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How to make homemade Coffee Extract

5 from 6 votes

Deliciously rich, homemade Coffee Extract is a handy and delicious addition to your kitchen pantry!

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Deliciously rich, homemade Coffee Extract

 

A small jar of homemade coffee extract

 

Who knew coffee extract could be such a handy and delicious addition to your kitchen pantry!

Coffee extract may be a bit obscure, but it should be moved to the front of the pantry right behind that big bottle of vanilla. This full-bodied extract will enhance just about any recipe but especially all things chocolate. Our extract is also a great replacement for espresso powder in all your sweet or savory recipes.

Unfortunately, this magical elixir is hard to find in the grocery stores, but you can order it on Amazon, of course! I say why bother buying it when you probably have everything you need to make it right at home.

 

A mortar and pestle with whole coffee beans

What special ingredients are needed to make this simple extract?

You don’t need anything special to make homemade coffee extract. Two simple ingredients and a week at room temperature and you’re done. This DIY extract uses just 1/4 cup of your favorite whole coffee beans. Lightly crush the beans using a mortar and pestle or rolling pin, then place in a clean jar with a tight fitting lid.

 

A jar with crushed coffee beans with vodka being poured into the jar

Pour 1 cup of your favorite vodka over the crushed coffee beans and swirl to combine.

 

A sealed jar of crushed coffee beans with vodka - making coffee extract

Seal the jar and place in a cool dark location for a week. Once a day or so, swirl or shake the jar to mix the beans with the vodka.

 

a jar of homemade coffee extract

How long does it take to make coffee extract?

After a week of swirling and shaking you’ll have a beautiful, luscious black extract that can be used immediately or stored in a cool, dark location indefinitely. This extract enjoys a very long shelf life, so you’ll probably use it up before you start to wonder how old it is. Our easy method is very similar to the process used to make homemade vanilla extract.

 

Coffee extract poured through a fine mesh sieve to remove coffee beans

Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the beans. Line the sieve with cheesecloth before straining if you think it needs it, but it’s not necessary. A little coffee bean dust is fine!

 

homemade coffee extract being poured through a fine mesh sieve to remove crushed coffee beans

What kind of recipes are best for using coffee extract?

There’s no limit to the way you can use this magic elixir. It’s great as a one-to-one substitute for vanilla in all your baked goods. Add a teaspoon to a chocolate milkshake for a mocha rich treat or a heaping tablespoon to a steak marinade or beefy gravy. Use coffee extract in place of espresso powder in recipes. One teaspoon is about the same as 1-teaspoon espresso powder.

Mix 1 teaspoon with 1/4 cup hot water for 1/4 cup of brewed coffee. No need to turn on the coffee maker or brew a pot for a quick little pick-me-up.

Sweet or savory, I bet you’ll find plenty of ways to use your coffee extract. Divide a batch into small jars and share with the coffee lover in your life. They’ll love this thoughtful homemade gift!

 

 

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Deliciously rich, homemade Coffee Extract is a handy and delicious addition to your kitchen pantry! #coffee #extract #coffeeextract #mocha #coffeerecipes

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Helpful kitchen tools for making homemade Coffee Extract:

Once you have a mortar and pestle in your kitchen, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without one! It’s perfect for many small tasks like cracking coffee beans for homemade Coffee Extract, or for crushing herbs, spices or even pills. We use ours frequently and find it very effective.

Is it possible to have too many measuring cups with a spout? I think not! These inexpensive kitchen tools are very helpful in our everyday life.

Click on the photos for more information or to purchase from Amazon.

*Saving Room for Dessert is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program ~ I earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use to pay for web hosting and services for this blog. Thanks for supporting SRFD!

 

 

PRINT THE RECIPE!

Coffee Extract Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 cup
Course: Extract
Author: Tricia
Pin RecipePrint RecipeRate Recipe
5 from 6 votes
Deliciously rich, homemade Coffee Extract is a handy and delicious addition to your kitchen pantry!

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup whole, fresh coffee beans
  • 1 cup vodka

Instructions

  • Lightly crush or crack the coffee beans using a rolling pin or mortar and pestle. Transfer the beans to a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Add the vodka and seal the jar. Place in a cool, dark location for at least a week, swirling or shaking daily to mix. 
  • Strain the coffee extract to remove the crushed coffee beans. Discard the beans. Seal the extract and store in a cool, dark location. 

Recipe Notes

  • 1 teaspoon coffee extract = about 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • Substitute coffee extract for vanilla extract in baked goods. It's great added to most chocolate recipes and enhances the chocolate flavor.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 554kcal | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg

Finally, here are a few recipes you might also enjoy:

a chocolate marble cake, sliced and sitting on a cake stand

Luscious Irish Cream Breakfast Cake

 

Vanilla coffee cupcakes with a swirled icing topped with an espresso bean

Fun Irish Coffee Cupcakes

 

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57 Comments

  1. Gesine

    5 stars
    I‘ve been looking for ages for a recipe like this – thank you for sharing! Your coffee extract will add a new dimension to my crema di cafe made with Mascarpone and Greek style yogurt!

    Reply

      • Gesine

        My pleasure, Tricia! The recipe is actually quite simple.
        You take equal amounts of Mascarpone and Geek style yogurt,
        say 125g (1/2 a cup?)respectively for a not so luscious dessert for 4, add sugar to taste, 1 tbsp. of freshly squeezed lemon juice, vanilla to taste (I use the ground bean powder) and your coffee extract (2 – 3 teaspoons? can’t say how much yet, because your extract is still “percolating”). Then you have to take some time in order to whip it (like whipping cream), until the cream has the consistency/thickness you want it to have (might take a couple of minutes). And that’s all there is to it! Enjoy!

