Recipe

5 Dining Hall Coffee Recipes to Unleash Your Inner Barista

By Alicia Wala at Northwestern University

Whether you are a coffee novice or literally have caffeine running through your veins, spending money on Starbucks every time you need a caffeine fix can get a bit pricey on a college budget. Next time you are in the dining hall and you feel like unleashing your inner barista, try these simple recipes to upgrade your dining hall coffee. Soon, you'll be saving money and impressing your friends with your amazing coffee knowledge.

1. Wanna-bee Honey Latte

  • Prep Time: 1 min
  • Cook Time: 1 min
  • Total Time: 2 mins
  • Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup coffee
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • Honey to preference

Alicia Wala

Step 1

Collect all of your ingredients.
#SpoonTip: use a separate cup for your honey so you know exactly how much you are putting into your coffee.

Step 2

Heat milk in the microwave (if available) for 30-40 seconds. Add heated milk to coffee and drizzle in honey to your heart's content.

Step 3

Adjust the amount of honey/skim milk/coffee to your preference and enjoy.

2. Stir-up Syrup

  • Prep Time: 1 min
  • Cook Time: 1 min
  • Total Time: 2 mins
  • Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup coffee
  • Maple Syrup to preference

Alicia Wala

Step 1

Grab some coffee and maple syrup in separate cups so you can customize your drink without leaving your table.

Step 2

Mix your maple syrup into your coffee for a simple, elegant cup of joe.

3. Hybrid Affogato Style

  • Prep Time: 1 min
  • Cook Time: 1 min
  • Total Time: 2 mins
  • Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup coffee
  • Swirl vanilla soft serve

Alicia Wala

Step 1

In three separate cups, collect your coffee and your decently-sized swirl of vanilla soft serve (or any other flavor of you prefer). The last cup should be empty.

Step 2

Spoon the soft serve into the bottom of your empty cup and pour your coffee over it so it melts. Help yourself to any soft serve you still have leftover, because you deserve it.

4. Peanut Butter Chocolate Cup

  • Prep Time: 1 min
  • Cook Time: 2 mins
  • Total Time: 3 mins
  • Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup coffee
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 spoonful peanut butter
  • 1 spoonful chocolate spread

Alicia Wala

Step 1

Rim your coffee cup with the peanut butter and chocolate spread, either alternating the flavors or swirling them all together.

Step 2

Heat milk in the microwave for 30-40 seconds (if available). Add coffee and milk to peanut butter and chocolate-rimmed cup. With each sip, you'll get the complementary tastes of peanut butter and chocolate with your coffee.

5. Burning Hot Chocolate

  • Prep Time: 1 min
  • Cook Time: 2 mins
  • Total Time: 3 mins
  • Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup coffee
  • Squirt Sriracha
  • Hot chocolate mix to preference

Alicia Wala

Step 1

Fill your cup with coffee. Use sleuthing skills to find where the Sriracha and hot chocolate mix are hiding in the dining hall.

Step 2

Add the hot chocolate mix to your coffee, as much or as little as you would like, and slowly add Sriracha. Keep adjusting measurements until you are thrilled with your creation.
#SpoonTip: It's super tricky to get the hot chocolate/Sriracha proportion just right, so be careful!

Now that you are equipped with these new recipes, you'll never have to settle for lame dining hall coffee  again. You can even build on these simple recipes to create something fantastic that rivals anything you could ever buy at Starbucks. Never limit yourself to coffee that's "just okay" - you deserve so much more, and you know it.