19 Winter Beverage Recipes Beyond Hot Chocolate To Keep You Cozy All Season

It's the time of year for embracing all things cozy, and while hunkering down under a blanket can help you feel toastier, no wintery day at home is complete without a hot drink in hand. For many, a daily warming beverage is a staple of the winter season, whether you're preparing to head outside on a frosty morning or starting your wind-down ritual after a long day. Of course, one of the most comforting picks of all is the beloved hot chocolate, with its rich, crowd-pleasing sweetness always guaranteed to warm the cockles. But, there's more to the world of wintery beverages than this decadent favorite. 

If you're looking to switch things up from your usual hot chocolate, simple coffee, or everyday tea, there are plenty of unique, flavor-packed hot drinks to consider whipping up instead. To inspire your next cozy moment, we've pulled together some of our best-loved brews. We've got all the bases covered; there are soothing, fruit-infused teas, indulgent, cream-topped lattes, and spicy blends to suit every mood — each one ready to bring an extra dose of joy to even the chilliest of days. So, let's embrace the cold and get creative with some cafe-worthy sips.

If you're feeling a little under the weather, the Starbucks Medicine Ball Drink is a fantastically soothing choice. And, you don't have to leave the comfort of your home to experience that signature zesty warmth. You can easily recreate this fruity tea using store-bought bags and a handful of extras, with everything ready for sipping in a mere 15 minutes. There's sweet, sunny peach, tart lemon, and refreshing mint, all mixed up with steamed lemonade to create a beautifully balanced blend of flavors that are sure to hit the spot.

Recipe: Copycat Starbucks Medicine Ball Drink

While this flavorful beverage indeed makes use of a humble black tea bag, the brew is also enhanced with a medley of zesty, spicy extras, including fresh orange juice, sliced lemon, and fragrant cinnamon. Sweetened to taste with sugar, the resulting drink is both comforting and vibrant, being equally well-suited to slow mornings or quiet evenings in. Russian tea is ideal for making in a large batch, and it'll pair well with sweet, spiced treats like snickerdoodle cookies or a slice of fluffy coffee cake.

Recipe: From-Scratch Russian Tea

The soul-warming comfort of chai spices is synonymous with winter sipping, and we love prepping this classic tea from scratch for maximum freshness and flavor. You'll need a medley of dried spices, including cardamom pods, a cinnamon stick, and whole cloves, plus a chunk of zingy fresh ginger. The spices and aromatics are gently simmered with water, milk, and loose-leaf tea. Then, we sweeten things up with maple syrup for a caramel-like edge. Once strained, the creamy spiced drink is ready to enjoy with any garnishes of your choice.

Recipe: Maple Chai

Taking inspiration from the campfire classic, this s'mores latte packs plenty of sweetness and decadent chocolatey flavor, all while being completely vegan-friendly. The oat milk base gets infused with graham cracker crumbs for added malty, toasty flavor, and the combo of espresso and chocolate syrup keeps things indulgent yet invigorating. The standout here has to be that gooey-crisp, golden brown marshmallow (vegan, of course) that sits atop each frothy mugful.

Recipe: Vegan Campfire S'Mores Latte

Grab a French press and a frothing wand, and you're well on your way to crafting a cafe-style cappuccino without the steep coffee shop price tag. This recipe requires nothing more than dark roast ground coffee, hot water, and whole milk, with the coffee first steeped, then topped with the hot, frothed milk for a foamy finish. You can absolutely add something sweet if preferred, such as a squeeze of honey or a flavored syrup. A dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon is always a great idea, too.

Recipe: Homemade (And Handmade) Cappuccino

Bursting with sunny vibrance and offering an impressive array of health benefits, this turmeric golden milk is a traditional Indian-inspired sip that's often enjoyed before bedtime to promote relaxation. The turmeric is simmered with rich, full-fat milk, and we also throw in ginger, cinnamon, and a pinch of black pepper. To balance the spiciness, you'll sweeten the drink with honey, creating a creamy, lightly spiced drink that feels like a hug in a mug.

Recipe: Turmeric Golden Milk (Haldi Doodh)

Horchata is generally served chilled, but this creamy, cinnamon-spiked drink is the perfect candidate for transforming into a cozy, warm beverage. We take the spicy sweetness of the Mexican classic and combine it with espresso to craft a hot, latte-style take on horchata that certainly brings the comforting vibes. The base of the drink is made with strained rice water, which gets an indulgent boost from evaporated milk and condensed milk. Once warmed, spiced, and spiked with coffee, the velvety mixture is left with layers of rich, inviting flavor.

Recipe: Creamy Horchata-Inspired Latte

The sweet, nutty taste of pistachios is the perfect match for the bold hit of coffee, and using both raw nuts and pistachio cream is an amazing way to pack your homemade drink with color, elegance, and buttery indulgence. By blending the nuts with milk, you'll create a flavor-packed, green-tinted base that's ready for enhancing with espresso and frothy milk. And, to dial up the sophistication factor even further, make sure to top things off with extra crushed pistachios.

