How To Make A Carajillo: 5 Carajillo Recipes

Learn how to make a Carajillo recipe with easy-to-find ingredients that you can make within 15 minutes.

My mom loves everything coffee-related. She’s never been into alcohol, but since I introduced Carajillo, she has fallen in love, and we have kept testing recipes until we found the ones that work.

Carajillo is a Spanish coffee cocktail. It is made from simple and easy-to-find ingredients that mix together to create a well-rounded, full-bodied, thirst-quenching drink with an eye-pleasing look. Essentially, it’s a spiked coffee… but it’s also much more.

It differs from Irish coffee because there is generally no whipped cream used in this coffee drink (although we do break that rule in one of our recipes). Its beauty not only lies in its taste but also its versatility. That’s why we are showing you how to make not one, but five different carajillos.

What To Look For In The Best Carajillo Recipe

The Flavor Of Coffee

Carajillo is traditionally made of espresso. Espresso is one of the most authentic and purest forms of coffee. However, it is also the core component of a number of drink recipes (both with and without alcohol).

It has a high level of caffeine in it compared to other coffees. Most of the time, espresso is served warm. However, it does work chilled in a few wonderful drinks, with espresso martinis being the obvious example.

Within the carajillo, it grounds the harsher tastes bourbonhol and the sweeter tastes of the liqueur. You will want to use fresh coffee beans to get the authentic experience of the drink. However, if you are watching your caffeine intake, you can also use decaf options.

A Tasty Liquor

In a traditional Carajillo recipe, Licor 43 is used as it carries a beautiful blend of citrus and fruit juices, vanilla, and aromatic herbs and spices. And that’s why when it marries with a strong shot of coffee libourbonesso. Besides that, Bourbon, Cardamaro, and Brandy are other great alternatives to replace Licor 43.

If you like a particular flavor, you can choose that for the drink too. For instance, some people love honey, so they choose honey bourbons. You can also go for a coffee liqueur, to increase the overall taste of coffee if that’s what you like.

As we said previously, the brilliance of this drink is its versatility. However, it should be noted that whatever liquor you choose for your cocktail recipe, you should consume it with caution. If you choose to make this post-dinner drink, it’s worth noting that there is alcohol in it and that alcohol should only be consumed in moderation.

5 Of The Best Carajillo Recipes

1. Traditional Carajillo

First off, let’s get the traditional recipe on top of the list. The recipe, for what is sometimes known as a Mexican Carajillo, is what you’re most likely to get if you order it in Mexico.

2. Frothy Carajillo

Cocktail bars have really taken to the frothy carajillo, with it being served up as an alternative for customers who want a coffee cocktail that’s not an espresso martini. The only thing that makes this Carajillo different from the traditional recipe is the frothy foam on top. The real secret here lies in the shaking technique.

3. Bourbon Carajillo

This one is my favorite Carajillo recipe of all time. I like to spruce it up with pineapple. 

4. Carajillo Valenciano

Watching the different layers slowly mix together is one of the things that makes this cocktail so wonderful.

5. Pumpkin Spice Carajillo

This carajillo recipe throws out some of the traditional rules of the drink (rules were made to be broken, right!?) by using whipped cream. However, it is a delicious seasonal treat that you will savor, so who cares!