28 Drink Recipes To Keep You Warm This Winter
Bundling up in layers of sweaters and fuzzy socks in front of a crackling fire sure goes a long way when the temperatures dip, but nothing cures frosty fingers quite like a hot drink in the winter. Whether it's a caffeinated beverage to help sweeten chilly mornings, a luxurious cup of cocoa under a soft blanket, or a gingery drink to take that nasty flu away, few things will warm your body and your soul better than a steaming hot beverage.
It's not just the temperature of the drink that's going to keep you warm; winter spices can also have their own cozy qualities. Frothy coffees with cinnamon can help regulate blood sugar levels during the sugar-filled holiday season, teas made with ginger and honey are a quick remedy for colds and sore throats, red wines mulled with nutmeg and cardamom can help you sleep much better at night, and hot chocolate with a pinch of cayenne is wonderful painkiller when you've worked up a hangover from all the holiday drinking (via Country Living). So bring out those whisks, gather your seasonal seasonings, and get ready to give your favorite beverages a warm and spicy spin, for 'tis the season to enjoy hot drinks!
1. Orange Cinnamon Hot Buttered Rum
The world of hot cocktails is a relatively small one, with little to offer beyond mulled wines and hot toddies. With the flavors of orange and cinnamon bursting through, this hot buttered rum is a welcome alternative. Recipe developer Jennine Bryant calls this cocktail "the ultimate autumnal drink in my books; it's so delicious and warming." Because the hot buttered rum only takes 10 minutes to make, Bryant also thinks that it's a wonderful drink to pack in a flask when you're enjoying outdoor festivities.
Recipe: Orange Cinnamon Hot Buttered Rum
2. Spiced Brown Sugar Latte
Brown sugar coffees have become all the rage now, thanks to the iced and shaken versions popularised by coffee chains like Starbucks. This recipe turns this delicious combination into a hot latte that has a lot in common with Starbucks' Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. While the recipe uses instant coffee with water, brown sugar, and cinnamon to make the spiced latte's syrupy base, you can always opt for freshly brewed espresso instead. From there on, all you'll need is hot milk and whipped cream with cinnamon powder for garnish.
Recipe: Spiced Brown Sugar Latte
3. Small-Batch Apple Cider
Who doesn't love a recipe that can be easily tweaked depending on the season? This small-batch apple cider is wonderful when served over ice during summers but come winter, it's best enjoyed hot off the pot with cinnamon sticks, apple, orange slices, and even some whipped cream if you'd like. The best part about homemade apple cider, recipe developer Miriam Hahn says, is that you have full control over its sweet-to-spice ratio. It's easy to cut back on the sugar, increase the spice, and go heavier on your favorite flavors.
Recipe: Small-Batch Apple Cider
4. Hot Chocolate
It's impossible to go wrong with a mug of hot chocolate on frosty winter days — the warm chocolate drink did take the cake for the best Christmas beverage according to a Mashed survey, after all! This classic hot chocolate recipe has a lusciously thick consistency thanks to cornstarch, a rich flavor from brown sugar, and a whole lot of chocolatey goodness thanks to chopped chocolate, because just using cocoa powder simply doesn't cut it. Dress up the hot chocolate with the usual marshmallow and whipped cream topping or make it festive with candy canes and sprinkles.
Recipe: Hot Chocolate
5. Spicy Chai
Chai — the Hindi word for tea in India — is without a doubt an excellent hot drink for wintertime, and spiced chai in particular is believed to have several health benefits (via Shape). Luckily, this chai has a ton of spices — after all, it's called spicy chai! If your spice rack isn't already stocked, you might need to do a quick grocery run for cloves, cardamom seeds, ginger, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, and black tea bags. Once you have all your ingredients in order, the spicy chai comes together in as little as 15 minutes.
