Recipes from the Doulou & Willy's Test Kitchen

We love to drink a pure cup of premium coffee by itself. But occasionally, we also find some other interesting "serving suggestions". If you're feeling adventurous, try some of these!

Hot Cocoa: The Healthier(ish) Version

We adore hot cocoa—especially when the weather starts that whole “I’m chilly now, deal with it” routine. But those prepacked instant cocoa powder thingamajigs? Yikes. Flip one over and you’ll find an ingredient list that reads like a chemistry exam. Sugar, dairy solids, corn syrup, alkali-processed cocoa, hydrogenated oils, caramel color, dipotassium something-or-other… and that’s only the first line. It doesn’t get prettier.

(Sorry for the AI photo, but I accidentally drank it all before I could take a picture!)

So let’s skip the mystery powders and go straight to the source: cacao. Real, actual cacao. We’re talking pure cacao nibs, freshly roasted and ground. (Don’t worry -- We handle that part.) For sweetness, we’ll use blue agave, which pairs much nicer with chocolate anyway. And as for all those other weird ingredients? Let’s just not invite them.

Ingredients

1/4 cup Doulou & Willy's Cacao Nibs
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
A pinch (about 1/16 tsp) of Cayenne (optional, but delightful)
A pinch (about 1/16 tsp) of Kosher Salt
16 oz Whole Milk (or whatever milk-like swishy liquid you prefer)
2 Tbsp Blue Agave Syrup
2 Tbsp Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

You’ll also Need

Two microwave-safe 2-cup measuring cups
Fine-mesh strainer
Microwave
Food thermometer (yes, you’re suddenly a chocolatier)

Heat the cacao.

Whisk the cacao nibs, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt into the milk in a microwave-safe container. Microwave on high for about 4 minutes, or until it hits 165°F. Let it sit for 20 minutes so the cacao can work its magic.

Strain into your second measuring cup. Stir in the agave, condensed milk, and vanilla.

Optional chocolate boost.

If you want to lean into deeper, darker, chocolatier territory, finely chop 2–6 squares of a Doulou & Willy’s 76% Cacao Bar and drop them in. Totally optional—totally delicious.

Final warm-up.

Return the mixture to the microwave and heat for 2–3 minutes, until it reaches 185°F. Stir well to make sure any added chocolate is fully melted and blended.

Pour. Sip. Sigh dramatically. Enjoy.

Cold Brew Coffee

Cold Brew is a brewing method for coffee that creates a smooth and flavorful cup of coffee, with a lower acidity than your typical hot brew. This recipe is calibrated for a concentrated brew, so you would dilute it to taste — with milk or with water – when you serve it. It yields about a gallon (3 liters) of coffee, which can be stored in the fridge, and portioned out as needed throughout the week.

Ingredients

12 oz Doulou & Willy’s Tanzanian Peaberry Coffee, course ground
(You can, of course, use any coffee beans you’d like. The Tanzanian, however, is very well suited to this recipe.)
1 gallon of water

Equipment

One Gallon (3 liter) glass jug
Cold Brew Coffee Bags – large enough to hold a bag of coffee
(You can do this recipe without the bags by pouring the grinds directly into the water. However, filtering them out afterwards can be a particularly messy chore.)

Instructions
Grind the coffee beans at a course setting. On my Baratza, I used the highest setting (40). Pour the grinds into a cold brew coffee bag – or divide among several, if they are smaller sized. Place all bags inside the glass jug. Fill with water, making sure all bags are thoroughly soaked. Cover and place the jug in a cool place, out of the sunlight. Let sit for 12 to 16 hours. (Taste test periodically, beginning at 12 hours.)

Remove and dispose of the coffee bags. Mix the coffee with equal parts water to drink it as coffee (either cold or heated up). Or mix it with milk and/or sugar to taste for a refreshing coffee drink over ice.

Note: The ratio of coffee to water is 1 (g) to 8 (ml). You can scale the quantities up or down as needed.

Coffee Milkshake

Looking for a cool, creamy way to enjoy your favorite brew? This Coffee Milkshake is the perfect treat for hot days or anytime you need a sweet pick-me-up. Made with Cold Brew (see above) from your choice of beans, it delivers a bold, smooth coffee flavor in every frosty sip.

