With summer kicking in high gear, it is the perfect time to get creative with your daily coffee. Flavored coffee pods can make it easier for you since you can skip making or buying the flavors yourself. These recipes are also healthy for your budget since the ingredients are not expensive, and you can find cheap coffee pods on sale. Try these recipes to kickstart your summer mornings with a dose of the fresh and delicious beverages listed here that only take a couple of minutes to make.

1. Iced Hazelnut Mocha Cafe Con Leche

For those who do not know the difference between a latte, macchiato, and cafe con leche, the secret lies in the proportions. While a classic latte is a blend of 1:3 coffee and milk, cafe con leche is made with equal parts of coffee and milk, which usually translates into a higher dose of caffeine for a greater kick. Cafe con leche is very popular in Cuba, the most common addition to breakfast. You can find hazelnut coffee pods on sale all over the internet, so choose your favorite blend.

The recipe below will use whole cow milk, but if you want to go for a more vegan morning drink, you can substitute the milk with either coconut or almond milk. Also, make sure to use vegan chocolate chips if aiming for a full-vegan drink. Lastly, remember that flavored coffee pods are already sweet enough for most people, so check the taste before adding any more sugar or sugar substitute to the mix. Finally, if you aim for almond or coconut milk, make sure to froth it beforehand so you can get a nice and creamy coffee.

The ingredients needed are the following: 

• 1 Hazelnut Cream coffee pod (Either Nespresso or Keurig)

• 1 tbsp. Dark Chocolate Chips (or vegan chocolate chips)

• Half a cup of Whole milk (or almond/coconut milk)

• One cup of ice

First, get one of your coffee pods and put it in the coffee machine to make a cup of espresso. Then, put the chocolate chips in a coffee cup, pour the hot coffee over them, and stir with a spoon until the chips melt. Set this aside. Following that, froth the milk in another cup for a creamy beverage. Set this aside as well. In a third bigger cup, pour the ice cubes. Finally, you want to pour the contents of the first two cups into the big cup with ice in it and stir. Depending on how hot you made the blend in the first cup, you can add more ice cubes if the rest have melted. Serve with extra chocolate chips on top for a better taste.

2. Caramel Flavored Coffee Pods Iced Latte

This recipe is more simple than the first, but it is equally delicious. You will use caramel flavored coffee pods for an even easier experience. You can find plenty of caramel-flavored coffee pods on sale on the internet. Again, you can use the classic ingredients or go for the vegan versions. The ingredients are cheap, and you will most likely have them in your home:

• 1 Caramel Creme coffee pod (Keurig or Nespresso)

• ¾ cup of Whole Milk (or almond/coconut milk)

• ½ Cup of ice

Start by making espresso with your coffee pod machine and set it aside to cool off. After it has cooled off, froth the milk in another cup for a creamier texture, you won’t need to sweeten the beverage anymore since the flavor in the coffee pod is already sweet enough for most people. Next, fill a big cup halfway through with ice cubes and pour the contents of the first two cups over the ice cubes, stirring in the meantime. If the ice cubes melt, you can add another one or two cubes. Beware, though, as this can make your coffee a little too watery for some people’s taste. 

3. Budget Chocolate Iced Latte with Coffee Pods on Sale

For this budget recipe, you will use homemade chocolate syrup and coffee pods on sale for the sake of being budget-friendly. To make the chocolate syrup, you are going to use half a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar or a vegan substitute, and a little bit of vanilla extract for the taste. You should add all of them to a pan and keep it on medium flame until it starts boiling. After that, you will let it cool in the fridge.

1. The recipe for the coffee includes:

   • 1 Flavored coffee pod (Keurig or Nespresso)

   • Homemade chocolate syrup (recipe above)

   • ¾ cup of Whole Milk or vegan equivalent (almond or coconut milk)

   • ½ cup of ice

   Make the espresso with your coffee pod. Froth the milk and set it aside. Fill a cup with ice and get the chocolate syrup out of the fridge. Next, add the milk to the espresso and stir well. Add ¾ of the chocolate syrup and stir until the color is smooth. Pour the mixture over the ice and stir just a little. Finally, use the remaining homemade chocolate syrup as a topping over your brew. Using extra sugar is again not recommended since both the coffee pod and the homemade chocolate syrup are already sweet enough. Enjoy your budget chocolate latte! Don’t forget that you can store it in the fridge and savor it the next morning.

   With such high temperatures over the world right now, it is very important to stay hydrated at all times. That is why espresso is only recommended if you drink plenty of fluids over the day since coffee alone dehydrates the body. So why not try these refreshing and delicious coffee recipes to make the summer heat more bearable? They are very quick to prepare since flavored coffee pods help you skip a part of the brewing process and are also very budget-friendly since you can always find coffee pods on sale on the internet.