Top 12 Foods to Pair with Coffee
As the days get longer and flowers start to grow, what better way to enjoy the change of seasons than by finding new coffee and food pairings?
As your trusted coffee experts, we've listed down the sweet and spicy foods that go even better with the right coffee. In this article, you’ll find the different kinds of coffee that go well with different foods.
Whether you're indulging in a delicious chocolate cake or savoring a satisfying breakfast sandwich, we're here to help you discover the ideal coffee to pair with every meal. So grab your favorite mug, and let's dive into the delightful world of coffee and food pairings that are perfect for spring!
Coffee and Sweets
Chocolate Cake
Espresso: Espresso shots' intense flavor pairs beautifully with rich chocolate cake. It complements the robust cocoa flavors without overpowering them, pleasing chocolate lovers.
French Press Coffee: A French press makes robust, full-bodied coffee that compliments chocolate cake's dense texture and rich flavors.
Beans
Jamaican Blue Mountain: The smooth, well-balanced, and slightly acidic Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee complements the cake's dark chocolate flavor. This coffee elevates desserts with its gentle flower and fruity aromas.
Brazilian coffee: Brazilian coffee pairs well with chocolate cake due to its chocolatey and nutty flavor. The cake's tastes complement these beans' natural cocoa overtones.
Cheesecake
Medium Roast Coffee: Cheesecake pairs beautifully with medium-roasted coffee's balanced acidity. As a dessert sidekick, it enables the cheesecake's subtle taste to shine through.
Caramel-Flavored Latte: Sweet and creamy caramel lattes pair well with cheesecake. The sweet caramel overtones enhance the decadent dessert.
Beans
Colombian Beans: Colombian coffee beans provide a balanced flavor with medium acidity and fruit and nut notes. These flavors blend well with cheesecake's sour and creamy overtones.
Jamaican Blue Mountain Beans: Blue Mountain coffee beans, with their subtle acidity and smooth, aromatic flavor, give elegance to cheesecake. Their floral and fruity aromas complement the cheesecake's creamy richness without dominating it.
Apple Pie
Medium Roast: Medium roasts enhance the mild, fruity tastes of sweet and spicy apple pie.
Beans
Ethiopian Beans: Ethiopian coffee is known for its deep acidity and fruity flavor. The vibrant flavors of these fruits balance apple pie's rich, warm flavor.
Kenyan Beans: Kenyan beans are a good choice because of their unique flavor. These vibrant, flavorful beans have black currant and tropical fruit flavors that compliment apple pie. Due to their fresh acidity and delicious flavors, apple pie and Kenyan coffee taste fantastic together.
Brownies
Dark Roast Coffee: Dark roast coffee's full-bodied, rich flavor complements brownies' denseness. Powerful, deep notes can stand up to intense chocolate, creating a delightful and satisfying blend that's hard to resist.
Iced Mocha: Iced mochas, a delicious blend of coffee and chocolate, are like brownies but better. The icy, refreshing drink complements the warm, decadent brownie, fulfilling every bite.
Beans
Sumatran Beans: Sumatran beans' earthy, smokey scent gives brownies a deep, grounding flavor that compliments their sweetness. With flavors like cocoa and spice, they make chocolate desserts even better.
Jamaican Blue Mountain Beans: Jamaican Blue Mountain beans provide smooth, rich tastes that enhance brownies without overpowering them. A hint of flowery and fruity flavors gives them a mild, pleasant scent that elevates every chocolate bite.
Macarons
Light Roast: Macarons with light roast coffee are exceptional. Coffee's flower overtones complement macarons, and its mild flavor doesn't overpower their sweetness and complexity.
Vanilla Latte: With every bite of macaron, a vanilla latte enhances the flavor with its creamy sweetness.
Beans
Yemeni Coffee Beans: Macarons may combine nicely with Yemeni coffee beans. These beans are famous for their fragrance and richness. Their fruit and spice flavors give you an exotic twist.
