Missing the Coffee Shop? Here's How to Make 6 of Your Favorite Java Drinks at Home

Going to your favorite coffee spot for your go-to drink, or even a splurge like an affogato, can add to the experience. But making your own at coffee drink at home is probably not as challenging as you think.

And better yet, it'll likely save you some cash as well as help cut down on the number of calories, added sugars and saturated fat your drink might bring.

Try these six delicious drinks ranging from your everyday morning cold brew to a decadent spiked shake like the Frozen Mudslide.

The term cold brew can be confusing. Many believe it's the same as an iced or cold coffee but a cold brew refers to how the coffee was brewed, not necessarily served.

Cold brew is less acidic compared to regular coffee and because the taste is more palatable, cold brew drinkers tend to add less cream and/or sugar, the National Coffee Association explains.

Cold brew can also be higher in caffeine because of the way it's brewed (with a higher ratio or coffee to water) but you can dilute the concentrated drink with water, ice, milk or a plant-based milk alternative. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends limiting your daily caffeine intake to 400 milligrams or less.

Wrapping your breakfast and caffeine fix into one seems efficient to us. And this delicious recipe is healthy, too. Not like other mochaccino drinks you find at your local coffee shop, which can be loaded with added sugar (sometimes up to 52 grams!) and saturated fat.

This mocha smoothie has 9 grams of saturated fat and no added sugar. Instead, it gets its sweetness from potassium-rich bananas and creaminess from unsweetened almond milk and pea milk. Pea milk is made from pea protein, which means that unlike most other plant-based milk options, it provides an ample amount of protein (about 8 grams per cup), similar to cow's milk.

Two highly beloved foods — coffee (well, technically espresso) and ice cream — come together to create a dreamy dessert. This dish includes Amaro, an Italian liqueur. You can skip it if you want to keep this alcohol-free, which will help cut down on the overall calorie and sugar content of this recipe.

This dessert isn't for the caffeine-sensitive. A serving of this before bed could keep you up for longer than you'd like. A shot of espresso packs around 70 milligrams of caffeine — a bit less than what you'd find in an 8-ounce cup of coffee.

D.I.Y. this lower calorie and lower in sugar version of an icy frap. It only takes 5 minutes to make and it'll save you about 60 calories and 40 grams of sugar.

Here's why that's important: We currently have an added sugar problem in this country. The American Heart Association (AHA) has set strict added sugar limits — women should consume no more than 100 calories from added sugar each day (6 teaspoons or 25 grams) and men, no more than 150 calories (9 teaspoons or 36 grams) per day. Each day, we eat about 350 calories of added sugar, per Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Another healthy way to enjoy your frap is this version with a thicker and creamier texture. Greek yogurt gives this a consistent and creamy texture while adding satiating protein to the recipe.

If you're trying to lose weight or put on muscle, you'll want to take your protein intake into consideration. In most cases, eating about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight should suffice our needs; but if we're trying to lose weight or add muscle, we need to eat above this amount, according to a December 2019 review paper published in ​Advances in Nutrition.​

This healthier spiked shake is a decadent yet vegan version of your favorite mudslide. This adult beverage includes vodka, which you can always leave out if you're sharing with your kids. Using coconut milk and coconut whip keep this vegan.

The coconut milk used here is one you'd find in the non-dairy milk refrigerated section, not a can of actual coconut milk. Real coconut milk is higher in calories and saturated fat versus most coconut milk beverages. The AHA advises against adding more saturated fats like that from coconuts to your diet because it can actually raise LDL cholesterol levels.