Spice things up with your drink recipes this fall, and try our Apple Espresso Probiotic Mocktail. This easy mocktail recipe gets an extra boost from chilled espresso, all wrapped up in the comforting flavors of apples, cinnamon, and raw honey. Lifeway Kefir keeps this mocktail gut-healthy with live probiotics, while the protein kefir contains satiates you and provides you with key nutrients, unlike boozy beverages that leave you sluggish with a headache the next day.
Mocktails are a great way to mix up a variety of different ingredients into a drink you may not think to combine otherwise, and the options you can create season to season are endless. Here, we wanted to emulate the smells and flavors of fall, all combined in one drink. You get the uplifting, comforting scent of coffee from the espresso that blends effortlessly with the sweetness of apples, while the warm spice scents and flavor of cinnamon bring everything together.
Instead of traditional simple syrup, we create an easy homemade syrup with raw honey making this drink tastes like a creamy, coffee-flavored dessert in a sippable form. For the perfect final touch, a cold foam topping made with Lifeway Kefir seals the deal on this becoming a seasonal favorite, year after year.
We served this mocktail in our favorite set of martini glasses, but you can serve it any way you like. However you enjoy your mocktail recipes, you can feel sure that when you make them with Lifeway, Kefir, there are no regrets the next day, only gut-healthy gains.
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for optimal digestion and gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1.
Lifeway Kefir is packed with variety of vital nutrients important for overall health, including bone and muscle health; these include vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Along with our probiotic-rich kefir, Lifeway also offers artisan-made Farmer Cheese, a creamy high-protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support healthy muscles and healthy microbiome. Lifeway Farmer Cheese is easy to spread, free of gums and thickeners, and contains no added salt or sugar for optimal health benefits.
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes Servings: 2Ingredients
For the Honey Cinnamon Syrup:
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
For the Mocktail:
- 2 shots (2 oz.) espresso, cooled
- 2 tbsp. unsweetened apple butter
- 1 ½ tbsp. honey cinnamon syrup (from above)
- Ice cubes
- Garnishes: apple slices, cinnamon stick, or a few espresso beans
For the Cold Foam Topper:
- ¼ cup Lifeway Organic Whole Milk Plain Kefir (OWM)
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp. honey cinnamon syrup (from above)
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Directions
- For the Honey Cinnamon Syrup: In a small saucepan, combine honey and water over medium heat. Add the cinnamon sticks and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until the honey dissolves. Let simmer 5-7 minutes to infuse. Remove from heat, cool, and strain. Store in the fridge up to 3 weeks.
- For the Mocktail: Brew 2 shots of espresso and let them cool completely. In a cocktail shaker, combine cooled espresso, apple butter, and honey cinnamon syrup.* Add ice, shake until frothy and chilled, then strain into a martini glass.
- Make the Cold Foam Topper: In a handheld frother (or blender), whip kefir, heavy cream, honey cinnamon syrup, and cinnamon until light and airy (soft peaks).
- Assemble: Spoon cold foam gently on top of the espresso mocktail. Garnish with apple slices, a cinnamon stick, or espresso beans. Serve immediately.
- If you want to add a non-alcoholic vodka to the drink, you can add it in step 2 when you combine everything in your cocktail shaker, however, you don't need it to make the recipe.