On those hot summer days, the last thing many of us want is a hot, steamy drink — including coffee (I know, sacrilège!). The good news is there are many cold, chilled, and edible ways to enjoy your coffee. Keep reading to learn more about the ways you can eat, freeze, chill, and incorporate coffee into your favorite dishes.
EAT IT
Explore the world of delectable coffee-based desserts! While I’m sure you are all familiar with coffee-toned desserts, such as espresso brownies and mocha truffles, there are many other delicious coffee-centered desserts such as:
Affogato: A shot of espresso poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This wonderful dessert is open to expression. You can add broken pieces of cake, espresso beans, or alcohol (click here for Cindy’s This Affogato’s on Fire recipe). If you don’t have espresso available, a dark roast coffee brewed in a Moka Pot or French Press will work just as well, as will strongly brewed drip coffee.
Coffee Jelly: Coffee Jelly is a wonderfully easy dessert that you can make in minutes using your leftover morning coffee. The Jelly is rich with a jello-like texture. Coffee Jelly can also be cut and used in more intricate coffee flavored desserts, such as a coffee truffle or blended to create the coffee equivalent of bubble tea.
Chocolate covered coffee beans: This lovely little snack is easy to make and can be eaten alone, used as a topper, or mixed with nuts and fruit to make a very perky trail mix. Just be warned, eating too many can give you the jitters — these little bits of joy are caffeine-packed! Click here for our Homemade Chocolate Covered Coffee Bean recipe.
FREEZE IT
Cold is good but iced can be better! Coffee freezes very well and can be absolutely mouthwatering when made into a tasty, chilled dessert. Below are some of the best coffee -based ice cream, fudgescicles, and popsicles recipes we’ve found.
Ice cream: Mocha Ice Cream, Mocha Ice Cream Cake, Coffee Ice Cream
Fudgescicles: Mocha Baileys Fudge Pops, Vegan Espresso Fudgescicles
Popsicles: Mocha Iced Coffee Popsicles, Coffee Popsicles, Iced Coffee Popsicles
INCORPORATE IT
Replacing liquids in foods you already make with coffee is a great way to get your much-beloved caffeine. Below are some easy ways to incorporate coffee into your breakfast routine or desserts.
Smoothies: You can substitute some or all of the water / milk in your regular smoothie with coffee OR (a personal favorite) use coffee ice cubes rather than regular ice cubes. In a standard ice cube tray, each cube is roughly equivalent to one ounce. Adding six coffee ice cubes to your smoothie equates to adding a standard cup of coffee.
Oatmeal: Similar to smoothies, you can swap some or all of the water / milk in your oatmeal for your favorite coffee. This delicious mix tastes particularly good with an added dash of maple syrup.
Milkshake: Replace some or all of your milk with coffee to make a delicious coffee milkshake.
Cocktail: Coffee pairs wonderfully with whisky and many other alcohols. If you want to multitask on your after-dinner drink and coffee, check out Cindy’s delicious coffee-based cocktails. Recipies are available in the recipe section of our blog and on YouTube.
ADD ICE
Iced coffee, cold brew, and frappes are American summer standbys. Given the extensive presence these delicious cold coffees hold on our blog, we will keep this short and invite you to visit our prior blog entries (below). Just two points to note if you are brewing a standard iced coffee:
- Water ratio: If you are brewing iced coffee that will be chilled or poured over ice, be sure to add 1/8th – 1/5th extra coffee to avoid dilution. If you are making an iced espresso, be sure to double your shot-to-ice cube ratio. Alternatively, you could brew using your normal ratio and add coffee ice cubes rather than water-based iced cubes.
- Freshness: If you drink your coffee black, we strongly suggest looking into Japanese Style Iced Coffee – it’s quick, easy, and ensures a fresh cup.
The perfect cold brew coffee … with no cleanup!
If you still want more, check out these fun summer coffee recipes: Iced Coffee Summer Desserts
Coffee with the Queen 