Not many people have tried the Tim Hortons French Vanilla, but I will tell you it is one of the best drinks they have. I recently tried making it at home, and it turned out way better than I thought it would. Sure, you can easily buy their French vanilla mix for under $10, but it's way tastier to make it from scratch.
Can't get enough of Tim Hortons? Try my Steeped Tea and Cheese Tea Biscuits next!
☕ About This Recipe
If I’m being honest, I don’t drink coffee that often. I like the flavor, but I’ve always tried to avoid caffeine whenever I can. 9 out of 10 times I prefer my coffee black but occasionally I get a craving for flavored coffee, and French vanilla is always my go-to!
To me, the French vanilla flavor is a combination of hazelnut and vanilla flavoring. I’ve tried a lot of French vanilla recipes only, but they always seem to lack a bit in the hazelnut department. Recently I did some research online and lot of people have had success with hot chocolate powder. I gave it a try and actually tastes really close! It turns out cocoa powder is actually an ingredient in Tim Hortons French vanilla mix.
🧂 Ingredients
- Milk: I normally use whole milk for making coffee at home, but if you want the full Timmies experience, you should use heavy cream or half and half.
- Instant Coffee Granules: I hate bringing out my coffee maker, so I always use instant coffee. You can also use freshly brewed coffee. Also, if you're going for the best copycat, I recommend the Tim Hortons medium roast coffee.
- Hot Chocolate Mix: I'm using the Nestle brand, but any will work.
- Vanilla Extract: You can also use a ¼ a vanilla bean if you're feeling fancy.
- Sugar
🔪 Instructions
STEP 1: In a cup, combine instant coffee granules, hot chocolate mix, and sugar with ½ cup of boiling water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
STEP 2: Then, just add warm milk and vanilla. If you want it more creamy, you can use heavy cream.
📋 Frothed milk
Some people like a frothed milk look. However, I've never had it like that at Tim Hortons. If you want a frothed milk look, just heat some milk to around 160°F. Then, pour it into a small jar or glass container and shake it vigorously to create a lot of bubbles. Then, spoon it over your coffee.
📋 Recipe
Tim Hortons French Vanilla
Ingredients
- ¾ cup warm milk
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules (or ¼ cup strong brewed coffee)
- 1 teaspoon hot chocolate powder (see notes for substitution)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (or ¼ vanilla bean)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Combine instant coffee granules and hot chocolate mix with ¼ cup of boiling water in a cup. Stir until dissolved.
- Add warm milk and vanilla, and enjoy! You can pop the cup in the microwave for 30 seconds if you want it hotter.
- Optional: If you want a frothed milk look, heat some milk to around 160°F; it should be hot but not scalding. Then, pour it into a small jar or glass container and shake it vigorously to create a lot of bubbles. Spoon on top of coffee.
Maura
Delicious! No more buying Timmies. Love that the ingredients are inexpensive and ones that I already have.
Thank you so much for posting
Grump
Thanks Maura, glad you liked it!
Kirsten
Can you use cocoa powder instead of hot chocolate powder?
Grump
Hi Kirsten, hot chocolate powder will be better but hot cocoa powder can work in a pinch.
Laura
We found this recipe to be a little bit too bitter. We put in half the amount of coffee and it was delicious. Thank you so much for posting!