10 Coffee Drink Recipes Nurses Must Try

Coffee is the fuel that keeps hospitals buzzing day and night. When you rotate in and out of night shifts, fighting your own sleep schedule to stay sharp at 3 a.m. and functional at noon, the bean earns its keep.

Nurses lean on it. So do plenty of other workers: about 43% of coffee drinkers say they're less productive without it on the job, and roughly a third say they need it just to get through the day.

Here are 10 recipes to upgrade your plain black coffee, on the unit or on a day off.

1. Easy Iced Coffee

Sweet, mellow, and good cold.

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 6 fluid ounces cold milk

Directions

In a sealable jar, combine instant coffee, sugar, and warm water. Cover and shake until foamy. Pour over a glass of ice, fill with milk, and adjust to taste.

2. Cappuccino Mix

A frothy drink for any shift.

Ingredients (makes about 3 1/2 cups of mix)

• 1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
• 1 cup instant chocolate drink mix
• 3/4 cup instant coffee granules
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Combine everything in a glass jar and mix well. To serve, stir 2 tablespoons of mix into 3/4 cup boiling water until dissolved. Serve hot.

Cappuccino uses less steamed milk than a latte.

3. Cafe Latte

Buying lattes gets pricey. Make your own.

Ingredients (4 lattes)

• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/3 cups hot freshly brewed dark roast espresso

Directions

Heat milk over medium-low and whisk briskly to create foam. Brew espresso and pour into 4 cups. Add milk, holding back the foam with a spoon, then spoon foam over the top.

Lattes use more steamed milk than cappuccinos.

4. Brown Sugar-Caramel Latte

Coffee as dessert. Makes a Monday less intimidating.

Ingredients (1 latte)

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon caramel ice cream topping
• 3/4 cup hot brewed coffee

Directions

Stir brown sugar into half-and-half until dissolved, then whip with a frother or whisk. Pour coffee into a mug and stir in the caramel until dissolved. Add the frothed half-and-half and serve.

5. Hot Mocha Drink Mix

A creamy hot mix for coffee lovers.

Ingredients (makes about 4 cups of mix)

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup dry milk powder
• 1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 cup instant coffee granules

Directions

Combine and mix until well blended. Store in a sealed container. To serve, heat a cup of water (or milk for a creamier result) and stir in 2 to 3 heaping teaspoons of mix.

Mocha is a latte variant: one third espresso, two thirds steamed milk, plus a portion of chocolate.

6. Fire Side Coffee

For cold weather and a low mood.

Ingredients (makes about 80 servings of mix)

• 2 cups powdered non-dairy creamer
• 1 1/2 cups instant hot chocolate mix
• 1 1/2 cups instant coffee granules
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Sift everything together, then pour into a jar and seal. To serve, stir 3 teaspoons of mix into 1 cup of hot water and adjust to taste.

7. Thai Coffee

Good on its own, day or night.

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2 tablespoons ground coffee beans
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• water
• 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

Directions

Place coffee and cardamom in your coffee machine's filter. Add enough water for 2 cups and brew. Pour into 2 cups and stir 1 tablespoon of condensed milk into each.

8. Funky Monkey

Protein powder helps restore tired muscles.

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 4 cups hot brewed dark roast coffee
• 1 large banana
• 1/4 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
• 1 1/2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
• 20 ice cubes

Directions

Blend the hot coffee, banana, condensed milk, chocolate syrup, and protein powder. Hold the lid down with a folded towel and pulse before pureeing smooth. Divide ice into 4 large glasses and pour the mixture over the top.

9. Coconut Oil Coffee

Coconut oil and unsalted grass-fed butter in your coffee.

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2 cups hot coffee
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Blend until the oil and butter melt and the coffee turns frothy.

Use unsalted grass-fed butter. Preheat the blender with hot water so the coffee doesn't go cold.

10. Spiced Coconut Coffee

The ingredients sound odd, but the kick is right for cold days.

Ingredients (2 cups)

• 2 tablespoons ground coffee beans
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 whole cloves
• 1/2 of a 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons honey

Directions

Combine the coffee, red pepper, cloves, and cinnamon in a filter set into a drip brewer. Add the water and brew. While it brews, warm the coconut milk over medium-low and stir in the honey until dissolved. Pour the brewed coffee into the mixture, stir, and divide into two mugs.