Just because you’re done with your cup of joe, doesn’t mean that the rest of the pot has to go to waste. Leftover coffee lends a robust and unique flavor to so many dishes; it’s no wonder that using this magic ingredient has been a favorite trick of some of the best home and restaurant cooks. Here’s a few ways you can incorporate leftover coffee into your recipes.
Leftover Coffee Chocolate Cake
Chocolate and coffee are a match made in heaven. The bitterness in coffee cuts through the sweetness in chocolate, lending a slightly savory and complicated note to cake recipes. Replace milk with room temperature coffee in your recipe. Your cake will be infused with a delectable mocha flavor.
Leftover Coffee Overnight Oatmeal
Overnight oatmeal is a big health and wellness trend. Add a coffee infusion to your overnight oatmeal. Add less of your liquid of choice (milk or water) and incorporate about a quarter cup of coffee into the mix. If the mixture is too soggy in the morning you can always add chia seeds to firm it up.
Leftover Coffee Ice Cream
Once you’ve made ice-cream at home, you’ll never settle for the store-bought variety again. You can make a coffee ice-cream with milk, sugar, cream, vanilla and a splash of coffee. If you’re craving a little more complexity, feel free to add chocolate, nuts or different spices to form your own signature blend.
Leftover Coffee Ice Cubes
Never drink diluted ice coffee again, pour your leftover coffee into an ice-cube tray and freeze for future use. Throw the cubes into your iced coffee or even blend them up with chocolate milk for a tasty cold frappuccino.
Leftover Coffee Tiramisu
Everyone’s favorite Italian delicacy can be made even more delicious with some leftover coffee. In fact, it’s impossible to make tiramisu without the addition of some strong, room temperature coffee. You’ll need at least two cups of brew to get that irresistible mocha flavor.
Leftover Coffee Mole
Mole is a Mexican sauce that hits on all flavor profiles for a one-of-a-kind culinary experience. Making a traditional mole might be varsity level cooking, but there’s a better and easier way to get those flavors. Make a quick and delicious mole just by adding just a splash of coffee. Coffee will mimic some of the earthy flavors and pair well with chocolate and chipotle. Enjoy your mole on eggs, chicken or as a dipping sauce.
Leftover Coffee BBQ Sauce
Leftover coffee is a stand-out secret ingredient in the best barbeque sauces. It’s earthy, complex flavor lends a savory and slightly bitter note to the sauce, pairing perfectly with acidic notes from tomatoes and the zing of vinegar. Use your leftover coffee barbeque sauce as a marinade for meats, or as a dipping sauce. You only need about half a cup to take your sauce to the next level. You’ll get rave reviews from friends and family on this incredible sauce.
Leftover Coffee Mocha Pudding
Mix up a batch of your favorite chocolate pudding, either from scratch or from a box, and stir in a little bit of room temperature coffee. Congratulations, you’ve elevated your pudding and mixed up a tempting creamy treat.
Leftover Coffee Pot Roast
Give your pot roast recipe an upgrade by adding half a cup of strong coffee to the crock pot. All you need to do is brown your meat, pop it in the Crockpot with chopped veggies and your spices, and add a little bit of broth and a little bit of coffee. The coffee will infuse your meat and vegetables with a delicious flavor as it cooks low and slow for several hours. Give your traditional pot roast a savory, complex flavor by adding coffee.
Leftover Coffee Frosting
Give your frosting a makeover with some leftover coffee. Make a standard buttercream or icing recipe and add in a splash of coffee for a unique flavor. Add some chocolate to make a chocolate frosting to die for, or even experiment with other flavors.
Before you throw that last bit of coffee down the sink, consider trying one of these leftover coffee recipes. It doesn’t matter whether your recipe is sweet or savory, coffee will add a flavor note that’s not duplicated by any other ingredient.
