Coffee Archives - Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Easy Pecan Latte + How to Make Pecan Milk

Pecan latte is one that’s up the chic alley as pistachio lattes. You can use store-bought milks to make an easy coffee beverage or a smoothie that tastes like a German Chocolate Cake. But is healthy and easy to fall for!

For a latte, blending pecan milk with coconut milk will add to those pecan dessert tastes and give a more creamy experience with more flavor. But you can also sub or add with cashew or almond milk that are easy to find. 🛒

…And make your own easy homemade pecan milk.

Which btw, pecan milk is a great Magic Bullet recipe.

And this is how to make pecan milk in 3 easy steps:

Step 1: Soak your pecans overnight.

Step 2: Drain the pecans, add fresh water, blend, and add to your cloth strainer. Oh, and remember to save your pecans because you will use those in the pecan latte smoothie recipe (below).🧋

Tip: if you can’t find cheese cloths or muslin that are more fancy kitchen supplies (that can be tricky to find in a pinch), you can use mesh bags (like the kind you’d use for delicate laundry) and store a couple in your kitchen supplies. Since those mesh bags have bigger holes, you can double up so the pecan bits don’t fall through.

And now you’re ready for the final step…

Step 3: Over a bowl or glass, pour the fresh water-pecans chopped blend into the (mesh) cloth strainer. And squeeze tightly so all that good wholesome homemade pecan milk flows through.

Unlike cow’s milk, you’re milking a bag for milk. 🥛

So easy and you may amaze yourself it works. It actually has a milk white color (compared to the soaked pecan water in step 1 that’s beige-ish color).

The first pour you can call the first press. 😊

That’s going to be the thicker milk (that can be used for foam and/or part of your pecan latte drink).

I took a photo to show you the difference in the milk thickness from the first and second press if you decide to make more pecan milk.

You can see the difference in the thicker (1/4 cup pecan milk) and then the more watered down pecan milk in the additional 1/3 cup made from 4 whole pecans:

pecan milk first pour and second pour comparison. — Pecan milk: 4 pecans make 1/4 cup thick milk and addt’l 1/3 cup thin milk

Then to make the pecan milk foam (or coconut milk foam that goes well in coffee or the German Chocolate Cake latte smoothie 🧋).

You can make foam effectively on your home stove.

Add your fresh milk (fresh-off-the-press) to a stove pot and place over your stove burner on medium-high heat. I find that pecan milk works better when blended with an even thicker milk or alternative milk like a plain unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk.

With your milk, when you get small boils (never understood why they would call those fish eyes… eww! 🤪), then you can turn your stove off or pull the pot off the stove. You don’t want to burn your fresh milk.

Turn your frother tool on into your pot of warmed milk. You’ll see foam develop. I find if you move the tool up and down a little you get more even froth.

Tools: You can purchase a basic hand-held frother tool for a few dollars (or pennies per drink for all the drinks you will make!). They’re like magic 🪄

…Along with a magic bullet blender (or similar) that makes life easy for Magic Bullet drinks, dips, and smoothie recipes.

These are two easy tools that give you a bougie drink without much effort!

Tip: Don’t worry so much about the foam. For a latte drink it’s not as important as a feature like the foam on a cappuccino drink. Latte is more about the milk.

But if the foam is important to you, then store bought full-on coconut milk can be a better foaming source and more stable. I find it better than the “barista” labelled milks, but that depends on you and your tools.

However you make your foam, it will go down tasty! 😋

You can pour the remaining milk liquid parts into your dessert smoothie or coffee pecan latte drink.

Remember to reserve a little spoonful of foam until the very end like a barista does.

And now you’ve made an at-home barista drink, saving time and without having to walk out the door. Plus you save money (…remember the latte factor?). You’re the barista or drink maker.

…How cool, yes?

And from there with drink in hand, you can have a party! 🧋🧉

And of course a beverage like this will pair decadently with a sweet-ish chocolate-y dessert (…maybe for a Swedish Fika break).

When I worked in catering management, we often served decadent-oozing chocolate soufflé desserts at parties that were always a hit at special occasions and wedding dinners.

