The short answer: to make coffee extract, lightly crush ¼ cup (about 20 g) of whole dark roast coffee beans and cover them with 240 ml (1 cup) of vodka at 40% alcohol. Keep the jar dark and shake it every day. Taste it after 1 week and strain it when it tastes of strong coffee, usually by 3 to 4 weeks.
Coffee extract is coffee beans soaked in alcohol. The alcohol pulls the roast flavour out of the beans and holds it for years. A teaspoon makes a chocolate cake taste deeper and a buttercream taste of coffee, with no extra water in the bowl. You need two ingredients, ten minutes of work and a few weeks of patience.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Work | 10 minutes |
| Waiting | 1 week minimum, 3 to 4 weeks for most batches |
| Ratio | 1 part beans to 4 parts vodka, by volume |
| Keeps | For years, closed, cool and dark |
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (about 20 g) whole coffee beans, dark roast
- 240 ml (1 cup) vodka, 40% alcohol (80 proof)
- A clean glass jar with a tight lid
- A fine sieve and a coffee filter
Which beans? A dark roast gives the deep, chocolate side of coffee that bakers want. A light roast gives a fruity extract that can taste thin in a cake. Decaf beans work too, if you want the flavour late in the day.
Why vodka? It has no taste of its own, so the coffee comes through clean. Rum or bourbon add their own notes, which is fine in a chocolate bake. Use at least 35% alcohol. Weaker spirits pull out less flavour and keep less well.
How to make coffee extract
- Crush. Crack the beans in a mortar, or put them in a bag and roll a rolling pin over them. You want each bean in 3 or 4 pieces, not powder.
- Jar. Tip the beans into the jar and pour in the vodka. Close the lid and shake.
- Wait. Keep the jar in a dark cupboard. Shake or swirl it once a day.
- Taste. After 1 week, put a drop on a spoon. It should smell of coffee first and alcohol second. If it is faint, give it more time.
- Strain. When it tastes of strong coffee, pour it through a sieve lined with a coffee filter into a clean bottle. Most batches are ready by 3 to 4 weeks.
- Label. Write the date and the beans on the bottle.
Why you crush the beans, but do not grind them
Whole beans give up their flavour very slowly. Crushed beans open up more surface, so the alcohol can reach the inside. Ground coffee goes further still. It works, but it turns the extract muddy and slow to strain.
If ground coffee is all you have, use 2 to 3 tablespoons in place of the beans. Strain it through a coffee filter, and expect it to take a while to drip.
How to tell when it is ready
- The colour is a deep brown, close to black tea.
- The smell is roasted coffee, not hot alcohol.
- A drop stirred into a spoon of milk tastes clearly of coffee.
The mistake: leaving the beans in for months. Coffee is not vanilla. Past a few weeks, the extract can turn bitter and harsh. Taste it each week and strain it as soon as you like it.
For a stronger coffee extract
If you want more flavour per spoon, use a second batch of beans in the same spirit. Around week 3, strain out the first beans. Add a fresh ¼ cup of crushed beans to the same liquid and steep it for 2 to 3 more weeks. The result is darker and rounder, and you need less of it.
The other way is to take some of the alcohol out. That is the method below.
A thick coffee concentrate
Finished extract is mostly alcohol. Reduce part of it and you get a darker coffee flavour in less liquid, close to a syrup without the sugar. The NOIDS Herb Lab has an Evaporation function for this. It reduces infused liquids with a boiling point no higher than 100 °C / 212 °F, and it stops by itself at 102 °C / 215.6 °F.
- Pour 200 ml of strained extract into the Glass. Stay under the MAX mark.
- Cover with the Dish Lid, place the Glass in the Main Body and turn the Rotary Control to Evaporation.
- It reduces about 50 ml per hour. Turn the Rotary Control to OFF when the volume is where you want it. About a third of the start is a good first try.
- Let the Glass cool, then bottle the concentrate. Use about a third of the amount of plain extract.
Safety: use only food-grade spirits. Run Evaporation in a room larger than 50 m³ with fresh air coming in. Keep the cooker at least 5 m from any open flame. To collect the alcohol instead of letting it into the room, fit the Condenser.
How to bake with coffee extract
- Chocolate cake and brownies: 1 to 2 teaspoons per batch. You will not taste coffee so much as deeper chocolate.
- Buttercream and whipped cream: 1 teaspoon per 250 g of butter or 250 ml of cream, then taste.
- Tiramisu: a teaspoon in the mascarpone cream adds coffee to the layers, not just to the biscuits.
- Cookies: swap it for the vanilla, one for one. It is best with dark chocolate chunks.
- Ice cream base: 1 to 2 teaspoons per 500 ml, added once the custard is cool.
Coffee extract, espresso powder or brewed coffee?
| Option | What it adds | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee extract | Flavour, a few drops of liquid | Icing, cream, custard, cake |
| Espresso powder | Flavour, no liquid | Dry mixes, cookies, rubs |
| Strong brewed coffee | Flavour and a lot of water | Cakes that already use liquid |
As a swap, use 1 teaspoon of coffee extract for 1 teaspoon of espresso powder. Homemade extracts vary, so taste the batter. For coffee you drink, our cold brew coffee guide uses the same beans with water and time instead of alcohol.
How to store coffee extract
- Keep it closed, in a cool, dark cupboard. No fridge needed: the alcohol keeps it.
- It keeps for years. The flavour slowly softens, so smell it before you bake.
- A little fine sediment at the bottom is normal. Pour carefully, or strain again.
For a full baking shelf, make our homemade vanilla extract alongside it. The method is the same; only the wait is longer.
Questions
How long does coffee extract take to make?
At least 1 week, and usually 3 to 4 weeks. Taste it each week and strain it when it tastes of strong coffee. Longer than that can turn it bitter.
What is the ratio for coffee extract?
1 part crushed coffee beans to 4 parts vodka by volume. That is ¼ cup (about 20 g) of beans to 240 ml (1 cup) of 40% vodka.
Can I use coffee extract instead of vanilla?
Yes, one for one, in most bakes. It works best in chocolate, mocha and caramel recipes. In a plain sponge it will give a clear coffee taste.
Does homemade coffee extract go bad?
No, not quickly. The alcohol keeps it for years in a closed bottle in a cool, dark place. The flavour fades slowly over time.
Can I make coffee extract without alcohol?
Not as an extract that keeps. Espresso powder gives coffee flavour with no alcohol and no liquid. Strong brewed coffee works too, where the recipe has liquid to spare.