Ingredients

1/2 c Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate (see above)
1/2 c Whole Milk
(Substitute your preferred milk product. Try condensed milk for an even creamier result.)
1 cup (large scoop) Ice Cream
I used vanilla. But obviously, this works equally as well with any of your favorite flavors -- especially chocolate or butter pecan.

Equipment

Blender

Instructions
Add the ice cream, milk, and cold brew coffee to the blender. Note that you should use the coffee concentrate (see above recipe). This will work with any brew -- even left-over coffee (whatever that is) -- but the cold brew concentrate gives you the strongest coffee flavor. Blend well, and pour into a tall glass. Enjoy!

Options: Try these options as well.

Top with whipped cream, grated Cacao Bar, maraschino cherry, and/or flavored syrup.
For the adults in the room, add a splash of Kahlua or Amaretto.

Hot & Spicy Chocolate Coffee

Are you the type that likes things spicy hot? This recipe was first published for National Hot & Spicy Day (January 16).

Ingredients

4 Tbsp freshly ground Doulou & Willy’s Tanzanian medium-dark roast coffee
2 Tbsp ground Doulou & Willy’s Madagascar Cacao Nibs
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
Hot water (200 ℉)

Equipment

Pour-over carafe or cone
Coffee filter

Instructions
Pour the coffee, cacao, and cayenne into the coffee filter in the pour-over setup. Slowly pour the hot water over the grounds, fully saturating them. If they bubble up – and they should … it’ll look like a brownie muffin – slow down and let it settle. When your container is full, it’s ready to drink.

Note: You can also do this recipe without the cacao for simple Cayenne Coffee. Or without the cayenne for Chocolate Coffee.

Cold Brew Coffee

Cold Brew is a brewing method for coffee that creates a smooth and flavorful cup of coffee, with a lower acidity than your typical hot brew. This recipe is calibrated for a concentrated brew, so you would dilute it to taste — with milk or with water – when you serve it. It yields about a gallon (3 liters) of coffee, which can be stored in the fridge, and portioned out as needed throughout the week.

Ingredients

12 oz Doulou & Willy’s Tanzanian Peaberry Coffee, course ground
(You can, of course, use any coffee beans you’d like. The Tanzanian, however, is very well suited to this recipe.)
1 gallon of water

Equipment

One Gallon (3 liter) glass jug
Cold Brew Coffee Bags – large enough to hold a bag of coffee
(You can do this recipe without the bags by pouring the grinds directly into the water. However, filtering them out afterwards can be a particularly messy chore.)

Instructions
Grind the coffee beans at a course setting. On my Baratza, I used the highest setting (40). Pour the grinds into a cold brew coffee bag – or divide among several, if they are smaller sized. Place all bags inside the glass jug. Fill with water, making sure all bags are thoroughly soaked. Cover and place the jug in a cool place, out of the sunlight. Let sit for 12 to 16 hours. (Taste test periodically, beginning at 12 hours.)

Remove and dispose of the coffee bags. Mix the coffee with equal parts water to drink it as coffee (either cold or heated up). Or mix it with milk and/or sugar to taste for a refreshing coffee drink over ice.

Note: The ratio of coffee to water is 1 (g) to 8 (ml). You can scale the quantities up or down as needed.

Coffee Milkshake

Looking for a cool, creamy way to enjoy your favorite brew? This Coffee Milkshake is the perfect treat for hot days or anytime you need a sweet pick-me-up. Made with Cold Brew (see above) from your choice of beans, it delivers a bold, smooth coffee flavor in every frosty sip.

Ingredients

1/2 c Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate (see above)
1/2 c Whole Milk
(Substitute your preferred milk product. Try condensed milk for an even creamier result.)
1 cup (large scoop) Ice Cream
I used vanilla. But obviously, this works equally as well with any of your favorite flavors -- especially chocolate or butter pecan.

Equipment

Blender

Instructions
Add the ice cream, milk, and cold brew coffee to the blender. Note that you should use the coffee concentrate (see above recipe). This will work with any brew -- even left-over coffee (whatever that is) -- but the cold brew concentrate gives you the strongest coffee flavor. Blend well, and pour into a tall glass. Enjoy!

Options: Try these options as well.

Top with whipped cream, grated Cacao Bar, maraschino cherry, and/or flavored syrup.
For the adults in the room, add a splash of Kahlua or Amaretto.