Recipe: Spicy Chai
6. Gluhwein
Gluhwein in German quite literally means "glow wine," and the red wine cocktail was given its names thanks to the hot red irons that were traditionally used to make the beverage. While no hot irons are required to make the festive German drink now, this is a traditional gluhwein in all other aspects. Depending on how much time you have, you can steep a bottle of dry dark red wine with spices for anywhere between a couple of minutes to an hour. Regardless of how long you mull the wine, gluhwein is best drunk warm alongside salty meats or sweet treats.
Recipe: Gluhwein
7. Gingerbread Latte
Sure, you could run to a coffee shop to grab a gingerbread latte, but did you know that you could easily make it at home in under five minutes? As long as you have a few specific ingredients like ground ginger, molasses, vanilla extract, and soft brown sugar, it's as easy as mixing it all into warm milk and adding that to your usual espresso. Doll up the latte with a swirl of whipped cream, tiny gingerbread cookies, a sprinkle of nutmeg, or even some caramel or chocolate sauce to make the drink look extra festive.
Recipe: Gingerbread Latte
8. Strawberry Hot Chocolate
Considering how popular hot chocolate is, especially during the winter, it's easy to get bored of the usual recipes. Pairing fresh flavors with rich chocolate is a refreshing change, and what better combination to experiment with when you're working with chocolate than strawberries? While Petar Marshall's recipe uses strawberries for garnish alongside marshmallows, that's not the only source of berry in here: You'll also whisk a freshly-made strawberry puree into your hot chocolate.
Recipe: Strawberry Hot Chocolate
9. Copycat Starbucks Toasted White Chocolate Mocha
There are plenty of things to look forward to in the winter, including light snowfall, fuzzy socks, Christmas feasts, and Starbucks' Toasted White Chocolate Mocha. Starbucks is known to be unpredictable about which beverages it brings back each Christmas, but recipe developer Mackenzie Ryan ensures that everyone has a ready supply of the sweet drink whenever they want. The secret to replicating the mocha's toasted flavor at home is in the caramelized sweetness of dulce de leche. Once you have that, you'll only need three other ingredients.
10. Irish Coffee
Winter is an excellent opportunity to mix two favorites into one warm drink: coffee and alcohol. Jaime Shelbert's Irish coffee has all the usual suspects: hot coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and whipped cream. But there's a tiny twist that makes Shelbert's version a touch more decadent. Besides two ounces of Irish whiskey per mug, Shelbert spikes the whipped cream with a splash of Bailey's. The recipe also swaps white sugar with brown for "that extra touch of decadence." Even better, it comes together in 10 minutes, and that includes whisking the Baileys whipped cream from scratch!
Recipe: Irish Coffee
11. Snowman Soup
Ever wonder what a sweet soup would taste like? According to recipe developer Catherine Brookes, it would taste a lot like hot chocolate with a snowman swimming around! Brookes takes a standard cup of cocoa and tops it with charming snowmen using marshmallows, whipped cream, and colored gel icing. The snowmen can be dressed up as much or as little depending on your skillset, but make sure to drink up your snowman soup as soon as its done — marshmallows and cream may make this hot chocolate incredibly rich and decadent, but they don't fare well when made to wait.
Recipe: Snowman Soup
12. Instant Pot Spiced Apple Cider
Requiring only apples, oranges, cinnamon sticks, and water, this spiced apple cider is not only cheap to make, but the use of an Instant Pot also saves you a lot of time and effort along the way. Simply chop the fruits, cook them in the Instant Pot for 11 minutes, and voila! Your spiced apple cider is good to go! While this spiced apple cider is excellent drunk on its own whilst still warm, it can also be fashioned into a cocktail using a bit of whiskey and honey.
Recipe: Instant Pot Spiced Apple Cider
13. Cinnamon Coffee
On mornings when you want a hot coffee with sweet spices but simply don't have the time to make anything too fussy, this cinnamon coffee is an easy recipe to have on hand. All you'll need are three key ingredients — coffee, water, and cinnamon — and from there, you can jazz the simple coffee up depending on the time and ingredients you have to spare. Enjoy it black or with a bit of steamed milk, plain or with a generous dollop of whipped cream, and served on its own or with a small biscotti on the side.
