The holiday season is in full-effect in Austin, TX! From the Trail of Lights at Zilker Park to the shops at 2nd Street District, it’s very merry all around. With colder weather and festive feelings comes seasonal specials on warm drinks and sweet treats. We looked into some of the best local coffee shops and bake shops to get the inside scoop on seasonal specials. We’ve listed a few dessert spots perfect for date night and coffee shops for those quick caffeine kicks before work.

Drinks

Cartel Coffee Lab

Address: 1813 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

Seasonal Specials:

As one of Austin’s newer and trendier coffee shops on the East Side, Cartel Coffee Lab is going all over the map with their holiday menu!

Canadian Holiday

A seasonal latte featuring maple syrup!

Tokyo Treat

A matcha based drink with almond, bitters, and nutmeg!

Hot L Coffee

Address: 400 Josephine St, Austin, TX 78704

Seasonal Specials:

This quiet and quaint shop is the perfect stop to get some work done during the day before heading out to the Trail of Lights! It’s right down the street!

Eggnog Latte

Made with Fronks milk, a locally made nut-based milk. It’s extra creamy and it’s all organic!

Caffe Medici

Address: multiple locations, now including Austin-Bergstrom International Airport!

Seasonal Specials:

Caffe Medici revolutionized the coffee scene in Austin, over a decade ago, so it makes sense to stop by for some of the classics!

Gingerbread Latte

As with most of Caffe Medici’s drinks, this is made with a house-made syrup! This one’s got their very own ginger molasses syrup sprinkled with nutmeg.

Peppermint Mocha

Again, peppermint and chocolate syrup are made in house. If you want to opt out of caffeine, go for a peppermint hot chocolate. It can’t be beat!

Merit Coffee 

Address: Multiple locations in Austin + Dallas and San Antonio

Seasonal Specials:

Merit is the one-stop shop for the true coffee connoisseur. Their coffee tastes great in all forms- hot, cold, or on its own. More excitingly, you can bring a bag home with you!

Sugarplum Blend

This holiday blend is grounded in brown sugar-citrus flavors, with an added punch from delicate floral and stonefruit notes.

Greater Goods Coffee Co.

Address: Multiple locations

Seasonal Specials:

Greater Goods is another must-stop for a bag of beans! Stop by and check out their seasonal menu and grab a bag on the way out.  With every purchase, a portion is donated to a Texas charity.

Holiday ‘Dillo Blend

A festive blend of beans from Kenya, Ethiopia, and Colombia. This coffee’s a cold-weather pleasure, with complex notes of bittersweet chocolate and dark stone fruit, plus a thick body and lingering finish. It’ll fit in perfectly with any feast.

Desserts

Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop

Address: 1905 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704

Seasonal Specials:

Sugar Mama’s is an Austin staple for all kinds of sweet treats. Pair it with a cup of coffee from Seventh Flag across the street, if you’re on the go!

Dark and Stormy Cupcake

It’s gingerbread with dark rum buttercream, offered as a vegan option as well!

Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bar

It’s in the name, isn’t it?

Macarons

The December flavors include eggnog and mulled wine!

Cheesecakes

Try their limited white chocolate mocha or banana toffee!

Cherry Crumble Pie 

Fluff Meringues

Address: 4800 Burnet Rd #450, Austin, TX 78756

Seasonal Specials: 

This dessert spot is unlike any other! Go for a classic treat, a hot cocoa, or a light and airy meringue that’s almost too beautiful to eat!

Hand Pie

It’s stuffed with cranberry, orange, clive, and cream cheese!

Breakfast Bread

Made with tart cherry, pistachio, frangipane, and rose petal!

Gingerbread Madeleines

Lick Honest Ice Creams

Address: Multiple Locations

Seasonal Specials:

It may be cold outside, but that doesn’t stop our ice cream cravings! Lick has an endless holiday menu, you’ll want to try them all!

Red Velvet

A timeless holiday classic! Our striking red velvet cake, made red with plant-based Color Kitchen color, is folded into tart Mother Culture vanilla cream cheese ice cream.

Spiced Orange and Cream

Their creamy vanilla ice cream features ribbons of fragrant orange, pear, and clove jam, made in house with G&S Groves oranges and local Texas pears!

Coconut Cake

Their toasted coconut flake ice cream features bites of soft, house made coconut cake.

Butterscotch Pecan Blondie

Brown butter blondies, made from scratch in our kitchen, are speckled with toasted Texas pecans and tossed into Pecan Street Rum spiked butterscotch ice cream.

Candied Pecan and Bourbon

Texas pecans candied in Good Flow Honey, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt are blended into Garrison Brothers Bourbon flavored ice cream. It’s warm and cozy… even for ice cream.

Iced Sugar Cookie

Buttery sugar cookies mingle with festive cream cheese icing, made with plant-based color and Mother Culture cream cheese, that swirls through our sweet cream ice cream. It’s your favorite holiday iced cookie in every scoop, y’all!

Orange Chocolate

Fresh Texas Valley oranges from G&S Groves are combined with Austin’s own SRSLY Chocolate in this zingy winter treat.

Peppermint Bark

SRSLY Chocolate’s Dirty White Chocolate and fresh mint ice cream is accented with dark chocolate chips and crunchy peppermint candies pulled by hand in our kitchen.

Spiked Eggnog

A holiday favorite! Their eggnog ice cream is made in house with local pasture-raised eggs and a shot of Dorćol Distilling’s Kinsman Apricot Rakia brandy.

Too Hot Chocolate With Marshmellows

SRSLY Chocolate is combined with cayenne pepper, chipotle, cinnamon, and Good Flow Honey and sprinkled with house made vanilla bean marshmallows!

 

 

We hope you get to try most of these treats this holiday season! If you do, tag us on social media, we’d love to see it.

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