Cookie butter coffee has become an increasingly popular drink order at coffee shops across the country. It combines the sweet flavor of cookie butter with coffee for a treat that is both decadent and comforting. But what exactly is cookie butter coffee and how do you order it at your local cafe? This guide will walk through everything you need to know about ordering cookie butter coffee, from understanding the drink itself to customizing it to your preferences.
What is Cookie Butter?
Before diving into cookie butter coffee specifics, let’s start with an overview of cookie butter itself. Cookie butter is a sweet spread made from ground up speculoos cookies, which are a type of European spiced shortbread cookie. The cookies are pulverized into a smooth paste that has a flavor reminiscent of gingerbread.
Popular brands of cookie butter include Biscoff and Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter. It has a rich, indulgent taste that makes it perfect for spreading on toast, dipping fruit into, or incorporating into baking recipes. It’s vegan, nut free, and gluten free. The consistency is thick and creamy, similar to peanut butter. Cookie butter is shelf stable so it can be stored at room temperature after opening.
The sweet, nostalgic flavor of cookie butter makes it a perfect addition to coffee drinks. The notes of cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla pair deliciously with the bitterness of coffee.
What is Cookie Butter Coffee?
Cookie butter coffee is made by adding cookie butter to an espresso or coffee drink, resulting in a sweet and nutty flavor combination. It can be ordered either hot or iced.
There are a few main ways cookie butter coffee is prepared:
– Adding a spoonful of cookie butter directly into the coffee and stirring to dissolve
– Blending the cookie butter with the espresso and steamed milk/foam
– Swirling cookie butter sauce or spread on top of the finished coffee drink
The cookie butter nicely complements the coffee, adding sweetness and richness without overpowering the coffee flavor. It enhances the tasting notes of cinnamon, caramel, vanilla, and nuttiness already present in many coffee blends.
Benefits of Ordering Cookie Butter Coffee
There are several benefits to ordering a cookie butter coffee drink:
– Unique, decadent flavor – It provides something deliciously different from your average coffee order. The cookie butter adds sweetness and depth.
– Warming and comforting – The sweet spice flavors are reminiscent of the holidays and colder seasons. It’s perfect when you want a treat that also feels cozy.
– Caffeine and sugar boost – You get the energy lift of coffee plus the rush of sugar from the cookie butter, making it a satisfying pick-me-up.
– Customizable to your preferences – As we’ll outline later, you can tweak the cookie butter flavor intensity.
– Photo-worthy – The swirling cookie butter drizzle makes for an aesthetically beautiful drink.
How to Order Cookie Butter Coffee at Coffee Shops
Ordering cookie butter coffee is easy once you understand the basics. Here is a step-by-step guide to ordering it to your specifications:
1. Choose Your Coffee Base
The first step is to decide whether you want an espresso-based drink like a latte or cappuccino, brewed coffee, or an iced coffee as the foundation of your cookie butter coffee.
Espresso drinks pair especially well with cookie butter since the robust espresso balances against the sweet spread. Options include:
– Latte – Espresso with steamed milk and light foam
– Cappuccino – More foam than a latte, less milk
– Macchiato – Espresso with just a dollop of foam
– Americano – Espresso with hot water
– Mocha – Chocolate flavored espresso drink
For hot brewed coffee, you can request any batch brewed coffee the cafe offers. Or opt for pour over coffee that is individually prepared. Make sure to indicate your preferred coffee roast and strength.
Iced coffee is perfect for cookie butter in warm weather. You can customize it with options like cold brew coffee or nitro coffee.
2. Select Size
Next, choose between a small, medium/regular, or large coffee. This will determine how intense the cookie butter flavor is. Size up for a stronger cookie butter taste.
Standard sizes:
– Small: 8-12 oz
– Medium/Regular: 12-16 oz
– Large: 16-20 oz
3. Pick Cookie Butter Preparation Method
You’ll need to decide how you want the cookie butter incorporated:
– Blended In – The cookie butter is thoroughly blended into the espresso, milk, and foam. This infuses the flavor throughout evenly. Best for hot espresso drinks.
– Swirled – After the drink is prepared, cookie butter sauce or spread is drizzled or swirled artfully on top. Provides delicious pockets of intense cookie butter. Works for hot and iced coffee.
– Spoonful – A spoonful of cookie butter is simply plopped in the coffee and stirred. Simple but effective. Recommended for brewed drip coffee.
Think about how pronounced you want the cookie butter flavor and decide on your preparation style accordingly.
4. Choose Milk Options
For latte, cappuccino, and other espresso and milk based drinks, you’ll need to pick your milk variety:
– Regular dairy milk – Whole milk provides a richer taste but low fat milk is lower in calories
– Non-dairy milk – Popular options include oat, almond, soy, and coconut milk
– Flavored syrup – Vanilla, caramel, or seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice or peppermint
The milk choice impacts the flavor balance with the cookie butter. Whole milk is a nice complement while non-dairy milk allows more cookie butter nuance to shine through.
5. Select Additions and Customizations
Further customize your cookie butter coffee with extra toppings and adjustments:
– Whipped cream – Adds a nice cooling contrast to the warming cookie butter
– Chocolate drizzle – Plays off the chocolate notes in cookie butter
– Caramel drizzle – Enhances the caramel and vanilla undertones
– Sugar – For an extra dose of sweetness
– Cookie crumbles – Provides more cookie texture
– Adjust coffee intensity – Opt for an extra shot of espresso or ask for less coffee
– Adjust cookie butter amount – Request more or less as desired
These tweaks let you craft your ideal cookie butter coffee creation.
