How To Make Coffee Extract With Easy And Simple Steps

Coffee extract adds concentrated coffee flavour to food and drinks. A homemade bean infusion and commercial extract are not always interchangeable with strong brewed coffee; check the recipe and product label.

Make a coffee-bean extract

1. Use a clean jar, 2 cups of whole coffee beans lightly cracked, and 16 ounces of food-grade vodka.
2. Add beans to the jar and cover with vodka. Close it and steep in a cool, dark place for about one month, keeping beans submerged.
3. Strain out the beans. Start with a small amount in a recipe and adjust to taste.

This is one published home method, not a universal formula: VanillaPura's recipe uses those quantities and strains after a month. Commercial products vary; Nielsen-Massey describes its extract as a concentrated ingredient with product-specific equivalencies.

Using extract in recipes

Start with the recipe or product-label amount; coffee flavour can dominate quickly. A brewed concentrate adds liquid and may not substitute one-to-one. Commercial extract's caffeine and storage depend on its formulation, so check the package or ask the manufacturer. Refrigerate homemade brewed coffee promptly; follow the product label for commercial extract.

What is coffee extract used for?

It can add coffee flavour to desserts, sauces and drinks. The FDA food-substance entry lists coffee extract as a flavouring agent or adjuvant; that technical listing is not a health claim. See the FDA entry.