Inspired by the cinnamon-roll-and-frosting combination I love at Cinnabon. This is an original home-coffee recipe, not an official Cinnabon recipe.
The coffee
- 2 shots espresso or ¼ cup strong coffee
- ½–¾ cup milk
- 1–2 teaspoons brown sugar, to taste
- A small pinch of ground cinnamon
- Ice
The cream-cheese cloud
- 1 tablespoon softened cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1–2 teaspoons maple syrup, to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
- A tiny pinch of salt
Three little steps
- Make the cloud. Mash the softened cream cheese with maple syrup, vanilla and salt until smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk, then add cold cream and froth until thick but pourable. A small whisk works too.
- Build the coffee. Stir brown sugar and cinnamon into hot espresso. Add milk and ice to your cup, then pour in the espresso.
- Finish. Spoon the cloud on top and dust lightly with cinnamon. Sip, then stir if you like.
No powdered sugar needed
The recipe uses maple syrup. Prefer regular sugar? Dissolve 1–2 teaspoons in the tablespoon of warm milk, let it cool, then mix it into the softened cream cheese before adding cold cream. If you have powdered sugar, use 1–2 teaspoons instead of maple syrup.
No heavy cream or frother?
For a frosting-style topping, skip the cream and add milk to the sweetened cream cheese a teaspoon at a time until spoonable. It will be denser than foam. A fork can smooth the cream cheese; a small whisk can finish the mixture.
Low-energy version: make only the topping and spoon it over your usual iced coffee. The cup still counts.