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Central & Southern Mexico · Mexican

Café de Olla (Mexican Spiced Clay-Pot Coffee)

Coffee simmered with cinnamon, cloves and unrefined piloncillo sugar in a clay pot — Mexico's warming, spiced morning brew. Sweet, aromatic and unmistakably festive, made in one pot in fifteen minutes.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published June 22, 2026

A clay mug of dark café de olla with a cinnamon stick and orange peel, steam rising, on a rustic table with pan dulce nearby.

Café de olla — 'pot coffee' — is brewed in a clay olla that lends an earthy note, sweetened with piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar) and spiced with canela (Mexican cinnamon) and sometimes clove or star anise. It dates to the Mexican Revolution, when it was made to fuel soldiers, and remains a fixture of cool mornings, Día de los Muertos and family gatherings.

Yield
Serves 4
Prep
5 min
Cook
10 min
Total
About 15 min
Difficulty
Easy

Café de olla is Mexico’s spiced morning coffee — brewed with cinnamon, cloves and unrefined piloncillo sugar, traditionally in a clay olla that lends an earthy note. Sweet, aromatic and warming, it dates to the Revolution and still anchors cool mornings and Día de los Muertos tables.

Build the spiced base first

Simmer the water with piloncillo, canela and cloves until the sugar dissolves — that infuses the spice and sweetness before the coffee ever goes in. Piloncillo’s molasses depth is the signature; dark brown sugar is the closest substitute.

Steep, don’t boil

Off the heat, stir in coarsely ground coffee, cover, and steep four or five minutes. Boiling the coffee makes it bitter; café de olla should stay sweet and smooth.

Strain and serve hot

Pour through a fine sieve for a clean cup and drink it piping hot, ideally with pan dulce or churros. A clay pot is lovely but any saucepan works. Compare with Turkish coffee and pair it with sweet horchata. More in the Drinks guide.

Ingredients

Serves
4
  • 1 litre water
  • 60 g (about 1 cone) piloncillo, or 1/3 cup dark brown sugar Piloncillo is unrefined cane sugar with a molasses depth — the authentic sweetener. Dark brown sugar is the closest easy substitute.
  • 1 stick Mexican cinnamon (canela / true cinnamon) Soft, flaky Ceylon-type canela is milder and more citrusy than hard cassia sticks — worth seeking out.
  • 2 whole cloves (optional)
  • 1 strip orange peel (optional)
  • 4–5 tbsp coarsely ground medium-dark coffee A coarse grind is best since the coffee steeps loose in the water, like a French press.

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. In a pot (clay olla if you have one), bring the water, piloncillo, cinnamon, cloves and orange peel to a boil, then simmer 5 minutes until the sugar fully dissolves.

    Why: Simmering first infuses the water with the spices and dissolves the dense piloncillo, building the sweet, aromatic base before the coffee ever goes in.

  2. Turn off the heat, stir in the ground coffee, cover, and let it steep for 4–5 minutes.

    Why: Steeping off the heat extracts the coffee without boiling it bitter — café de olla should be sweet and smooth, never scorched.

  3. Strain through a fine sieve into cups (or ladle carefully off the grounds) and serve hot.

    Why: Because the coffee brews loose, straining gives you a clean cup; serving it piping hot is how it's meant to be enjoyed on a cool morning.

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Variations

  • Star anise & allspice

    Add a star anise or a couple of allspice berries with the cinnamon for a deeper, more festive spice profile.

  • Café de olla latte

    Brew it extra strong and top with warm milk or foam for a spiced-coffee latte.

  • Spiked (adults)

    A splash of rum or coffee liqueur turns it into a warming after-dinner drink — for those of legal drinking age.

Serving & Storage

A morning or after-dinner coffee, especially in cool weather. Wonderful with pan dulce, churros or a slice of pound cake; a staple at Día de los Muertos.

Storage: Best fresh, but it keeps a day in the fridge — strain off the grounds first, then gently reheat. Don't re-boil or it turns bitter.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 cup (~250 ml))

Calories
70
Protein
0 g
Carbs
18 g
Fat
0 g
Fiber
0 g
Sugar
17 g
Sodium
5 mg

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is piloncillo and what can I use instead?

Piloncillo is unrefined Mexican cane sugar sold in hard cones, with a deep molasses-caramel flavour that's central to café de olla. If you can't find it, dark brown sugar is the best substitute (use a slightly generous amount); muscovado works too. Plain white sugar will sweeten it but lose the characteristic depth.

Do I need a clay pot?

No — any saucepan makes excellent café de olla. The traditional clay olla adds a subtle earthy note and is part of the ritual, but the spices, piloncillo and steeping method are what define the flavour. A regular pot works perfectly.

Why steep instead of using a coffee machine?

Café de olla is traditionally brewed loose, like a steeped or French-press coffee, so the grounds mingle with the spiced syrup. Steeping off the heat for a few minutes then straining keeps it smooth and sweet. You can use the same spiced water with a French press if you prefer.

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