Hawaiian beans: Hawaiian beans—especially Kona beans—have something special. Their smooth, creamy texture and delicate flower overtones make them popular among coffee enthusiasts. This bean enhances macarons' flavor without overpowering them.
Lemon Bars
Light Roast with Citrus Notes: Light-roasted coffee is terrific for preserving bean flavors. It enhances lemon bars' citrus flavor, improving your every bite.
Americano: An Americano strikes the proper balance with its smooth, gentler espresso base. This cool, refreshing drink complements lemon bars without overpowering their delicate flavors.
Beans
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe: This bean is popular for its crisp acidity and flowery flavors, including citrus and bergamot. These features fit and enhance the citrus flavor of lemon bars.
Other African Beans with Bright, Citrusy Profiles: Kenyan and Tanzanian beans are vinegary and fruity. African beans' citrus kick enhances lemon bars' sweet and tart flavor.
Vanilla Ice Cream
Beans
Brazilian Beans: Brazilian coffee is sweet and nutty, with chocolate and caramel notes. It is great with vanilla ice cream, enhancing the ice cream's sweetness and making it irresistible.
Colombian Beans: Due to their balanced acidity and caramel sweetness, Colombian beans pair well with vanilla ice cream. The combination enhances the ice cream's natural flavors without overpowering them. All bites and drinks seem right.
Jamaica Blue Mountain: Jamaica Blue Mountain beans have a smooth, mellow taste with the right acidity and sweetness. Many consider them the world's best coffee. Their mild, flowery, and nutty flavors make vanilla ice cream luscious.
Croissants
Drip Coffee: The simple, complex flavors of drip coffee are like a warm hug in a mug. Drip coffee enhances the croissant's gentle sweetness and buttery richness.
Colombian Beans: These beans' acidity and sweetness complement the croissant's buttery richness.
Guatemalan Beans: Guatemalan beans add richness to morning coffee. These beans are known for their full taste with chocolate and spice. They enhance the croissant's flavor without dominating its delicate layers.
Jamaican Beans: Jamaica Blue Mountain Beans are the kings and queens of coffee beans. Their smooth, mild flavors and balanced acidity give them a refined floral and nutty undertone. This premium blend enhances croissant flavor, making your morning routine a luxurious meal.
Coffee with Savory Foods
Breakfast Sandwiches
Ideal Coffee/Beans Pairing
Colombian coffee: Colombian coffee pairs well with breakfast sandwiches due to its gentle, well-balanced flavor. The coffee's crisp acidity and caramel sweetness complement the eggs and cheese's richness, making each bite and sip enjoyable.
Ethiopian coffee: This coffee is recognized for its peculiar taste, with fruity and floral overtones. It contrasts with a breakfast sandwich's robust flavors. Berry and jasmine add pleasant tones to bacon, sausage, and avocado.
Guatemalan coffee: Guatemalan coffee has a rich, deep flavor with chocolate and spice notes. This intense coffee pairs well with breakfast sandwiches with chorizo, spicy cheese, or smoked meats. The blend provides the food with a rich, energetic flavor.
Costa Rican coffee: Costa Rican coffee features fresh, acidic, clean, crisp flavors with a hint of citrus. This light and refreshing coffee make it ideal for breakfast sandwiches with pesto or fresh veggies. Lemon overtones highlight the freshness of the ingredients, making each mouthful lighter and more balanced.
Avocado Toast
Ideal Coffee/Beans Pairing
Kenyan Coffee: Kenyan coffee gives you energy to start the day. The citrusy and berry flavors balance the avocado's richness, making it a nutritious and invigorating breakfast combo. Avocado toast can be topped with chili flakes, lemon, or salt & pepper. A cup of Kenyan coffee will enhance these flavors and energize your morning routine.
Guatemalan coffee: If you want to indulge yourself, Guatemalan coffee is excellent. This rich, chocolaty coffee with creamy avocado makes every bite and sip a pleasure. Guatemalan coffee tastes thick and robust. This substantial breakfast mix is cozy and tasty.
