5 Creative Ways to Incorporate Espresso Powder into Your Cooking

Devoted java fanatics sometimes frown upon instant coffee products like espresso powder, but even if you’re not into drinking it straight, this convenient ingredient has so many delicious uses that it’s worth keeping in your kitchen. Instant espresso powder adds tons of depth to desserts, main courses, sauces, and even homemade snacks. For many recipes, espresso powder is better than “real” espresso made of ground coffee beans. Coffee grounds have a gritty texture with a complicated mouthfeel, while espresso powder is just a deep, intense, concentrated version of instant coffee that completely dissolves in liquids.

In recipes that would suffer from a lot of excess water, such as frostings, espresso powder is also the best option. Since it’s so potent, you only need to dissolve a little bit in a small amount of liquid before mixing it in. This makes the powder more versatile than brewed coffee as well. It’s a super easy way to add a potent burst of java flavor to countless foods. We have some excellent ideas for how to put the best instant espresso brands to use in your kitchen, including in barbecue spice rubs, stews, and chocolate desserts, to name a few. So, grab a canister, and let’s get cooking.

To add flavor to meat, seafood, or even tofu before cooking, you can choose between a dry rub and a marinade. The former is a mix of spices, herbs, and other ground ingredients that easily stick to the surface of foods. Espresso powder is a fantastic addition for a rich, earthy, smoky flavor, and it’s a great ingredient to elevate steak rubs, in particular, as the dark, roasty coffee complements the robust beef.

A rub is arguably better than a marinade with brewed coffee splashed in, since liquid marinades add extra moisture to food. The surface of your steak or pork chop has to be dry if you want it to sear well, so an espresso spice mix is the way to go. We all know that coffee pairs well with sugar, a must-have component in dry rubs to encourage caramelization, and brown sugar further enhances the powder’s rich taste.

Espresso also plays well with smoky spices like cayenne, paprika, black pepper, and cumin, plus dehydrated onion and garlic for a savory kick. Try tossing a teaspoon of espresso powder into your rub, apply it to your food, and see how you like the finished product. In small amounts, the coffee won’t be overpowering, instead adding a subtle but deep flavor and aroma. If you’d like a stronger espresso presence, increase the amount next time.

The tasty friendship between espresso and meat can also be enjoyed in chili, an old-fashioned beef stew, and other rib-sticking braises. While brewed black coffee can improve your stew, espresso powder delivers a more intense flavor with little to no prep. Out of all the tips that will elevate your next batch of chili, working in espresso powder is one of the easiest. The same warm, smoky spices you might use in a dry rub can be found in many delicious chili recipes, so coffee enhances the flavor profile in a similar way.

For a big pot that will serve around eight people, mix in ¼ cup of the coffee powder. You’ll notice a richer taste with a hint of bitterness that turns boring chili into something worth serving to company. Likewise, recipes for beef stews that incorporate coffee often use ¼ cup to ½ cup of the brewed beverage. To sub in espresso powder, dissolve it in enough liquid to equal the amount of brewed coffee called for in your recipe.

For a subtler effect, especially with dishes that aren’t as aggressively spiced to begin with, just mix in a teaspoon or two of the powdered coffee during cooking. Once you fall in love with a touch of coffee in your meaty stews, use espresso powder to add a robust twist to basic baked beans.

You may think that nothing can improve devil’s food cake or fudgy German chocolate brownie bars, but so many desserts can be made better by adding coffee, especially luscious chocolate treats. Espresso makes the complex bittersweetness of your favorite cocoa powder or baking chocolate stand out even more. A generous amount adds a mocha vibe, but just like with savory dishes, a teaspoon or less enhances flavors without distracting from them.

As you might have guessed by now, adding espresso powder to any chocolate cake recipe or using it as the key ingredient for next-level brownies is pretty darn easy. Either toss the powder with your dry ingredients, like flour and sugar, or dissolve it in a bit of hot water before mixing it into the batter. Note that dissolving the coffee first is a must-do for easy espresso frosting or creamy custards, since the grains of espresso might be noticeable otherwise.

Cheesecakes, French silk pies, homemade chocolate truffles, and even chocolate banana bread are also meant-to-be partners for espresso powder. And if you want to serve your baked treats a la mode, give ice cream a gourmet touch with a dusting of espresso. It’ll be a coffee lover’s dream.

Espresso powder is just as brilliant in sauces and condiments as it is in main dishes. Dessert sauces like chocolate ganache or caramel are obvious choices, while savory recipes allow you to get more creative. The powdered coffee can complement the sugary and spicy notes in a classic sweet and tangy barbecue sauce recipe or add an unexpected touch to rich brown gravy served with beef, pork, or turkey.

Given that meaty Bolognese sauce is somewhat similar to chili, espresso can work wonders when sprinkled into a pot. Coffee can also help you level up store-bought tomato sauce, as the aromatic java balances the acidic and sweet notes of even the simplest spaghetti sauces.

While it’s not the most traditional, adding a dash of instant espresso will help make an incredible mole from scratch. This rich sauce — which comes in tons of variations found across the Americas — often contains chocolate and chiles, two ingredients that we already know that coffee does wonders enhancing. It’s even better in shortcut mole sauce, which can use some extra complexity compared to traditional versions that take plenty of time and ingredients to make.

Buying snacks like roasted nuts and flavored popcorn is certainly convenient, but making your own opens your eyes to a new world of customizable flavors. Espresso is one unexpected ingredient that adds to your homemade snack mix, working with sweet and savory ingredients alike. It plays well with virtually all spices that enhance roasted almonds, from tongue-tingling paprika, curry, or Cajun spice to classic cinnamon. Cocoa powder and malted milk powder are other great additions for a sweet take.

Your powdered espresso seasoning will be delicious on other nuts like walnuts and pecans, as well as homemade popcorn, trail mix, Chex mix, and pretzels. You can also whip up a coffee glaze that hardens into a candy shell. Boil the powdered espresso together with water, sugar, a liquid sweetener like maple syrup or honey, and a pinch of salt, then toss nuts or other crispy munchies in the mixture. Bake in the oven until the glaze hardens — and voila! To get even more creative, use espresso powder in your seasoning mix for meat jerky as well.