Joanna Gaines' Favorite Way To Make Coffee Involves A Cookie-Inspired Twist

Pop quiz! What do you get when you cross a Mason jar with some snickerdoodle spices and coffee? Answer? You get a cheap and yet terribly delicious version of a snickerdoodle latte. And let's be real, this isn't just any homemade brew. It's a favorite that home-improvement queen Joanna Gaines made famous and indeed, swears by, and that's worthy of a second glance — or rather sip — from coffee lovers everywhere. After all, between this and her spicy twist on a pecan pie, Gaines has earned some credit for elevating the classics.

If you're a fan of baking snickerdoodle cookies at home, then you probably have all the necessary ingredients to make this coffee in your cupboard already. As far as spices are concerned, this recipe calls for a combination of brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg — a sweet seasoning blend that also works wonders on popcorn. Whole milk plus the strong coffee of your choice give this latte the steamy, creamy coffee base. (A sprinkle or two of cinnamon sugar is also added at the end of the coffee-making process to garnish the drink, giving it a rather delicious final touch.) 

However, unless the coffee is blended right, you're likely to end up with a pool of spices clumped at the bottom of the cup instead of a drink that delivers warming flavors in every sip. That's where Gaines' Mason jar trick comes in handy.

To prepare a snickerdoodle coffee, Joanna Gaines first pours milk into a Mason jar along with the essential spices. The glass jar goes into the microwave sans lid for a minute or so before she gives the jar a big shake-shake, stirring all the ingredients together and readying them for the coffee. As a side note, if you don't have a Mason jar, try whisking the warm ingredients and the sweet spices together in a bowl. This should foam it up in the same fashion as giving it a good shake in a Mason jar.

This spiced milk eventually gets poured into a mug of strong coffee. The ratio of spiced milk to coffee runs about 1¼ to 1, with the spiced milk being the more plentiful of the two liquids. For a thicker, creamier snickerdoodle latte skip the whole milk and substitute it for half-and-half or cream instead. Given the milk-to-coffee ratio in this coffee drink, the flavors of the spices should hold their own, despite the added coffee.

Finally, since this drink is basically dessert in a cup, why not try turning it into a coffee cocktail? A coffee-flavored liqueur takes it from your morning brew to the perfect boozy brunch cocktail for a fun meal with friends.