee at home, and to learn more about hazelnut coffee in general.
Making Traditional Hazelnut Coffee
When you order hazelnut coffee from a coffee shop, you will usually get a coffee that is made with hazelnut coffee syrup. But while this is definitely delicious, it can add a lot of sugar and calories to your morning cup of coffee. And it’s not the traditional way to make hazelnut coffee either. The good news is that if you like trying new things and want to make hazelnut coffee in an authentic way rather than just adding syrup to your brew at home, making authentic hazelnut coffee isn’t difficult, and will require ingredients and supplies that you probably already have at home in your kitchen.
To make authentic hazelnut coffee, you will need:
- Coffee beans of your choice – light roast works well
- Shelled, unsalted hazelnuts
- Milk of your choice
- Sweetener of your choice
- Hazelnut extract (optional)
You’ll also need the following equipment:
- Coffee grinder
- Coffeemaker
To make authentic hazelnut coffee:
1. Gather the Ingredients
The first step is to get the whole bean coffee that you prefer. A light roast is recommended since this will bring out the flavor. You’ll also need unsalted hazelnuts, since salted hazelnuts will affect the taste of the coffee. Since much of the flavor of the nuts is in the outer shells, you should make sure that the hazelnuts have their skin. Measure out the beans and nuts until you have the right ratio. Two parts beans to one part nuts is recommended.
2. Grind the Coffee and Hazelnuts
Ground coffee and hazelnuts are the main coffee bean hazelnut powder ingredients. Does hazelnut coffee have nuts in it? The answer is yes if you are preparing it this way. Since you are adding whole hazelnuts to your grinder to make the coffee with, this is an ideal way to reduce the hazelnut coffee beans calories compared to using a hazelnut syrup. Add the beans and hazelnuts to your grinder to be ground together on a coarse grind setting to make sure that the flavor comes through.
3. Brew Your Coffee
You can use almost any brewer that you have; however, it should be suitable for a coarse grind – espresso isn’t going to work. A French press is the most recommended option, since this brewing type works especially well with a coarse grind and will bring out more of the hazelnut flavor. Place your coffee and hazelnut grinds in the machine and brew as normal.
4. Add Milk or Sugar
If you prefer, you can add milk and/or sugar to your coffee as an optional step, or you can just drink it black. It’s entirely up to you.
Making Hazelnut Coffee Like Starbucks
If you prefer the hazelnut coffee that you get at Starbucks and other popular coffee chains, then you can use this simple recipe to replicate your favorite drink at home. To get started, you will need:
- Whole beans or ground coffee of your choice
- Hazelnut coffee syrup
- Milk or cream
- Sweetener of your choice
- Optional ground cinnamon, whipped cream, and Nutella
You will need a coffeemaker such as a drip coffee maker to prepare this coffee. To make it:
1. Brew the Coffee
The first step is to brew your coffee as normal. You can use any type of coffee you like, but medium roast is recommended as it tends to work best with the hazelnut flavors. A traditional drip coffee maker is also recommended for brewing, although you can use another type of coffee maker if you prefer.
2. Add Hazelnut Syrup
You can find hazelnut coffee syrup for sale in grocery stores, coffee shops, and online. They’re not all the same, so you may want to try out a few before you find one you like. Or you can get the same one that is used in your favorite coffee shop – Starbucks use Monin syrups, for example. Two tablespoons of your chosen hazelnut syrup should be added to your mug first, then add the coffee.
3. Add Milk and Sugar
If you like, you can then add some milk or cream to give your coffee a smooth and creamy texture. If the hazelnut syrup alone is not enough to sweeten your coffee, you can also add some sugar or sweetener.
How to Make Hazelnut Coffee Syrup
Does hazelnut coffee have sugar? This will depend entirely on how you make it and what you add to it. If you go down the traditional route of grinding coffee beans and hazelnuts to brew together, this can result in a low-sugar beverage. However, hazelnut coffee syrups, which are some of the most popular ways to add hazelnut flavoring to coffee, can be quite high in sugar, although low-sugar and sugar free options are available that use sweeteners instead. One of the best ways to control how much sugar is going into your coffee and make hazelnut coffee good for you is to make your own hazelnut coffee syrup at home. To do this, you will need:
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- ¼ cup hazelnut liqueur
To make the syrup:
- Heat the water on the stove until steamy. Then add the sugar and stir until it has fully dissolved.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and add the hazelnut liqueur. Place in a bottle and allow it to cool to room temperature before storing it in the fridge.
Of course, this recipe is quite high in sugar, so if you are looking for a healthier option, you can make a more natural hazelnut syrup using whole hazelnuts. This is a more time-consuming option, however. You will need:
- 8oz white sugar
- 500ml water
- 9oz raw hazelnuts
To make:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the hazelnuts on the baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) in a preheated oven for fifteen minutes.
- Remove the hazelnuts from the oven once they begin to brown.
- Peel and roughly chop the nuts and set them aside.
- Heat the water and sugar in a large saucepan. Stir on a medium-high heat until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Turn the temperature down to medium-low and add the hazelnuts to the saucepan.
- Cook for around 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer you cook for, the stronger the hazelnut flavor will be and the thicker the syrup will be.
- Strain the syrup into a jar and allow to cool completely before closing the jar. Store in a dry, dark place.
Health Benefits of Hazelnut Coffee
You know that hazelnut coffee is a tasty drink that will help you get going in the morning, but does it have any benefits for your health? You may be surprised to hear that adding hazelnuts to your coffee can lead to lots of health benefits, including:
Stronger Bones
Hazelnuts are rich in manganese, which has a significant impact on the durability and strength of your bones and teeth. Eating just one ounce of hazelnuts can provide up to 87% of your daily manganese intake, reducing your risk of painful joints and conditions like osteoporosis.
Reduce Cancer Risk
Hazelnuts are very high in alpha-tocopherol, which is a variant of Vitamin E known to be able to reduce the risk of cancer by 50%. Along with this, the manganese in hazelnuts is also known for having a key role in preventing cancer.
Boost Weight Loss
If you’re trying to lose weight, hazelnut coffee can help. Studies have found that hazelnuts are very high in protein, which can help keep you fuller for longer and curb cravings.
Hazelnut coffee is a popular coffee shop order, but it’s also easy to make at home whether you want to use whole hazelnuts or make your own hazelnut syrup.
About the author
Erik Hedlund
With Era of We and The Coffee Lab, I hope to share knowledge, increase the value of coffee – and secure the future of coffee.
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