5 Tasty Ways To Enjoy Toasted Chestnut Coffee

Whenever I picture toasted chestnuts, two things come to mind:

The Christmas Song, sung by Mel Torme, of course, complete with a crackling fire, ready for roasting chestnuts.

The busy city streets of New York, a rink filled with skaters in the distance, and vendors selling warm bags of freshly roasted chestnuts.

It’s almost like a Hallmark movie playing in my mind, one that’s fitting for the holidays but also transcends a single month, enveloping the entire winter season.

I envision couples walking the streets, and as they purchase a bag of the mildly sweet, buttery nuts, the paper rests against warm mittens covering cold hands.

Their next stop, a nearby vendor selling hot coffee.

The freshly brewed cup of java now grasped, it’s equally warming the palm hidden beneath the woolen covering separating it from the cup.

If you ask me, scenes such as this only serve to add to the experience of tasting toasted chestnuts for the first time (or the fiftieth), of sipping warm coffee against a backdrop of freshly fallen snow, or even better - combining these experiences when sipping toasted chestnut flavored coffee.

I suppose you could say it’s a scene for the senses, and I personally believe experiencing seasons through our senses is one of the greatest blessings in life.

Each season is unique, and each sight, scent, sound, feel, and taste contributes to how we ‘take in’ the holidays and all the moments beyond and in between.

So, as the temps are chilly and the days shortened by early sunsets, what better time than now to curl up with a delicious cup of toasted chestnut coffee…

5 Tasty Ways To Enjoy Toasted Chestnut Coffee

1- Honey Chestnut Happiness

 In the culinary world, pairing honey with chestnuts is considered a “natural combination.” In other words,…it just works!

In fact, these two flavors work so well together that you can actually purchase jars of prepared chestnut honey.

For the most part, this is considered a rare grocery store find, but you can look for this tasty gem at specialty locations.

If you do have chestnut honey on hand, you can definitely opt to use it in this recipe. But if not, no need to worry as you’ll be making your own chestnut honey syrup with only honey, water, and about a handful of chestnuts.

Naturally sweet and earthy flavors from the honey, creamy notes from the milk, and yummy, buttery goodness from the chestnuts…all in a cup of smooth, bold, and delicious coffee? Honey Chestnut Happiness is definitely an appropriate name!

Note: You can use whichever kind of milk you’d like in this recipe, but for those seeking a nondairy option, almond milk pairs well with the nutty chestnut flavors. Then, if you’re looking for something a bit more subtle (but a lot creamier), cashew milk would be great in this recipe as well!

Ingredients

• 4 ounces freshly brewed Lifeboost Toasted Chestnut Coffee
• 6 ounces milk
• 3 teaspoons honey chestnut syrup (see recipe below)

Instructions

• Add freshly brewed coffee to your favorite mug.
• Stir honey chestnut syrup into the coffee.
• Add milk to an electric frother and froth on the heated setting.
• Top honey chestnut coffee with the frothed milk and enjoy!

*You can also steam the milk with a steaming wand from an espresso machine, if you’d like.

Honey Chestnut Syrup

• ⅓ cup water
• ⅓ cup honey
• 6 roasted chestnuts, roughly chopped

Combine water and honey in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to ensure the honey is fully dissolved.

Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add the chestnuts.

Allow the mixture to rest for at least 30 minutes (longer for a richer chestnut flavor).

Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the chestnut pieces, then store the syrup in an airtight jar in the refrigerator (for up to two weeks) until ready to use.

2- Toasted Chestnut Coffee Cocktail

Hazelnut is another option that pairs well with chestnuts, so the use of Frangelico liqueur in this warm coffee cocktail is divine!

As-is, this is a potent cocktail, so feel free to dial back the amounts to your liking.

For instance, you could easily start off by cutting back to ½ ounce each of the liquors and liqueurs.

One more note…you could also opt for vanilla vodka to yield a slightly sweeter flavor in this cocktail.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces strongly brewed Lifeboost Toasted Chestnut Coffee
• 1 ounce Kahlua
• 1 ounce Frangelico
• 1 ounce vodka
• 1 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur
• Whipped cream, for topping

Instructions

• Add strongly brewed coffee to a large mug, then top with Kahlua, Frangelico, vodka, and Bailey’s, stirring to combine.
• Top with whipped cream, and enjoy

3- Chestnut Puree Latte

Use it here, use it there, use it everywhere!

This chestnut puree latte features a buttery, sweet, and smooth blend of boiled chestnuts and sugar (and water, of course) that serves to uniquely and tastily thicken your brew.

The mild, sweet, and nutty flavors of chestnuts shine here, and these notes perfectly compliment the inherent bitterness of coffee. Yum and yum!