Recipe: DIY Deluxe Pistachio Latte

The dalgona coffee craze swept social media in 2020, but this moreish whipped drink absolutely still deserves a spot in your winter drink rotation today. It's a simple concept that takes a basic instant coffee mixture and gives it an ultra-light and airy consistency through the use of a hand foamer or electric whisk. The sweetened, brewed coffee is whipped until soft peaks form, and poured over milk to serve, yielding a striking two-tone drink with an irresistible cloud-like mouthfeel.

Recipe: Dalgona Coffee

If tea and coffee aren't your thing, a sweet and spicy apple cider might be just the cozy alternative you need this winter. Cooked gently on the stovetop, this fruity creation sees fresh apples and orange slow-simmered with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, before the solids are strained out. What's left is a golden-hued, fragrant liquid that's perfect for sipping straight away, or storing in the fridge ready for reheating whenever you're craving some comfort.

Recipe: Small-Batch Apple Cider

If you like your coffee sweet, this brown sugar latte is a must-try. Not only does it lean heavily on the sweetness, but the convenient instant coffee base is also infused with the warmth of cinnamon, giving it a wonderfully inviting aroma. You can prep this in under 10 minutes, and the resulting drink is sure to give your favorite coffee chain version a run for its money. For the perfect finishing touch, make sure to top things off with a generous swirl of fluffy whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.

Recipe: Spiced Brown Sugar Latte

This delicious chai features all the usual aromatic spices like cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon, plus the irresistible sweetness of raw honey and vanilla extract. Brewed with a mixture of milk and water, it serves as a richer, creamier, and more complex alternative to your standard mug of black tea. It's an excellent option if you're looking to enjoy a warming drink.

Recipe: Warm And Spicy Chai Tea

Delivering all of the festive vibes, this spiced latte is the ultimate holiday pick-me-up. There's a welcoming hit of warmth from ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, complemented by the deep, toffee-like sweetness of brown sugar and molasses. Freshly brewed espresso provides a gentle caffeine boost, while plenty of milk keeps the drink rich and creamy. As always, lashings of whipped cream are welcome. How can you resist topping each mug with a sweet little gingerbread cookie?

Recipe: Homemade Gingerbread Latte

For a sweeter take on a mocha, try blending the coffee with creamy white chocolate. This makes for a delightfully dessert-like hot beverage, and you can make things even more indulgent by stirring a generous spoonful of dulce de leche sauce into the milk mixture, too. There's plenty of room for playful decoration, with the final cream-topped mugful looking extra special with a scattering of red sugar sprinkles and shimmering candy pearls.

Recipe: Copycat Starbucks Toasted White Chocolate Mocha

We've established by now that coffee and cinnamon are a fitting match, and this wintery drink brings these two elements together in a simple yet totally delicious way. To make this spicy concoction, you'll combine coffee grounds and cinnamon, then brew everything as normal using your coffee maker. Finish each mug with cream as desired, and garnish as you please, for a satisfying twist on your everyday coffee.

Recipe: Cinnamon Coffee

Mulled drinks don't always have to be boozy, and the sweet, fruity taste of apple cider makes an incredible base for enhancing with spices and citrus. Since this recipe is made in the slow cooker, it requires a few minutes of prep, then everything is added to the pot and left to simmer as you go about your day. Before you know it, you'll be sipping on a piping hot mug of perfectly spiced, orange-infused mulled cider that's brimming with coziness.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Mulled Cider

Ginger, lemon, and honey are a go-to trio for creating a soothing hot drink that warms the throat and lifts the spirits. Using grated ginger root is essential for the freshest, punchiest hit of warmth, and fresh lemon juice adds plenty of sharpness. Dried orange peel is also added to the mix for an extra element of zestiness. Once everything has infused and the solids have been strained out, sweeten each mug to taste and enjoy the invigorating comfort of this bright, comforting blend.

Recipe: Soothing Ginger Root Tea

Dried spices are powerful tools to amp up the comfort factor, and here, they effortlessly turn a simple flat white into something altogether more festive. In this Starbucks copycat recipe, espresso powder is brewed with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, with the mixture poured over frothy milk for a light and airy finish. Sweetened with sugar and served in your favorite mug, this seasonal treat is sure to spark joy, and it certainly feels a little more indulgent than a standard flat white.

Recipe: Copycat Starbucks Holiday Spice Flat White

We have to commend Starbucks for the rather epic mashup that is the Red Velvet Latte. The copycat drink features the pleasing red hue and sweet, chocolate-vanilla flavors of the beloved cake, which work exceptionally well alongside the strongly brewed coffee and generous pouring of creamy milk. The chocolatey milk mixture is simmered on the stovetop and poured into espresso-filled mugs, before we add those all-important garnishes of luscious whipped cream and sparkling red sanding sugar. Despite its impressive appearance, this vibrant creation is ready in just 10 minutes.

Recipe: Copycat Starbucks Red Velvet Latte

Static Media owns and operates Tasting Table and Mashed.