So I was inspired and made my gluten-free version of the individual chocolate cakes that are easy to make healthy and bake at home.

A dessert like this would go well with a coffee latte. Especially with flavored coffees with vanilla, coconut, or chocolate bits!

A latte can be served hot or cold (depending on the season and your Ayurvedic season happening in you).

Coffee is a healthy plant-based drink that you can make less acidic with an easy at-home cold brew coffee.

And if a pecan latte in coffee or smoothie form isn’t your thing for today, how about a tea party (for one, plus one, or more)? These days everyone loves teas. They’re healthy and comfortable.

You can make a light dessert tea with a pecan latte. This works well brewing a a light tea, like a holiday tea you can find in autumn weather that a sugar cookie would go great with.

The healthy and tasty pairing possibilities are endless. 🎉

Ready to make your easy pecan latte drink?

…Or try a decadent tasting (but healthy) German Chocolate Cake smoothie.

Both are sustainable plant-based healthy drinks that drink up all traces that it was there. You can use all the blended solid and liquid pecan parts. And poof… just like that, it’s magically gone! 😋

Healthy Pecan Latte German Chocolate Cake Smoothie

This 12 oz drink tastes like a German Chocolate Cake Smoothie with a latte foam and pecans.

Course beverage

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

frother tool
pot for stove
cheese cloth or muslin

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, cold
1/2 cup pecan milk
1 tsp cocoa powder, add more to taste
1-1/2 Tbsp coconut powder
1 Tbsp maple syrup
4 whole pecans for 1/4 cup thick pecan milk and smoothie "pecan butter.")
ground pecan bits, shredded coconut, cinnamon, and/or cocoa powder of zhughing
pecan milk foam

Instructions

To make the pecan milk (latte) with the pecans: soak pecans in water overnight. Discard the soaking water and blend the pecans with 1/4 cup fresh water). Pour and squeeze pecan milk through a strainer cloth (e.g. cheese cloth, muslin, or double wrapped mesh bag) over a bowl or glass. Save the blended pecans as the "pecan butter" for the smoothie.
Make the pecan milk foam: Add some of the fresh pecan milk made into a stove pot on medium high heat until small boils. Turn off stove and use frother tool to make foam from the warmed milk. Reserve foam for the top of drink.
Make the smoothie drink: Add all ingredients (except for the milk foam) to a blender and blend smoothly. Pour into a drinking glass.
Spoon foam that can be made from fresh pecan milk (or milk blend) to the top of the drink.
Zhugh with ground pecan bits, shredded coconut, cinnamon spice, and/or cocoa powder. Enjoy!

Black Bean Smoothie with Coffee

Black bean smoothie from coffee beans is a 2X bean plant-based healthy beverage… and something to get excited about for your day! 🌅

You naturally get a powerhouse of fiber PLUS plant-based protein to start your morning on the right foot… and those steps 👣 keep you on a happy high for the rest of the day. 😊

ICYMI, beans are the rage in new food vitamins to take.

…PLUS A can of bean costs almost nothing when you compare to other high protein sources. AND the cans last for-ever (as food goes).

A can of beans usually has an expiration date that’s a few years out. That’s longer than what you and I know with what the future holds… but you can count on your beans! 🫘

If you get the organic black bean cans, those are still pennies compared to other protein sources, and you’ll have less sodium.

And then instead of rinsing your open canned beans with running water, you can dump the beans, liquid, and all into your blender (…maybe all while your eyes are still opening).

…This is great too for when you’ve woken up on the wrong side of the morning and want your positive energy boost to bounce back.

…Or when you feel like your gut needs a detox from processed foods and need to add some plant-based food love to your gut.

…And to add balance from a weekend of eating and drinking enjoyment.

You can also soothe those bloating gut discomfort feelings or uncomfortable jabs in the gut that you’ve normalized from what you consume.

Those don’t need to be your new normal and weigh you down!

…You’d know, because you have a less than a satisfactory healthy bathroom life.

And if off kilter….

You can get back on smooth track with a smoothie cold beverage like this.

