How To Make Coffee Jelly

Coffee jelly is a delicious dessert jello made with strong brewed coffee, sugar, and gelatin. Topped with whipped cream or served as a beverage, this easy dish is perfect for all coffee lovers. 

I’ve been making gelatin dishes in my home for over a decade, yet I only recently discovered coffee jelly. I have a great love for coffee and gelatin (great for skin, hair, and joints), so I knew this dish would become a new staple dessert in my home when I read about it!

History of Coffee Jelly

Coffee jelly was once famous in the United States and Great Britain but is now most popular in Japan, where it’s commonly available at many coffee shops.  

While searching for the original recipe, I came across an old cookbook filled with gelatin desserts from 1921. The book is called The Settlement Cook Book: Tested Recipes from the Settlement Cooking Classes, the Milwaukee Public School Kitchens, The School of Trades for Girls, and Experienced Housewives. There are several gelatin-based dishes in this cookbook that I’m eager to test! 

How To Make Coffee Jelly

Ingredients: two cups strong brewed coffee (or espresso), two tablespoons sugar (or granulated sweetener), one tablespoon grass-fed gelatin, and 1/4 cup water.

In a small bowl, mix one tbsp of gelatin with 1/4 cup cold water. Mix well and let the gelatin “bloom.” Set aside. 

02 two cups of coffee into a small saucepan. Heat the coffee over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the coffee begins to steam, but don’t bring to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat.

03 Add two tablespoons of sugar to the hot coffee. Then mix in the gelatin mixture. Mix with a whisk until the gelatin and sugar dissolve. 

04 Pour the coffee mixture into an 8×8 baking dish pan or round 9inch pie plate. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for three to five hours, or until the gelatin is set. The coffee jelly will have a jello texture when it’s set.

05 When you’re ready to serve the coffee jelly, remove it from the fridge and cut the gelatin into cubes. Scoop it into a serving bowl or glass. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, milk, cream, sweetened condensed milk, or custard.

How To Serve

I found that each coffee jelly recipe was often served topped with whipped cream in the cookbooks I looked through. But in Japan, coffee jelly is cut up into cubes and served with milk, cream, sweetened condensed milk, or custard. Side note: If you haven’t tried sweetened condensed milk in coffee, it’s something to try out. It’s delicious! I found a recipe for Vietnamese coffee that has sweetened condensed milk and egg yolk for the creamer. It’s not something I would drink every day, but it’s a delicious coffee worth trying.

FAQ

1. Can I use decaf coffee for this recipe? Absolutely! Follow the instructions as written, but use decaf coffee instead.
2. Will instant coffee work in this recipe? Yes, follow the instructions on the package of instant coffee to make two cups of coffee. 
3. Can I make coffee jelly without sugar? Yes, you can omit the sugar or replace it with your favorite granulated sweetener.
4. What can I use instead of gelatin powder? While I haven’t tested this recipe with agar-agar, generally, you can substitute agar for gelatin powder for equal amounts.

Related Recipes:

• Chocolate Gelatin Bars
• Cranberry Orange Gummy Fruit Snacks
• Cherry Fruit Snacks
• Crustless No-Bake Cheesecakes
• Creamsicle Gummy Fruit Snacks

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