Recipe: Cinnamon Coffee
14. Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
Few think of gingerbread beyond coffee and cookies, but these sweet, spicy, and wintery flavors are sublime when combined with cocoa. This recipe uses coconut milk which not only makes this an entirely vegan hot chocolate but one that's on the healthier side too. Per recipe devloper Miriam Hahn, coconut milk is packed with copper, iron, and manganese, the unsweetened cocoa powder and spices are full of antioxidants, and the molasses and maple syrup used are both better than processed sugar. The fact that the drink is rich, luxuriously silky, and tastes like warm gingerbread is only a bonus.
Recipe: Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
15. Hot Toddy
Runny noses and sore throats can quickly put a damper on all wintertime festivities, but one thing might just make the flu a tad more bearable: a steamy whiskey-spiked hot toddy. Lemon and honey can quickly soothe a scratchy throat, cinnamon and star anise are both known to have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, and there's nothing quite like an ounce of whiskey to help you get a good night's sleep. If you're simply looking for a hot cocktail to warm up, you can always swap the whiskey with scotch, brandy, or rum and the water with fresh apple cider.
Recipe: Hot Toddy
16. Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte
As we get further into wintertime, the time for pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks is well and truly over. Thanks to recipe developer Susan Olayinka, it's entirely possible to make a Starbucks-style PSL at home in under six minutes! You'll need pumpkin spice powder and pumpkin puree of course, as well as milk, instant coffee, castor sugar, and vanilla extract. Top the latte with whipped cream and a dusting of more pumpkin spice powder before you curl up to the toasty drink on a chilly winter afternoon.
17. Slow Cooker Mulled Cider
Meal prepping is nothing new, so why not prep a big batch of mulled cider to last you through the week too? With no more than four ingredients and five minutes of hands-on prep, the cider will mull away in a slow cooker for four hours. In the end, you'll have enough mulled cider for 24 servings that can be refrigerated. When you're ready, simply pop it in the microwave, garnish with orange slices or cinnamon sticks, and enjoy — it's as easy as making yourself a cup of tea.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Mulled Cider
18. Orange Hot Chocolate
"There's hot chocolate, and then there's this hot chocolate," says recipe developer Ting Dalton who promises that once you've had a taste of this orange hot chocolate, you'll never want hot chocolate any other way again. The combination of milk and heavy cream provides a thick and creamy texture, fresh orange zest and orange juice add a bright pop of flavor, and dark chocolate makes the drink incredibly rich. Ultimately, this drink topped with whipped cream, orange zest, and chocolate shavings is, according to Dalton, "utterly creamy, utterly decadent, and really chocolatey." What's not to love about that?
Recipe: Orange Hot Chocolate
19. Ginger Root Tea
There are few things better than a hot cup of herbal tea to warm you up on a cold day but it's even better when you brew a fresh batch from scratch at home, especially when it only takes 15 minutes to make this soothing tea using fresh ginger root! Plus, ginger has several health benefits, per recipe developer Miriam Hahn: Ginger is a natural pain reliever, it helps strengthen your immune system, and even helps aid digestion after all those hearty holiday feasts.
Recipe: Ginger Root Tea
20. Copycat Starbucks Holiday Spice Flat White
Winter makes getting out of bed incredibly difficult, let alone stepping out into the cold for a quick Starbucks run. Thankfully with this copycat recipe, you can make Starbucks' iconic Holiday Spice Flat White in five minutes without ever leaving the coziness of your home. The sweet flat white gets its holiday flavor from a blend of four spices: nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and dried ginger. Once you have the spices and the espresso ready, you only need to froth hot milk to create a tasty drink that tastes like the real deal.
21. Spiced Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate is a delicious drink to warm up to on cold evenings, but a cup of hot chocolate spiked with a pinch of chili powder is even better. The chili's fiery spice is an excellent contrast to sweet chocolate, cinnamon, and nutmeg and those who have a higher tolerance for heat can even add an extra pinch or two. A generous dash of rum, brandy, or bourbon will make the drink even more decadent and warming for the adults in the room. Pair with a slice of cake or a cookie for a toasty little winter treat.