…Where you get gut unhindered and be ready to conquer the world after a little daily energy boost!

This is a love language your gut understands…

And a coffee black bean smoothie like this can healthy balance restore. It’s even smoother than an avocado smoothie with coffee great for fasts

…Or you can try both and alternate the blend in your life. 💭

For any coffee smoothie, you can add the brewed coffee you like… but I like to add cold brew coffee for less acidity.

AND it’s already room temp coldish so you can drink and enjoy your finished smoothie sooner without adding ice cubes (that’s an option too). Btw, there’s a difference between cold brew and iced coffee.

And whatever coffee you choose, I recommend using an organic coffee (less toxins).

So, to make the coffee black bean smoothie:

Add your can of black beans and brewed coffee. And let the blender grind (blend). 😀 Let your smoothie start out thicker.

Add more or less liquid depending on how thick you like your smoothie. And you can always thin out with a ‘lil water later.

So after blending the beans (the coffee and black kind), work on the flavoring that matters…

You can make this a sweet beverage option.

Sooo with healthy notes, you don’t want to blanket douse all the good you just did with table sugar…

You can keep it sweet, tasty and plant-based healthy with cacao (powder).

Both cocoa and cacao powder come from cocoa beans but cacao is not as processed like cocoa is. It’s not just an “a” and “o” spelling play in the words. They are different but the same.

Common cocoa powder also often has sugar hidden within so the consuming product is different in the end.

And to compliment your powder sweetness, you can add another sweet source that’ll make it smooth: raw honey that’s another healthy Vitamin B (as in bee -add 🐝).

I also like to add banana and cinnamon spice that are other B and C adds… but those are optional and if you have on-hand.

And an option is to add Greek yogurt (for thickness), but you can get this coffee smoothie doing the minimum with black beans, brewed coffee, and cacao powder (or cocoa if cacao is not available).

…And in case you’re not a coffee drinker, you can substitute the coffee for milk or a plant-based milk like almond milk or yogurt whey. Think of it more like a protein chocolate drink, so it’s good for all growing ages.

…Especially those 30 and up!

And if you prefer a thicker smoothie, the yogurt solids will help you get that consistency too! Oh, and you add a dollop of yogurt to the top as your whipped 😉

(We’re now heading into parfait territory now.)

And to keep this a refreshing smoothie, I haven’t even gotten to the fun part yet (that would be the zhugh in desserts)…

Add mini chocolate chips to the smoothie drink and let some sink to the bottom.

You may have had cold java drinks like this that had the chips swirling around at the bottom and every now and again you get a nice pause in a chocolatey morsel bite.🧋

You can add 70% or more dark cacao chocolate morsels to your home smoothie that’s healthy delicious (and FUN to add).

You can also sweeten the vitamin-ness with wild blueberries too. How fun!

This is looking less and less like a beans drink and more like a delicious one!

…Wait ’til you get a taste! 😋

And this is what your Monday and any early morning gut and mouth are calling for. 📣

I’ve added this to the Magic Bullet recipes and this could be a low-sugar summer dessert too.

For more smoothie inspo and ideas, check out this healthy smoothie guide challenge I put together for you with all kinds of fiber-delicious blends (to give you your better than regular healthy LIFE back!) 🎉

Anti-Inflammatory Black Bean Coffee Chocolate Smoothie

This makes a nice cup or glass plus more for later.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 can organic black beans
1/2 cup cold brew coffee
2 tbsp cacao
1 tbsp raw honey
1 tbsp mini dark chocolate chips
1 banana (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 tsp frozen wild blueberries (optional)
shredded coconut (zhugh optional)

Instructions

Blend ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate.
Add chocolate chip morsels and zhugh with more, blueberries, and/or coconut. Enjoy!

Notes

This makes an 8 ounce cup to enjoy plus more. If you add more liquid, you can make a larger batch for later.

If you want a thick smoothie base, choose a creamy thick yogurt like Icelandic yogurt or Fage Greek yogurt.

Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee Acidity Busting Myths

Cold brew vs. iced coffee is the difference in acidity. There is no boiling down in cold brew to help boil it down for your remembrance when you’re confronted on a menu coffee board.

And I break it down even further below. 👇

But first, here is an example of a cold brew (served ice cold) infused with refreshing mint that goes down cooling your body and benefits you and your body ache symptoms. Recipe is below 🌱

But first things first, you probably still may not know what acidity difference makes between cold brew vs. iced coffee when you’re ordering.

If acidity is a concern for you like many people 🙋🏻‍♀️ and you avoid coffee, then maybe this’ll change your mind, and you and your body 😊 can enjoy a cold brew coffee with ice like I do on a warm sticky day… that has added ice at the end.

And that serving is different than iced coffee on most coffee menu boards that is made from regular (warm brew) coffee.

…Can sound a bit like semantics, but it’s not as complicated as it sounds!

And in my life and when sharing with others, I like to break things down to simplicity…

So basically in cold brew vs. iced coffee, the acidity difference boils down to the process… it’s in and is the process.

…And that’s all you really need to know and remember the next time you have a coffee decision to make. ☕️

There’s no boiling or heat in cold brew (that remember is the process).

So when you make or order a cold brew coffee, you’re getting less chlorogenic acid in your drink cup that’s an antioxidant (🎉).

But the catch is, that’s where the acidity is high.

…So it’s only not-so-good if acidity bothers you and your body.

If it does, then it’s a double edged sword. Otherwise plain regular warm caffeinated coffee is plant-based 🌱 good for the body.

Lucky for us coffee drinkers. 🍀

And how this works is…

In warm brewed coffee, the heat tends to bring out the acidity.

And in the cold brew (process) there is no heat… (except it’s fired up ☄️in today’s popularity).

In a regular warm brewed coffee cup made from coffeemakers (like you’ve probably seen poured in orange rimmed coffee pots at diners)… those grounds could be made from the same grinds as in a cold brew coffee cup, but you’re getting more overall acidity.

And it’s not just the warm-ing vs. cold process…

The coffee roast matters too.

…Makes sense intuitively.

Some coffees are more acidic than others.

But what doesn’t make sense is…

Myth #1: that you can taste different types of acids.

Because we can’t really pick those up with our taste buds.

And coffee has many acid types…

There’s acetic, lactic, quinic, gluconic, malic and citric acid to name some.

In a light roast coffee study, the research shows that citric acid is the only one distinguishable to the human tongue… where Brazil coffee was stronger in citric acid than the Bolivian and Kenyan coffee roasts to the same taste testers.

So what does this mean for you?

Besides cold brew vs. iced coffee, picking the right roast matters for acidity.

And it’s still not what you’d naturally think…

Ahh, this second myth is interesting too…

A dark roast can be less acidic than a light roast.

When I’m out drinking coffee, I order a dark roast that has less chlorogenic, malic, and citric acids than the lighter kind.

A dark roast at Starbucks suits me and my acidic self fine. 😊

…Even though the Blonde light roasts may sound like they are less acidic.

But light doesn’t mean less acidic.

If you tend to get heartburn or have a sensitive coffee stomach where you need food to cushion before drinking 🙋🏻‍♀️, then a dark cold brew could be your best choice.

And if it’s hot out or you’re feeling hot (Pitta 😡), add some ice!

…Where cubes are added at the end 🧊

At home a neat trick is to make coffee ice cubes so you don’t get watered down coffee.

You can use traditional ice cube trays, but a fun way is to add coffee to a coffee cup and then freeze the cup for an hour or two.

From the frozen coffee, you’ll get icicle shavings with scraping from a silverware utensil.

You can add those icicle shavings to your coffee that won’t be like the big clumsy ice cubes that almost always end up sliding down your cold brew coffee glass with coffee running down your face. 😁

And at home, my morning routine is making fresh organic cold brew coffee to eliminate the acidity factor especially good before I’ve had food in my stomach. Maybe you have sensitive stomach too?

That’s how my cold brew coffee journey started… I learned to make my first batch of cold brew in Florence, Italy where mind you, delicious (acidic) coffee ☕️ is on every corner.