6. Specify Order Type
Finally, make sure to indicate if your order is:
– For here – You’ll drink it in the cafe
– To go – It will be packaged to take away
Say that you’ll be dining in or ordering takeout. Some places may also ask if you want your drink hot or iced.
7. Give Full Order
Once you’ve made all your choices, clearly state the full order including size, coffee type, milk selections, cookie butter preparation, and any customizations.
For example:
“I’d like a medium hot cookie butter latte blended in, with whole milk, whipped cream, and an extra shot of espresso please.”
Giving the complete order with all specifications will ensure you get exactly the cookie butter coffee you crave!
Cookie Butter Coffee Recipe to Make at Home
While it’s super convenient to get your cookie butter coffee fix by ordering out, you can also easily whip it up yourself at home. Here is a simple recipe for blended cookie butter coffee:
Ingredients:
– 2 shots freshly brewed espresso or strongly brewed coffee
– 1/4 cup whole milk or milk of choice
– 1-2 tablespoons cookie butter
– Sweetener as desired
– Whipped cream for topping
Instructions:
1. Brew the espresso or coffee and pour into a 12-16 oz mug. Be sure to use strongly extracted coffee for maximum flavor.
2. Add the milk, cookie butter, and desired sweetener to the mug. For sweeter coffee, use 2 tablespoons cookie butter and 1-2 teaspoons sugar.
3. Blend the mixture together using a handheld milk frother or immersion blender until smooth. The cookie butter will emulsify into the coffee.
4. Top with whipped cream and additional cookie butter if desired. For presentation, drizzle the cookie butter decoratively over the cream.
5. Enjoy your freshly blended cookie butter coffee masterpiece! Add any additional toppings you like.
You can also substitute cold brew or iced coffee and milk over ice for a chilled cookie butter coffee beverage. This homemade version lets you play with proportions to achieve your perfect cookie butter coffee.
Tips for Ordering Cookie Butter Coffee
Use these handy tips to order stellar cookie butter coffee every time:
– Go bolder with the cookie butter flavor if ordering a larger size to maintain balance against more coffee
– Request an extra espresso shot when pairing with sweeter milk like whole or flavored
– Ask for the temperature to be slightly hotter than normal so the cookie butter melts more
– For blended cookie butter, have them fold in the cookie butter gently after pouring the steamed milk to maintain airiness
– Pair nutty coffee beans like Brazilian or Colombian with cookie butter’s inherent nuttiness
– Swap whipped cream for flavored whipped cream like vanilla or caramel if desired
– For less sweetness, order normal amounts of cookie butter in a larger sized coffee
– Iced cookie butter coffee tends to require more cookie butter since ice dilutes the flavor
Common Questions about Ordering Cookie Butter Coffee
Ordering cookie butter coffee is generally straightforward, but here are answers to some frequently asked questions:
Is cookie butter vegan?
Many popular brands of cookie butter, including Biscoff, are vegan and dairy-free. However, always check ingredients since some cookie butter products do contain milk. When ordering out, inquire about whether the cafe uses an explicitly vegan cookie butter.
Does cookie butter contain nuts?
Most cookie butter is nut-free, relying on speculoos spice cookies rather than nuts for flavor. Again though, inspect the specific cookie butter ingredients or ask your barista. People with nut allergies need to be extra cautious.
Is there a big difference between blended and swirled cookie butter coffee?
Blending incorporates the cookie butter evenly throughout the coffee for a homogenous, infused taste. Swirling provides distinct pockets of intensified cookie butter flavor that you get with certain sips. Blended is better for balance, while swirling makes for more variation.
Does cookie butter make the coffee very sweet?
Cookie butter does add sweetness, but amounts typically used in coffee drinks won’t make your brew excessively sweet. Adding 1-2 tablespoons to a regular sized coffee is not overpowering. Adjust amounts as needed for your preferences. The coffee bitterness also balances it out.
Should you stir cookie butter coffee?
If the cookie butter is thoroughly blended, stirring is not necessary. With swirled or spooned on cookie butter, you can stir to distribute the flavor if desired. But the variations in taste when not stirred can be enjoyable too!
Creative Flavor Combinations for Cookie Butter Coffee
While traditional cookie butter coffee is amazing as is, you can also get creative with these tantalizing flavor combinations:
Cookie Butter Mocha:
– Combine cookie butter with chocolate espresso for an indulgent mocha twist
– Top with chocolate drizzle and chocolate shavings
Cookie Butter Caramel Coffee:
– Swirl salted caramel into cookie butter coffee
– Top with buttery caramel drizzle
Cookie Butter Vanilla Latte:
– Add vanilla syrup to milk before blending with cookie butter
– Top with vanilla whipped cream
Cookie Butter Pumpkin Spice:
– Add pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree to the blend
– Top with ground cinnamon
Cookie Butter Cinnamon Roll Coffee:
– Use cinnamon dolce flavored syrup in the milk
– Rim mug with cinnamon sugar
– Top with whipped cream and ground cinnamon
Conclusion
Cookie butter coffee has rocketed to popularity for good reason – it takes coffee to a whole new level of tastiness! By understanding how to order cookie butter coffee, customize it, and explore new flavor combinations, you can master this crave-worthy drink. Use this guide to get barista-quality cookie butter coffee made just the way you love it. From your first velvety smooth sip to the last drizzle of cookie butter, you’ll see why this sweet and spicy blend is so addicting. So embrace one of coffee’s most brilliant trends, and satisfy all your cookie butter coffee fantasies!