Ingredients

• 4-6 ounces freshly brewed Lifeboost Toasted Chestnut Coffee
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons sweetened chestnut puree (see recipe below)

Instructions

• Add coffee to a large mug, then stir in chestnut puree.
• Add milk to an electric frother and froth on the heated setting, or steam milk with a steaming wand.
• Top coffee and chestnut mixture with heated, frothed (or steamed) milk, and enjoy!

Sweetened Chestnut Puree

• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup water
• 5-6 roasted and peeled chestnuts
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Add chestnuts, water, and brown sugar to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar and avoid burning.

Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Add mixture to a blender and blend until smooth, then set aside to use in the latte.

4- Candied Chestnut Mocha

Okay, so technically you’ll only be topping this decadent drink with candied chestnuts, so it’s not like they’ll overpower it, but the notion of adding candied nuts to coffee…well, it just sounds downright decadent!

Then, as far as the mocha, like coffee, chocolate has some naturally bitter flavor notes, and this perfectly balances the nutty, buttery flavors of chestnuts.

Ah, but when you add a little maple syrup and brown sugar from the candied nuts, you'll take this combination to the next level.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces freshly brewed Lifeboost Toasted Chestnut Coffee
• 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
• 4 ounces milk
• 6 chestnuts, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions

• Toss together chopped chestnuts, maple syrup, and brown sugar.
• Once the nuts are coated, spread onto a baking sheet and broil for roughly 3 minutes.
• Toss the nut and sugar mixture, then broil for another 3 minutes.
• Allow the mixture to cool prior to using.
• Then, brew coffee and add to a large mug.
• Add chocolate syrup to the coffee, and stir to combine.
• Add milk to an electric frother and froth on the heated setting.
• Top coffee mixture with frothed milk, then top with a desired number of candied chestnuts, and enjoy!

5- Praline Chestnut Latte

We couldn’t share a collection of chestnut coffee recipes without including a delicious praline chestnut latte option!

You’ll be making your own syrup again on this one, but trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

Sweet, smooth, creamy, buttery, and delicious, this latte checks all the wonderful winter vibe boxes.

*Check out the notes under the recipe for tips to make an iced latte.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces freshly brewed Lifeboost Toasted Chestnut Coffee
• ½ cup oat milk (or milk of your choice)
• 1-2 tablespoons praline chestnut syrup (see recipe below)
• Whipped cream, optional for topping

Instructions

• Add coffee to a large mug, then stir in praline chestnut syrup.
• Add milk to an electric frother and froth on the heated setting.
• Top the coffee mixture with the frothed milk, then top with whipped cream for added creaminess, if desired. Enjoy!

*For an iced option, I like to use cold brew instead of brewing and chilling the coffee. So, simply add ice to a tall glass, top with 6 ounces of cold brew, then stir in the praline chestnut syrup. Add milk to an electric frother and froth on the cold setting (or froth using a handheld frother). Top the coffee mixture with the frothed milk and enjoy!

Homemade Praline Chestnut Syrup

• ½ cup raw pecans
• 5-6 peeled, cooked chestnuts
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup cane sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Break up chestnut pieces into quarters or halves and add them to a baking sheet with the pecans.

Roast for 10 minutes or until fragrant, keeping a watchful eye on the nuts to avoid burning.

Once roasted and cooled, roughly chop the nuts then add to a medium saucepan with the sugars and water.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugars.

Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, and allow the mixture to cool before straining out the nut pieces and transferring the remaining syrup to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Bonus!!

I came across this recipe, and I couldn’t resist sharing it!

Now, I actually haven’t tried this one yet, but it sounds amazing!! I mean, it involves infusing coffee right into the chestnuts, so it has to be good, right?

If you give this one a try, be sure to let us know what you think!

Ingredients

• 3 cups Lifeboost Toasted Chestnut Coffee or Lifeboost Dark Roast Coffee (whole beans)
• 1 pound fresh chestnuts
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

• Wash and drain chestnuts, then dry with a towel.
• Melt butter in a large cast iron dutch oven, then add chestnuts and stir to coat them with the butter (about one minute).
• Add coffee beans to the dutch oven and stir for 1-2 minutes.
• Cover and allow the coffee beans and chestnuts to roast on the stovetop over low-medium heat for 5 minutes. Continue to stir the mixture every 5 minutes for a total of 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the chestnuts.
• Transfer to a bowl, and when the chestnuts are cool enough to handle, wipe each one with a towel.
• Peel and enjoy the coffee-infused chestnuts while they are still warm.

Check out Lifeboost Coffee Optimist Light Roast.

References:

https://www.slumberandscones.com/honey-chestnut-cafe-au-lait/

https://www.food.com/recipe/roasted-chestnut-coffee-241558

https://foodthinkers.com.ph/recipes/chestnut-coffee/

https://www.tinselbox.com/mocha-chestnut-french-press-coffee-with-candied-chestnuts/

https://thehealthfulideas.com/chestnut-praline-latte/

https://www.malaysianchinesekitchen.com/coffee-roasted-chestnuts/