5 Seasonal Drinks You Can Make in a Keurig

With so many new (and colorful) seasonal drinks available at Starbucks and PJ's, it may be hard to fight the urge to splurge on the newest drink addition, but there are tons of budget-friendly and convenient ideas for fancy DIY drinks. With these five simple seasonal drinks for your Keurig, you can be a dorm room barista. 

Traditional Latte

• Prep Time:2 mins
• Cook Time:5 mins
• Total Time:7 mins
• Servings:1
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 coffee K-cup your choice
• Water to fill the reservoir in your Keurig
• Milk or milk alternative

• Step 1

  Brew a cup of coffee in your Keurig with the water at the lowest level (for the Keurig mini) or set it to the smallest cup size (for a Regular Keurig).

  

• Step 2

  Pour the desired amount of milk into a mug (I usually fill it about halfway) and microwave for one minute.

  

• Step 3

  Stir the hot milk quickly with a fork or whisk (if you have one) until it becomes frothy and bubbly on the surface.

  

• Step 4

  Pour the frothed milk over the coffee.

  

After you’ve got the latte technique down, you can experiment with different coffee flavors or teas to add your own twist. 

Pumpkin Spice, of course, is a must for the fall season. Purchasing Pumpkin Spice flavored K-cups for your Keurig may be a little splurge, but they are definitely worth it to spice up your coffee routine. 

Pumpkin Spice Latte

• Prep Time:2 mins
• Cook Time:5 mins
• Total Time:7 mins
• Servings:1
• Easy

Ingredients

• Pumpkin Spice coffee K-cup
• Milk or milk alternative
• Extras: cinnamon caramel sauce vanilla extract / vanilla creamer

• Step 1

  Follow the steps for the traditional latte, substituting the Pumpkin Spice coffee for your regular coffee K-cup.

  

• Step 2

  For an extra treat, add a sprinkle of cinnamon, caramel sauce or mix in some vanilla extract or creamer with your milk.

  

Pumpkin Spice, of course, is a must for the fall season. Purchasing Pumpkin Spice flavored K-cups for your Keurig may be a little splurge, but they are definitely worth it to spice up your coffee routine.

Mocha (Nutella) Latte

• Prep Time:2 mins
• Cook Time:5 mins
• Total Time:7 mins
• Servings:1
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 coffee K-cup
• Milk or milk alternative
• 2 spoonfuls Nutella

• Step 1

  Brew the coffee as you would for the traditional latte.

  

• Step 2

  Before adding the frothed milk, add a drizzle of Nutella to your coffee and stir to incorporate.

  

• Step 3

  Pour the milk on top, giving it another little stir to fully combine the Nutella.

  

Many people get confused about what is actually in a mocha latte, and usually, it’s just chocolate syrup. If you want to change it up or are a Nutella enthusiast like me, try this recipe.

Chai Latte

• Prep Time:2 mins
• Cook Time:5 mins
• Total Time:7 mins
• Servings:1
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 chai tea bag or k-cup
• Hot water
• Milk or milk alternative
• Honey or raw sugar

• Step 1

  Brew a cup of hot water in your Keurig and add a chai tea bag OR brew a cup of chai tea with a k-cup

  

• Step 2

  Use the same technique for frothing the milk as the traditional latte.

  

• Step 3

  Hint: for a little sweetness, add honey or raw sugar into the milk before microwaving, so it comes out smooth and dissolved.

  

• Step 4

  Pour your milk over the chai tea.

  

• Step 5

  Optional: add a sprinkle of cinnamon.

  

A Chai Latte is a nice alternative to coffee if you are looking for something a little less bold. The spices in Chai tea like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves are also really good for your immune system, which comes in handy at the start of the flu season.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

• Prep Time:2 mins
• Cook Time:5 mins
• Total Time:7 mins
• Servings:1
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1 hot chocolate K-cup
• 2 crushed peppermints rounds discs or 1/2 a candy
• Mini chocolate chips
• Optional: Marshmallows or whipped cream

• Step 1

  Brew your hot chocolate.

  

• Step 2

  Crush up the peppermints in a plastic bag, using something heavy like a book or metal water bottle (this is your chance to take out your frustration on those bulky textbooks you have to carry).

  

• Step 3

  Add the crushed peppermints and/or mini chocolate chips and give it a nice stir, microwaving it again if the chocolate chips are not melting.

  

• Step 4

  Optional: add marshmallows or whipped cream on top for a treat.

  

 If you don’t like coffee or tea but still want to add a twist on your traditional hot chocolate, using peppermints can be very refreshing and the minty smell and flavor might even help you focus during your late night study sessions. You can use any mints you find, whether they are candy canes or the round discs you get when leaving a restaurant. Grab a few and save them up for your future cups of Peppermint Hot Chocolate.

With all these recipes at your fingertips, you will have the whole dorm knocking on your door at the smell of delicious, Starbucks-worthy drinks.