Coffee Jelly
when the humidex is humidex-ing 🥵
Just came back from Italy to find Toronto being more steamy than Europe?! Like what the helly? I’m taking my afternoon coffee in the form of cool, refreshing Coffee Jelly! (see what I did there hehe)
This is a simple yet elegant treat that pairs the rich, bitter notes of coffee with chilled sweetened cream. It is a popular Japanese dessert that is perfect for warm days or as a light finish to a meal.
A question I get asked a lot is whether you can use gelatin instead of agar. The answer is yes! See recipe note for how to make this with a packet of Knox gelatin powder (or 7g of gelatin in any form). It’s very easy.
It is served with a chilled sweet milk but an additional scoop of vanilla ice cream on top is highly encouraged too if you’re an affogato girlie like me.
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This is a summarized version of my blog post. View full version here.
Coffee Jelly
2-3 servings
INGREDIENTS
For the coffee jelly:
3 shots of espresso plus enough water to make 2 cups of liquid (470ml) – note 1
¼ cup (45g) sugar
1 tsp (3 g) agar agar powder (notes 2 and 3)
For the sweetened milk:
¾ cup (180ml) condensed milk – regular or oat/coconut condensed milk
¾ cup (180ml) oat milk or any milk of choice
Optional for serving:
A scoop of vanilla ice cream
METHOD
Into a 2-cup measuring cup, add espresso, sugar, agar agar and enough water to bring it up to the 2-cup level (470ml). Transfer into a small pot and bring mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly to fully dissolve the sugar and agar agar.
Simmer gently for 1 minute to activate agar. Check on the back of a metal spoon that no granules remain.
Pour into a mold – I used a 7½” x 5” rectangular dish. Let cool at room temperature 30 minutes. Transfer to refrigerate for 3 hrs or until fully set.
Meanwhile, mix condensed milk and milk. Chill in fridge.
Once coffee jelly is set, use a spatula or small knife to run around the edge and cut jelly into approximately ½” cubes.
6. Serve in glassware and pour chilled sweet milk on top to serve. Optional – top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
NOTE:
1. Can I substitute Espresso with coffee?
Yes, you can be substitute the espresso and water with 2 cups of strong brewed coffee.
What is agar agar?
Agar agar is made from a sea algae and often described as the plant-based version of gelatin which is made of animal collagen. Agar agar must be dissolved and cooked first to activate its gelling properties whereas gelatin does not require cooking as long as it is well dissolved. When compared, a jelly made with agar agar has a slightly firmer and “crisp” mouth feel versus a jelly made with gelatin. Agar agar comes in various forms – powder, flakes and strands. I use powder or flakes. In my experience, the powder form is easiest to find online (or buy at most health food stores) so that is what I call for in this recipe. The different forms can be used interchangeably if measured by weight on a kitchen scale. Without a scale, flakes are fluffier so you must use approximately 3x the volume which, for this recipe, is 3 teaspoons of agar agar flakes.
Can I substitute gelatin for agar agar?
Yes, Follow the gelatin package directions for setting. For example, a 7g pouch of Knox gelatin powder sets 2 cups of liquid. Therefore, for this recipe, use one pouch of Knox gelatin. Make sure gelatin is dissolved properly but it does not require cooking so you can skip the 1-minute simmer in step 2.
Go to the blog for the full recipe post with:
Tips and FAQs
Printable recipe card
Recipe video 🎥
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Stay cool out there!
Sonia x