21 Recipes That Prove Coffee Belongs In Dessert

Nothing's better than waking up to a freshly brewed cup of coffee, and it's hard not to love an after-dinner espresso. But who says that coffee's only for drinking? It's also one of our favorite ingredients to use in a variety of desserts. It works so well because it creates a beautiful flavor balance: The coffee's bitterness offers complexity to the typical sweetness found in desserts. And if you already love drinking coffee, then a coffee-spiked dessert is sure to appeal to you as well.

That's why we've rounded up our all-time most delicious coffee dessert recipes so you can try these sweet treats for yourself. Of course, there are the classic coffee desserts, like tiramisu and coffee cake, but we've also included less expected coffee-flavored dessert dishes, like gelato and even a frosting that can elevate any other baked goods you decide to make. Once you try out some of these recipes, you'll realize that the coffee beans you have in your pantry are a lot more versatile than you may have thought.

Sure, a standard coffee cake is an excellent dessert, but when you want to switch things up, you have to try making this coffee cake with a whiskey-caramel glaze. Not only are you getting added complexity from the coffee itself, but the whiskey adds a whole new layer of flavor into the mix. Add in sweet, luscious caramel, and you have a dessert that feels way more decadent than any coffee cake you've had in the past.

Recipe: Whiskey Caramel-Glazed Coffee Cake

It can be nice to enjoy an occasional baked treat alongside your coffee in the morning, and these espresso chocolate muffins happen to be one of our faves. The rich chocolate and intensity of the espresso pair beautifully, while chopped pecans and mini chocolate chips provide textural variety to keep you going back for bite after bite. The flavor is so intense that you (probably) won't be tempted to eat the whole batch in one go.

Recipe: Espresso Chocolate Muffins

An egg cream is a sort of drinkable dessert that was once popular at old-school soda fountains, but we're bringing it back into style with a twist. You typically make egg creams with chocolate syrup and seltzer; these ingredients make it light and sippable despite its richness. Adding brewed espresso into the concoction gives it a grown-up twist that feels a bit more elevated than the original. 

Recipe: Coffee Lover's Egg Cream

A good coffee cake delivers more than a solid coffee flavor. It also offers an interesting texture that makes this dessert stand out more than any other basic, boring cake. This recipe calls for just that — by making a crumb topping for your coffee cake, you're adding a fun element that sets this recipe apart from others like it. It takes less than an hour to make, which means it's easy to whip up on a sunny weekend morning when you're craving a treat.

Recipe: Espresso Crumb Coffee Cake

So, you want to make a dessert, but you're not much of a baker? No problem at all! This no-bake mud pie is super easy to pull off, even if you have very little dessert-making experience. But this isn't any old mud pie — the inclusion of espresso transforms it from a kid-approved dessert to one that wouldn't be out of place at a sophisticated cocktail party. Make sure you have chocolate-covered espresso beans on hand if you want to add an attractive garnish.

Recipe: No-Bake Espresso Mud Pie

A lot of people think it's difficult to make ice cream at home or that you have to spend hours churning to achieve the consistency you're looking for. But that's not always the case, and this coffee ice cream is proof. That said, you need to whip the cream to make this dessert, so it's probably best to use a stand mixer so your arm doesn't get too tired. Once you make this recipe, you might find yourself trying out other flavors of no-churn ice cream (but you'll still realize that coffee is the best).

Recipe: No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream

What if you could combine two of the most beloved, iconic Italian desserts of all time? You'd probably get this tiramisu cannoli. Yes, you read that right: All the flavor of a tiramisu, piped into a crunchy cannoli shell. Although the recipe calls for instant espresso powder, you can also use instant coffee or even chilled brewed coffee if that's all you have on hand. Either way, it'll infuse that cannoli filling with a rich, coffee-forward flavor that's hard not to love.

Recipe: Tiramisu Cannoli

Coffee and chocolate are a match made in heaven, so it only makes sense that coffee would be an excellent ingredient to add to brownies. But if you're the kind of person who prefers a crunchier type of dessert, then this coffee brownie brittle is the way to go. It has all of that rich chocolatey goodness you'd want from brownies, but it's less gooey and offers a bold crunch. Adding chopped toffee bits on top of the dessert takes it to a completely new level.

Recipe: Coffee Toffee Brownie Brittle

Here's another hybrid dessert that's somehow better than the individual desserts themselves. It's a tiramisu cheesecake, and it tastes just as good as it sounds. It contains the same coffee-soaked layer of ladyfingers you'd expect from any standard tiramisu recipe, but it also offers layers of rich, chilled cheesecake that gives you that creamy, decadent texture you love. When it all comes together, it makes for one of the most interesting desserts you've ever tasted.