Recipe: Spiced Hot Chocolate
22. Mulled Wine
Grab a bottle of red wine and raid your spice rack, for 'tis the season to enjoy mulled wine! Contrary to popular belief, mulling wine doesn't have to take hours. This one can be ready after just 10 minutes of simmering. However, there are a few things to keep in mind. The mulled wine will only be as good as the red wine that you use, so it may be worth splurging a bit here. It's also important to use whole spices rather than ground ones to keep the drink from getting gritty.
Recipe: Mulled Wine
23. Copycat Starbucks Medicine Ball
With all the colorful, sugary Frappuccinos on Starbucks' secret menu, who would have thought a flu-fighting hot tea would make it onto the coveted list? Now officially known as Honey Citrus Mint Tea, the Medicine Ball's honey, green tea, and lemonade make it a supposed cold remedy. In reality, however, it has no vitamin C. If you want a Medicine Ball that's actually going to help you fight a cold, it may be better to brew it from scratch. However, it'll only taste like the real deal if you use two specific teas: Teavana's Jade Citrus Mint and Peach Tranquility.
Recipe: Copycat Starbucks Medicine Ball
24. Chai Tea Latte
Spice-filled chai makes for a sensational latte, especially during the winter. Chai is made by brewing black tea with warm spices which when combined with a splash of frothy milk, creates a delicious caffeinated drink that's sweet, creamy, and spicy at the same time. This chai tea latte leaves out the most difficult part — making a spice mix for the chai — thanks to a store-bought powdered mix. Aside from that, all you'll need is a few bags of black tea, honey, hot water, and your choice of milk.
Recipe: Chai Tea Latte
25. Homemade Apple Pie Moonshine
Don't be fooled by the sweet, spicy, and apple pie-like taste of this moonshine — it's incredibly potent. This recipe uses four cups of apple juice, eight cups of apple cider... and a 750ml bottle of 151-190-proof grain alcohol. While moonshine is best when allowed to age for a few weeks, this recipe gives you a shortcut version that can be enjoyed right away. This apple pie moonshine will keep well in the refrigerator for at least six months, meaning the same batch can be enjoyed over ice in the summer and as a warm drink in the winter.
Recipe: Homemade Apple Pie Moonshine
26. Instant Pot Hot Chocolate
When you're hosting a bunch of friends and family during the holidays, a big batch of hot chocolate is a lovely non-alcoholic drink to serve. And when it comes to big-batch holiday cooking, there's nothing an Instant Pot can't do. Pop your ingredients in the Instant Pot and set it on the mode that's meant for simmering foods and drinks that are prone to burning. Once the hot chocolate has simmered for two minutes, use the Instant Pot's "keep warm" setting to keep the cocoa nice and warm till it's ready to be drunk.
Recipe: Instant Pot Hot Chocolate
27. Copycat McDonald's Pumpkin Spice Latte
While this Pumpkin Spice Latte is pretty close to the one served at McDonald's, there's one main difference: Recipe developer Susan Olayinka uses oat milk instead of cow's milk — "oat milk has a very creamy taste and it's naturally sweet" when compared to the latter, she says. You'll also need pumpkin puree and a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, and cardamom to give the drink its pumpkin spice flavor. Olayinka also suggests grinding whole spices instead of using powders because it gives the PSL a stronger flavor.
28. Slow Cooker Apple Cider
The good thing about using a slow cooker to make apple cider is you only need a few minutes to get the prep going and after that, you can forget all about it for a good few hours. As a bonus, not only will you have a freshly-made warm drink, but the apple cider slowly cooking away will make your home smell pretty darn toasty too. There's also the option of turning the drink into a boozy concoction with a cheeky splash of bourbon, spiced rum, or whiskey.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Apple Cider