How to Make Hazelnut Coffee?

Hazelnut is famous worldwide, be it for their usage in confectionaries and candies or due to their health benefits. According to Technavio, the Hazelnut market is expected to grow by £1.86 Billion by 2026. According to increased awareness about health and nutrition, the rising popularity of vegan snacks will offer immense growth opportunities and increased demand for hazelnut-based foods and beverages, 

You can visit a local cafe where a barista will pump Hazelnut flavoured syrup into a regular cup of coffee, but there are other ways to get a sweet, nutty brew. If a drink uses syrup that isn't maple syrup, chances are there is certainly a better way to get that flavour. Chocolate syrup is tasty, but does it measure up to melted chocolate? Nope! The same goes for hazelnut flavour. Hazelnut Coffee tastes very delicious, and it is easy to make. Explore this blog to learn How to Make Hazelnut Coffee in just a few easy steps.

Table of Contents

1) A brief history of Hazelnut Coffee

2) A Hazelnut Coffee recipe

   a) Ingredients

   b) Tools

   c) Methods

3) Conclusion
 

A brief history of Hazelnut Coffee

Hazelnuts come from the tree Corylus Avellana, originating in Europe and western Asia. It first became part of organised agriculture in Scotland about nine millennia ago. People relied on Hazelnuts and other nuts to keep themselves full, as they didn't have many dietary sources, such as meat, in that part of the world. 

The nut's fatty and nutritious composition kept them healthy and strong. Even after thousand years, people are still eating the same things, although with little extra sugar nowadays. So, the sugary hazelnut brew probably doesn't count as part of the ancient paleo diet. 

The practice of flavouring coffee with crushed hazelnuts dates back to the Alpine monks who used to add inexpensive and simple nuts to their coffee to give it a little extra flavour and character. The copious hazelnuts that would grow in the Alpine region inspired local monks to develop a recipe for coffee and thus creating the drink of happiness for all nut lovers: Hazelnut Coffee.

Nowadays, hazelnuts are found all across the globe, in Poland, Turkey, the US, and China. Hazelnut spreads and candies are common uses, and public demand for the unique flavour keeps growing. You can also grab a cup of Hazelnut Coffee in almost every restaurant and cafe across the globe, but those made with sugary syrup will be better than the traditional cup you brew at home. 

A Hazelnut Coffee recipe
 

Nowadays, Hazelnut Coffee in café is commonly made with flavoured hazelnut syrup. While it is tasty and a staple part of most coffee lovers' routines, it comes with a lot of sugar, fat, and calories. In addition, it is also not the traditional way of making a hazelnut brew. 

Ingredients

Making authentic hazelnut brew isn't hard. You might even have the supplies and ingredients necessary for making this delicious coffee. They are:

a) Lightly roasted coffee beans

b) A bag of shelled, unsalted hazelnuts: You should be able to find these at just about any grocery store, or you can order them from an online platform

c) Sweetener of choice

Tools

Here are the kitchen tools needed for this coffee recipe:

a) Coffee grinder (ideally manual coffee grinder)

b) A coffee maker of choice (ideally french press)

c) A spoon for stirring

d) A heat-safe coffee mug

Methods

While this method takes a little more time than just adding a syrup pump to a cup of coffee, the final product makes it worth it. 

a) Grind and brew your Preferred coffee with hazelnuts

While using hazelnuts for a traditional Hazelnut Coffee, ensure they are shelled and unsalted. Salt neutralises the bitterness of coffee, so if you wish to avoid altering the authentic taste of the brew, refrain from adding salt. 

Most of the Hazelnut flavour comes from its outer layer, so keep it intact; your drink won't have skin bits of hazelnut. Always start with a ratio of two coffee and one hazelnut, such as 2 tbsp of coffee beans and 1 tbsp of hazelnuts. You can later experiment and play around to find your best taste. Grind the beans and nuts mixture on a very coarse setting, and brew it as you would with any coffee. 

b) Add in the desired milk, cream, and sweetener

Take a dairy creamer of your choice - whole milk, heavy cream or half and half. If you are vegan, use alternatives like almond milk. You don't need a lot of milk here, only 1 tbsp of either of it, or your brew may become too diluted and lose the taste of hazelnuts. 

As for the sweetness, while using hazelnut flavouring, it may be sweet enough that you don't need to add more sweetener to coffee. While using real hazelnuts, try adding 1 tbsp of granulated white sugar, brown sugar, or a complimentary natural syrup that works well with a hazelnut flavour. Strawberry and raspberry syrups can bring out the coffee's nuttiness. 

c) Add the final touch before serving

After you fill your glass, if you wish, top it with a small tbsp of ground cinnamon to mix two delectable aromas into one cosy blended experience and get the best notes. 

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Conclusion

Making a traditional Hazelnut Coffee with this delicious and straightforward recipe only requires you to have coffee, sweetener, and some shelled unsalted Hazelnut. You can get creative with your hazelnut drink after perfecting the basics of the traditional recipe.

Try different types of creams, milk, vegan alternatives, flavoured extracts, and even additional flavourings like cocoa powder. Add sweeteners like granulated white sugar or maple syrup to your coffee. There is no right or wrong way with hazelnuts; it's just your way.