Recipe: Tiramisu Cheesecake

These days, espresso martinis are at seemingly every bar imaginable. It turns out that you can harness those same flavors in a dessert. These espresso martini cookies have a slight kick, thanks to both vodka and espresso liqueur, the latter of which is important in making the glaze. However, if you'd prefer not to use alcohol, you can also substitute the boozy ingredients to make an alcohol-free version of the dessert.

Recipe: Slightly Boozy Espresso Martini Cookies

Not only does this coffee smoothie make for an excellent dessert, but it also makes for a delicious breakfast or accompaniment to your first meal of the day. It's relatively healthy compared to a milkshake, considering that the recipe calls for yogurt instead of ice cream and gets its sweetness from dates and bananas. But it's that touch of complexity from the coffee (as well as some caffeine) that keeps us going back for sip after sip.

Recipe: Best Coffee Smoothie

Love your coffee sweet? Then you're probably just as big a fan of caramel macchiatos as we are. This drink already straddles the line between beverage and dessert, so it only makes sense to really lean into its dessert-like qualities. This cheesecake literally tastes like a real caramel macchiato, complete with the gooeyness of the caramel, the bold bitterness of the coffee, and a hint of saltiness that brings it all together. Cheesecake has never tasted better.

Recipe: Caramel Macchiato Coffee Cheesecake

Sometimes, when it comes to desserts, simpler is better. Forget about baking a whole coffee dessert; instead, turn to this easy recipe for chocolate-covered espresso beans. They're both sweet and bitter, with a distinct crunch that makes them super snackable. The best part? They only require two ingredients, so you can make them even when your pantry is relatively bare. This recipe calls for dark chocolate to really lean into those stronger, more bitter notes.

Recipe: Chocolate-Covered Espresso Beans

Arguably one of the most classic coffee desserts, tiramisu is all about texture. It's light and creamy, but that layer of espresso-soaked ladyfingers adds a denser, more filling layer to the dish. Why mess with a good thing? This tiramisu dessert will allow you to make the classic for yourself, but don't worry — it's a lot easier to throw together than you may be thinking. In fact, it comes together in under an hour.

Recipe: Tiramisu

We love a good espresso martini, but on the hottest days of the year, it loses some of its appeal thanks to its rich bitterness. If you're looking for a way to make the beverage more summer-friendly (and turn it into a dessert rather than a drink), try making these espresso martini popsicles. They're super refreshing, and yes, they contain booze, making them a fun option for weekend summer brunches. You'll have to give them time to freeze, but the prep comes together quickly.

Recipe: Boozy Espresso Martini Popsicles

Here's another tiramisu recipe for you, but this one is a departure from the more classic versions that appear on this list. This specific recipe offers that bold coffee flavor you love, of course, but it also features pistachios, which offer a subtle nuttiness that elevates the already beloved original. While pistachios don't pack too concentrated a flavor, they have just the right level of nutty sweetness to give this dessert another layer of deliciousness.

Recipe: Pistachio Tiramisu

You may assume that gelato is a dessert that you can only get at a small artisanal shop in Italy, but that's not entirely true. If you follow a recipe, you can easily make your own gelato at home. Although there are so many gelato flavors, there's something about coffee that always impresses. This recipe is yet another example of the tasty marriage between sweetness and bitterness, and we're absolutely here for every last drop.

Recipe: Coffee Gelato

You've probably had Jell-O plenty of times before, but if you're like us, you've likely encountered mostly fruity flavors, perhaps spiked with a surprising amount of artificial coloring. But did you know that you can make jelly that tastes like coffee? It has that bouncy, springy texture that makes Jell-O so appealing, but with the sweet and bitter combo that makes coffee taste so incredible. Yes, this is technically a dessert, but we won't judge you if you want to eat a few pieces for breakfast.

Recipe: Sweet Coffee Jelly

There are times when you may want a whole slice of cake for dessert, and there are other moments when all you need is a decadent bite-sized treat. These mocha bombs provide the latter. They're rich and chocolatey, but the addition of coffee keeps them from being too sweet. The thin layer of hardened chocolate on the outside houses the sugary, gooey marshmallows you find when you bite into one of these delicious "bombs."

Recipe: Mocha Bombs

You can always use store-bought frosting for your homemade cupcakes, but if you really want them to taste as good as possible, you can try making your own. Buttercream and chocolate may be popular flavors, but when you're looking for something a bit more sophisticated, try making this espresso frosting. It's incredibly easy to pull off, even if you don't have much experience working with frosting, and it'll add a lovely, slightly bitter touch to all of your frosted baked goods.

Recipe: Easy Espresso Frosting

Whether you avoid animal products in your diet or you just want to experiment with vegan baking, you have to make this vegan-friendly tiramisu. You'll use aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) in place of mascarpone. It creates an unbelievably fluffy texture, which brings that classic creamy lightness to this dish. Make sure you pick out vegan cream cheese when you're shopping for the ingredients you need to make this recipe.

Recipe: Vegan-Friendly Tiramisu

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