Bacon
Ideal Coffee/Beans Pairing
Brazilian coffee: Brazilian coffee pairs well with bacon due to its rich flavor and mild acidity. This smooth, mellow coffee, with its nut and chocolate notes, also pairs well with bacon's saltiness.
Jamaican Blue Mountain: Smooth, well-balanced Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee pairs beautifully with bacon. This coffee tastes mature with its gentle acidity and floral and nutty aromas. Rich, smokey bacon and beautiful coffee make an excellent combo that relaxes and wakes you up.
A bacon and egg breakfast sandwich with Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee enhances the bacon's unique flavors, making every bite and sip a pleasure.
Cheese and Charcuterie Boards - Cheese, Meat & Coffee Pairings
Sumatran coffee
Sumatran coffee is great for its robust flavors. Its savory, full-bodied flavor complements rich cheeses and meats. Consider drinking Sumatran coffee and eating tangy blue cheese or creamy aged Gouda. Dark, powerful coffee flavors match well with rich, savory cheeses.
Sumatran coffee's earthy flavor complements smoked and cured meats like prosciutto, salami, and chorizo. The coffee's full-bodied flavor complements your charcuterie board's rich flavors, making every bite and sip enjoyable.
Cheese Pairings: Aged Gouda, Blue Cheese, Brie
Meat Pairings: Prosciutto, Salami, Chorizo
Jamaican Blue Mountain
Try Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee for a smoother, somewhat sweeter taste. Coffee enthusiasts love this coffee because its soft texture and subtle sweetness complement a well-made charcuterie board. Its mild acidity and well-balanced fruit and nut aromas pair well with Camembert, goat cheese, and mild Cheddar.
Cheese Pairings: Camembert, Goat Cheese, Mild Cheddar
Meat Pairings: Jamón Ibérico, Pâté, Mortadella
Find the Perfect Spring Coffee to Match Any Food
Put your newly acquired knowledge to the test by trying some of these delectable sweet and savory dishes with various types of coffee.
If you’re looking for the perfect coffee to pair with any food, Jamaica Blue Mountain is your best bet. Its mildness and absence of bitterness make it equally suited to sweet and savory foods.
Explore the perfect coffee-meal pairings with a bag of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.
FAQs
What is a good complement to coffee?
A good compliment to coffee is something you enjoy eating with your coffee, enhancing the whole experience.
Try to picture it as the ideal pairing that brings out the best in both tastes, and then some more!. Some well-known complement goods are:
Pastries: Croissants, muffins, and donuts are classic complementary goods.
Breakfast Foods: Eggs, bacon, and breakfast sandwiches are excellent foods to pair with coffee.
Sweets and Desserts: Cookies, brownies, chocolate, and different kinds of cakes are all sweet treats that go well with coffee and satisfy your sweet tooth.
Many people prefer Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee when pairing coffee with their favorite complementary treats. The beans have a smooth, mild taste that isn't bitter.
What are two foundational principles to consider while curating coffee and food pairings?
When choosing what goes best with your coffee, keep these two principles in mind:
1. Flavor Balance
Complementing Flavors: Pick flavors that complement your coffee's natural flavors. For instance, a rich, dark roast coffee, which is sharp, goes well with a sweet chocolate treat.
Contrasting Flavors: Mixing tastes you aren't used to can be fun. Spiced foods can go well with bright, fruity coffee. So, you could have a fruity coffee with some smooth cheese.
2. Intensity Matching
Similar Intensity Levels: Make sure that the energy levels of your food and drinks are balanced.
For example:
Light-roasted coffee pairs beautifully with delicate croissants.
Strong coffee pairs well with chocolate cake.
Avoid Overpowering: Coffee should not overpower meals, and vice versa. Food and coffee should taste good.
Match strengths and balance tastes to achieve the finest food-coffee pairing.