  3. Judy

    Thank you go sharing this coffee extract recipe. I just started today and there are a bit of tiny bubbles on the top (as Shelley’s comment). I shall keep an eye to see if the bubbles will disappear in the next few days.

    Reply

  4. Marge Russell

    5 stars
    I can’t wait to try this but I wonder about a few experiments such as a) using a nutribullet to coarsely chop the beans and straining it all through a regular coffee filter when done b) using some alcohol other than vodka. Can Irish whiskey be used? See where I am headed with this? I would love to make an Irish coffee extract for my meringue cookies. I tried using finely ground espresso bean and the result is far too grainy so I do need an extract like yours. Since my recipe already includes Irish whisky…see where I am headed with this not to duplicate the alcohol? Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Marge. I see where you’re going and I like it! I’m a big fan of Irish whiskey. However, I’ve never tried making this extract with anything other than vodka. Vodka is used for its neutral flavor so if that’s not an issue for you, I don’t see why this won’t work. Especially if you’re going to use it for a specific recipe that will benefit from the enhanced flavor. Enjoy and let us know how it turns out!

      Reply

  6. Bite the Sky

    Just bought the vodka to try this out. I have a cotton candy business and ill be using this in a few of my seasonal flavors. Ill let you know how it turns out! Most of my other extracts are alcohol based so there shouldn’t be an issue.

    Reply

  7. shelly

    Thanks for this recipe. My extract keeps losing liquid volume. Do you find that the beans end up soaking in the vodka? It is also bubbling just a bit. What do you think?

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Shelly. I’m not sure about the bubbling. Mine does not do that. The liquid reduces a little, but not too much. Make sure you’re using a tightly sealed jar so you don’t lose as much. My beans don’t really get soft so they aren’t soaking up a lot of vodka. Great questions and I hope using a well sealed jar helps. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

      Reply

  8. Phyllis

    I made the coffee extract mainly to use for a White Russian however I don’t know how much to add to make this drink. If you can tell me I would greatly appreciate it. I tried equal amounts of the extract with vodka and cream and the coffee extract was way to bitter tasting.
    Thank you

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Phyllis. The coffee extract is concentrated so I don’t think you need much. Maybe a tablespoon in one drink? I would experiment starting with just a little bit and add more until you reach the desired flavor. Good luck and thanks!

      Reply

  9. Alison

    I found this recipe too late – I need the coffee essence in 2 day’s time. Do you have any quicker alternatives to make coffee essence? Will try this recipe next time.

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Alison. I might try mixing a very small amount of espresso powder with vodka. Or, check a well stocked grocery store and see if they have it in the baking aisle. Otherwise, just add a little espresso powder and water in place of the essence. Good luck!

      Reply

  10. CHRISTINE

    5 stars
    THANK YOU SO MUCH! I followed this recipe as written! PERFECT! I made some dynamite chocolate cookies and used this….WOWZA!

    Reply

  11. Skylar

    I made this and we love to add it to our chocolate frosting for cakes! I even made ice cream with it and it was perfect!

    I’m wondering if you have any suggestions for the coffee beans once they’ve been strained out.

    Reply

  12. Emily

    I feel like all I could taste was something like bitter vodka when I tried using mine to make shortbread cookies. What did I do wrong? Does the quality of vodka matter? I’m going to try it again with better vodka.

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Emily. I don’t think you need to use really expensive vodka. If you would drink it, then it should be fine. Make sure you don’t over-crush the coffee beans and that they are fresh. It’s not sweetened so if you taste it not mixed into anything, it may taste bitter. I hope it didn’t make the shortbread cookies taste bad. Hope it turns out better next time and thanks for the feedback.

      Reply

    • Cristal

      I suggest using everclear diluted to 40%.the background flavors of vodka can be terrible. It does absolutely matter. Never use an alcohol you would not enjoy drinking if using anything other than everclear. There will always be the chance of the flavor nots of what your using to extract will come through as well.

      Reply

  13. Holly Hockett

    OMG, this sounds divine, I’m going to make it tonight! How long does it keep? Not that it’ll stick around very long, but if I give any away, I’d like to pass along the knowledge 😉

    Reply

    • Pippa

      This may be a silly question but does it retain the alcohol? Or would you never use enough for it to affect you? Thanks!!

      Reply

      • Tricia Buice

        Not a silly question at all Pippa. Just like some vanilla and other extracts, there is a little alcohol. You cannot taste it, nor will the tiny amount cause you to be tipsy. For those that need to avoid alcohol all together, I don’t recommend having this around. Enjoy!

    • Savannah

      I’m so pumped about this… I mixed this up last weekend and pulled it out today (from right next to my still extracting vanilla and lemon extracts!) and am straining it right now. I know with some other extracts you can do them double-fold (twice as much of what you’re extracting – ie, vanilla beans, etc – with the same amount alcohol as if you hadn’t doubled the other ingredient) or you can do two rounds of extraction in the same alcohol (like with my lemon extract, i extracted a full jar of peels and have removed them and plan to fill it up with another round of peels). Can you/is it recommended to ever do this with coffee extract? Or is it specifically not recommended? I haven’t been able to find any info on that!

      Reply

      • Tricia Buice

        Hi Savannah. That’s a really great question! I’ve not tried making it with double the ingredients. I would be most concerned with the flavor being a bit too bitter. If you try it let us know but I would think it might be more like espresso than coffee. Sounds like you really have a great thing going with the lemon and vanilla extracts. Good for you!

      • Kristy

        Savannah,
        Can you share your other extract recipes with me? I would like to try them. 3.00 for 2 oz of extract at the store is too much…lol