I saved my 1 euro coins and from that day on haven’t stopped my new calming morning cold brew practice. 🧡

Since then, I’ve learned a trick or two…

Like… these days, I use organic ground coffee mostly that’s generally even less acidic.

And when you add the tips above, you get a much lower acidic coffee.

So when you put all the smarts together, you can make and drink organic dark roast cold brew.

And what I love most about a morning cold brew coffee is that you can mix in flavors without the heat changing the flavor profile.

…Like the mint cold brew coffee ingredients below

Or… for a fruity twist you can add fruity flavors like peach that’s one mellow smooth coffee flavor.

That will give a fragrant note, and pleasant-light sweet taste instead of a bitter coffee after taste.

…I think it would make a light perfume to wear good for sticky days 💭

And on other idea notes… if you have extra peaches, you can also make refreshing fresh peach juice.

Another good cold brew drinking juice idea is a watermelon coffee idea you can sip on… that goes really well on a warmish afternoon like iced tea.

That’s the only good coffee watered down I’d recommend. 🍉 And an even better idea, add mint to your watermelon coffee or make a pure mint iced cold brew coffee like this one here.

Mint Iced Cold Brew Coffee

Cooling cold brew coffee you can make at home!

Course beverages

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

mint leaves, chopped
1 drop peppermint oil
cold brew coffee
chocolate almond milk, unsweetened

Instructions

Blend ingredients and enjoy!

Orange Coffee You Can Make at Home

Orange coffee as in orange juice in the coffee is a powerful tasting combo. You may be scratching your head wondering how that odd combo is… that works unlike other citrus.

Below I share a couple orange photo inspiration as to what brought this on me…

And I understand if you need a ‘lil nudge because we’re used to separate cups and glasses for the two drinks.

Part of a popular American breakfast has both OJ and coffee.

Orange Juice Coffee

Orange juice and coffee are a delicious combo that takes away the bitter notes and instead of 2 glasses you have one delicious drink.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

4 oz orange juice
4 oz coffee
1/4 tsp cardamom (optional)

Instructions

Add orange juice to coffee. Tip: freshly squeezed orange juice will come out more pure in tastes.

But you gotta admit adding orange juice to your coffee sounds convenient (one less cup). ☕️

If you’re at a breakfast buffet, it’s one last cup you have to carry.

I’d say… also a smart idea that makes sense for boosting the immune system during holiday travel season… and calming anxious moods that oranges do. It’s good to carry one on ya!

Plus, orange 🍊 adds a nice flavor to your black coffee. Think of it like orange and chocolate or cocoa… another drink idea. 💭

Oranges brighten up your cup o’ joe choices.

And if you’re a Vata, you love the variety and oranges!

In a cup of coffee ☕️, the orange flavor comes through nicely… half orange (or at least 1/3) to half coffee makes a brightened, pleasant taste…

And you can tone down the sweet with an earthy spice like cardamom for a more exotic orange coffee (where I was inspired by orange trees 🟠).

The best way is with liquid orange juice you can freshly squeeze or mix with prepared juice. You can also use orange zest if you don’t mind the solid textures.

Those are the best ways for the zesty flavor punch to come through.

And the home healthiest way is with fresh orange juice and cold brew coffee.

…Cold brew coffee has less acidity than regular brewed coffee ways. And fresh orange juice has less acidity than concentrated juices you would buy at the grocery stores.

If acidity is a concern, you can add spices like cinnamon and ginger to help tone down and counteract effects.

The caffeine in coffee btw is loaded with antioxidants that are good for not only quick cognitive reasons, but also improving heart health.

We all love that! ❤️‍🔥

And when you use fresh whole oranges, you bypass sugar added to processed orange juice from concentrate.

You get the Vitamin C and A antioxidants plus minerals and fiber.

Orange juice sales ramp up in the cooler winter months when people are thinking about ramping up on Vitamin C for cold and flu season.

And as helpful nature would have it, oranges are winter fruits.

That’s a great way to start the morning!

