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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    How to Make Coffee Jelly

    Jun 16, 2016(updated Jun 14, 2022)

    By Michelle Weiner

    5 from 2 votes
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
    Jump to Recipe Leave a Comment
    Coffee Jelly - Full flavored coffee jelly topped with slightly sweetened whipped cream is an easy dessert to make for any coffee lover. #vintagerecipe

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Coffee Jelly topped with a delicious slightly whipped cream is an easy and delightful dessert for the coffee lover in your life.

    Coffee has become a must in my life. Every day includes a delicious, full-bodied, pour over, which I drink black…unless I’m treating myself (I enjoy an iced dirty ube latte from Creme Caramel LA from time to time).

    Coffee Jelly - Full flavored coffee jelly topped with slightly sweetened whipped cream is an easy dessert to make for any coffee lover. #vintagerecipe

    Long gone are the days when I’d order a grande mocha frappe or an extra sweet and creamy latte. I have to admit…I’ve become a coffee snob, but I still believe everything has a time and place, even Coffee Jelly.

    Yes, delicious deep flavored coffee, sweetened with sugar, solidified into a jiggly mass and topped with a lightly whipped vanilla cream belongs in any coffee lovers life for dessert.

    Coffee Jelly - Full flavored coffee jelly topped with slightly sweetened whipped cream is an easy dessert to make for any coffee lover. #vintagerecipe

    My Coffee Jelly recipe comes from the ever-popular The Detroit News Menu Cook Book, which was published in 1933. I found this seemingly odd recipe in my favorite vintage cookbook. It was a new idea to me (really…coffee in jelly form?) but it happens to be a popular Japanese dish.

    Coffee Jelly - Full flavored coffee jelly topped with slightly sweetened whipped cream is an easy dessert to make for any coffee lover. #vintagerecipe

    Coffee Jelly was invented during the Taisho period (sometime between 1912 and 1926) in Japan.[note]White, Merry I. Coffee Life in Japan. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012. http://bit.ly/1YsMy6J.[/note] It seems to be eaten in many different forms, from tiny cubes placed in coffee or topped with condensed milk. There are many other recipes online and I encourage you to see all the other ways you can serve it!

    Coffee Jelly - Originally published in the 1933 Detroit News Menu Cook Book, this recipe is an easy dessert for any coffee lover. For for adaptation of is recipe go to www.cupofzest.com #vintagerecipe

    Coffee Jelly has been popular for so long, and I’ve jumped on the bandwagon…you should as well. It’s so fun to eat and reminds me of being a kid eating gelatin jigglers after school…but this time with grown up flavors.

    It would be a fun dessert to serve at a 1930's themed party! You could serve my Wilted Dandelion Greens Salad and Chicken Filled Pancakes as the main course followed by Coffee Jelly...your party will be a hit. 

    Coffee Jelly - Full flavored coffee jelly topped with slightly sweetened whipped cream is an easy dessert to make for any coffee lover. #vintagerecipe

    If you decide to join me on this Coffee Jelly train let me know what you think of it in the comments below and include#cupofzest with your Instagram pics! I’d love to see how you like it! 

    TIPS

    -Use any kind of coffee you have on hand as long as it is brewed strong. I actually used some delicious cold brew I had in my fridge and just heated it up to just under boiling. It worked great.

    -If you want to make coffee jelly jigglers, use a 9x13 dish and once the jelly is set, unmold it from the dish and cut out cute shapes with cookie cutters.

    -Did you know that the longer a recipe made with gelatin sits, the more solidified it becomes? The awesome team at The Kitchen has a great article called 5 Tips for Working with Gelatin. If you’ve never used gelatin, you should check it out.

     

    How to Make Coffee Jelly - Full flavored coffee jelly topped with slightly sweetened whipped cream is an easy dessert to make for any coffee lover. #vintagerecipe
    Coffee Jelly - Full flavored coffee jelly topped with slightly sweetened whipped cream is an easy dessert to make for any coffee lover. #vintagerecipe
    Coffee Jelly - Full flavored coffee jelly topped with slightly sweetened whipped cream is an easy dessert to make for any coffee lover. #vintagerecipe

    How to Make Coffee Jelly

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    Author: Michelle Weiner
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
    Makes: 6 Servings

    Ingredients

    • ⅓ cup sugar divided
    • 1 tablespoons gelatin
    • 2 cups hot strong coffee
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions

    • Reserve 1 tablespoon sugar and mix the remaining sugar and gelatin together thoroughly in a medium bowl.
    • Add the hot coffee and lemon juice to the sugar and gelatin. Gently stir until the sugar and gelatin are fully dissolved.
    • Pour into a 9 x 9 inch serving dish.
    • Chill until set, at least 2 hours.
    • Before serving, whip heavy cream, the reserved 1 tablespoon sugar, and vanilla extract together until soft peaks just begin to form.
    • Distribute coffee jelly into small serving bowls and top with the slightly whipped cream and eat up!
    Did you make this recipe?Share a pic and tag @cupofzest and use #cupofzest so I can see it!

    Notes

    Adapted from The Detroit News Menu Cook Book
    « Wilted Dandelion Greens Salad
    Raspberry Meyer Lemon Granita »

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    Comments

    1. Monica says

      August 07, 2022 at 9:45 pm

      5 stars
      This was so good! I added a little kahlua. I also put mini chocolate chips on top of the whipped cream. Yummy!!

      Reply
      • Michelle Weiner says

        August 09, 2022 at 5:37 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it! It sounds like the additions were delicious! Thanks for the comment, it really means a lot! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Aurora says

      August 22, 2021 at 1:47 pm

      5 stars
      This is my first time making coffee jelly and both me and my family were pleasantly surprised! Thank you for this recipe!

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        August 25, 2021 at 1:04 pm

        YAY! So glad you enjoyed it and you're welcome 🙂

        Reply
    3. Sharifah says

      May 28, 2017 at 10:57 am

      Brilliant! Can't wait to try this.

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        June 16, 2017 at 9:23 pm

        Thanks so much! Let me know what you think when you make it 🙂

        Reply
    4. Lynn Parker says

      June 16, 2016 at 10:13 am

      Hmmm maybe with Bailey's infused whipped cream!!

      Reply
      • Michelle Ferrand says

        June 22, 2016 at 6:37 pm

        Mmmmmm! Thant sounds so delicious 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Michelle and welcome to the party!

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