Coffee is a favorite beverage for many people. Most of us prefer to take it black or with a bit of sweetener and creamer. Few people consider that it is a versatile drink you can use to make desserts, snacks, treats and other delicacies.
Baristas and coffee lovers have found many ways to transform coffee into delicious beverages and treats that enhance its value and flavor. Forget those coffee drinks made using ice cream or whip cream. Think more towards coffee items like chocolate coffee beans, coffee ice cream, coffee candy, and coffee jello.
The latter is slowly gaining popularity among coffee lovers as a simple dessert you can buy at the coffee shop or make at home. It is a simple fun coffee treat that you can prepare quickly using gelatin and your favorite black coffee.
Where Did Coffee Jello Come From?
You may not have heard of coffee jello until now, but it has been around for quite some time. Recipes for making coffee jello were first published in the 18th century in English cookbooks. These recipes inspired people all over Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and other states in New England to make coffee jello which they referred to as coffee gelatin.
The trend later spread to other countries, such as Japan, where coffee jello was introduced in the 1960s. The jello referred to as Kohii Zerii became so popular that it spread to other parts of the world.
Although coffee jello is simply made from gelatin and coffee these days, it wasn’t that simple to make in the past. The first coffee jello recipes included items such as calves, foot jelly, and isinglass, which made the process of preparing coffee jello complicated.
Once people started using gelatin, the love for coffee jello spread because it was so easy to make. All you needed to do was dissolve gelatin in hot coffee, pour it into a mold and let it cool into a tasty dessert. That is how we make coffee jello today.
The Best Ingredients to Make Coffee Jello
You can buy coffee jello in stores, coffee shops, and dessert places or make it at home from scratch. All you need is instant coffee jello mix, or gelatin , black coffee, and sugar.
Gelatin is a substance made from the cartilage and tendons of animals such as cows. It dissolves in water to form a colorless, flavorless liquid that cools into a jelly like substance.
Some people also use Agar Agar to make coffee jello. It is a vegetable gelatin base made using red algae that is quite popular in Japan. Agar is also referred to as isinglass or china glass.
Making coffee jello is easy. All you need is to mix strong coffee, powdered gelatin, and water. Put that mixture in the fridge, and you’ll have coffee gelatin in a few hours. You can sweeten your coffee jello or make unsweetened jello by adding or omitting sugar from your coffee.
Coffee Jello makes a perfect snack when you feel like a caffeine kick. You can also add coffee jello to your coffee dessert drink, such as a coffee milkshake, to give it an attractive appearance and add some coffee flavor.
Jello has an unforgettable taste and texture, which makes it a fun treat. It’s chewy and bouncy, just like soft candy. You can drink it with a straw or scoop it with a spoon.
The best coffee beans for making coffee jello are those that can brew strong coffee, such as Espresso coffee beans. If you choose Arabica coffee beans that have lower caffeine content, consider brewing coffee with a Moka pot, drip coffee maker, or French press to prepare a strong brew.
If caffeine is a problem, you can make your coffee jello with decaf instead of regular coffee.
Benefits of Taking Coffee Jello
You may think that coffee jello is only a dessert, but it also provides us with other benefits. It’s a healthy coffee treat to take whenever you need caffeine but can’t stand the idea of drinking a cup of coffee.
Coffee jello contains very few calories. It only becomes calorie-rich if you serve it with ingredients such as heavy whipped cream, ice cream, coconut cream, and condensed milk.
A 50 g serving of coffee jello contains about 15 calories. It also has a low caffeine content which makes it an ideal coffee treat for people with caffeine sensitivity issues.
The gelatin in coffee jello contains collagen that can aid in healthy hair, skin, and joint development. It also reduces inflammation and enhances healing after an injury.
Coffee jello provides the body with minerals from coffee that aid in cognitive brain functions. It also contains antioxidants that slow aging and prevent chronic ailments such as Diabetes, Cancer, and Liver disease.
When you feel too lazy to make coffee or crave an ice coffee drink, coffee jello will come in handy. Here is a simple coffee jello recipe you can try.
Coffee Jello Recipe
Ingredients
1 Tbsp gelatin powder
1/2 cup water
2 cups of strong black coffee
2 Tbsp of Caster sugar
Whipped cream
Directions
- Combine the water and gelatin powder in a bowl and stir until it dissolves. Leave the mixture to sit for about 15 minutes to give the gelatin time to bloom and absorb all the water.
- Pour the coffee into a saucepan and add sugar. Bring the coffee to a boil and simmer on low heat until the sugar fully dissolves in it.
- Whisk the gelatin into the coffee until it dissolves and set the mixture aside to cool for 20 minutes but don’t allow it to set.
- Once your coffee gelatin cools, pour it into a baking dish and put it in the fridge for about 5 – 6 hours until it sets. You can also pour it into small cups or dessert molds to make single servings of jello.
- You can cut your coffee gelatin into any shape you like after it sets. It’s easy to cut coffee jello into cubes using a knife. Some people also use cookie cutters to make interestingly – shaped coffee jello desserts.
- Serve coffee jello in tall glasses with whipped cream, ice cream, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, or any other thing you prefer, including cold brew coffee.
- You can store coffee jello in the fridge for up to two days in an airtight container and use it to prepare anything you like.
The best coffee jello is made using high-quality gelatin that can give it a nice texture and appearance. You can use agar agar to make coffee jello for vegans.
Remember to use low low-calorie sweeteners in the coffee jello if you are Diabetic.
Conclusion
You may feel making coffee jello at home is too much of a hassle. Don’t worry; some coffee houses sell coffee jello and other coffee dessert drinks you may like.
Starbucks coffee shops in the US serve it as a layered dessert made of whipped cream, vanilla custard, coffee jelly, and frozen coffee.
There are also grocery stores that sell packed coffee jello that you can try. But don’t expect it to taste as good as what you can make at home or get from the coffee shop. Whatever you choose, coffee jello is one coffee treat you must try!
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