They support happy hormones and reducing stress hormones. Gotta love that too! 😀

Your choice of orange is based on your preference and where you are.

For a sweeter orange, you could select a blood orange, navel orange, or a Cara Cara orange.

You can also sometimes find oranges year-round depending on if there’s a good sunshine season.. That’s why Florida and California are the abundant king and queen orange states. ☀️

A Florida orange has thinner skin than California navel, and are more like Valencia oranges that are the most common kind internationally and around the world.

You can tell where you are located just by the oranges in the stores and trees. 🍊

…Like these Spanish ohh-ahh orange trees I saw. Can you imagine these fresh ones for breakfast?

I had my first Sevilla orange for the first time years ago and it was coffee life changing. That was one of the years I spent Thanksgiving overseas.

And then back home n the States, had Sevilla orange coffee that was inspired by my fun visit to Spain.

…As fun as these peppermint arches in Cordoba. 🎪

Cinnamon Coffee Milkshake

Cinnamon coffee milkshake is a nice option along with many coffee drinks out there… coffee lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos… and the list keeps growing as coffee interest grows. ☕️

I was a late coffee bloomer if there’s such a thing… starting a morning routine decades into life.

It was a bitter acquired taste to my younger self.

But I realized after some years into the happy habit, around the 7-year switch (like allergy changes), that my gut couldn’t keep up with my cup o’ java demand… so I switched to homemade cold brew coffee.

Because I didn’t wanna give up my new healthy routine.

Afterall, black coffee is a healthy plant-based antioxidant beverage choice. Tea has its own special place in my drink world, but after noon. 🕛

…And with a cold brew coffee milkshake, you don’t have to choose, you can enjoy anytime of day!

It’s a great treat option (…yes/maybe?) especially when it’s still warm temperatures outside. And that can be closer to year round in these climate change days.

…So why not?

A coffee milkshake like this one is different because it has soft serve-style ice cream, and cold brew coffee.

Cold brew takes minutes to make or “brew.”

And just seconds if you’ve been on the cold brew coffee bandwagon for a while, and have your setup and coffee grounds available.

…I could make you a nice cup in a minute and it’d be ready to drink in that same minute. 😊

I started making cold brew daily in 2019.

That’s when I discovered that I could not have a regular morning coffee routine because of the acidity. Whether it was the fasting day next morning or it was breakfast time, my stomach needs water and food first!

…Maybe yours is like that too.

But I can enjoy cold brew coffee at ease with some small food (like a banana, yogurt, or some fiber) in the gut.

So if you have a sensitive gut or lining, that’s something to consider… and maybe you don’t have to give up a coffee habit or coffee morning routine if you don’t wanna.

…And this light creamy coffee milkshake is a nice complement.

You can keep adding cold brew to your milkshake that can be a breakfast shake (or more like a light cappuccino). 🧋

And it’s a healthy breakfast dessert drink because it’s light but also has egg protein. 🥚

With a plant-based milk like almond milk added, this does your body good. 🌱

Since cold brew coffee is less acidic in the process, you can start your morning with any ground coffee that you can sift through the coffee filter, that is “the brew” process in cold brew.

You can use light, medium, or dark black coffee grounds. Whatever suits your fancies.

And to top it all off, the optional sweet zhugh is chocolate shavings. If you use dark chocolate then you gain some additional healthy polyphenol anti-inflammatory points. 🎉

That’s all the sugar needed in this coffee milkshake drink, if any.

It’s not loaded with sugar like so many cool coffee beverages you buy that give even my inner child a sugar skin crawl attack just looking at how many grams of sugar. 😮

This milkshake can have no added sugar and be wickedly good!

…And not only is this a low-sugar beverage, you gotta love that this is 3-ingredient easy shake steps… where you focus mostly on the drinking enjoyment!

Cinnamon Coffee Milkshake with Cold Brew

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

⅓ cold brew coffee
⅓ milk (unsweetened almond milk recommended)
⅓ cup scoop of ice cream
1 tsp cinnamon spice

Instructions

Hand mix ingredients. Enjoy!