Beyond the classic Café Cubano, I’m here to reveal my six favorite recipes using espresso with sugar so you can delight your loved ones with special treats.
Do you know that when you mix espresso with sugar, you end up with at least six amazing recipes to delight your loved ones? The Cubans have created Café Cubano, a world-renowned beverage using dark roast espresso enhanced by a thick sugar foam.
In this article, I’m going to show you five other incredible recipes using espresso and sugar, as well as some other common ingredients in your cabinet. Most of them are drinks, while the rest are for desserts. But first, check out our guide on how to pull an espresso.
1. Cuban Coffee
Also known as Café Cubano, this classic recipe combines espresso and sugar to provide you with a pungent, dark-roast coffee blanketed with a thick sugar foam. You can enjoy Café Cubano with breakfast or as an after-lunch drink.
Materials Needed
Ingredients:
- A double shot of espresso
- Four tablespoons of sugar
- Two cups of water
Equipment:
- A Moka pot
- A coffee cup
- A spoon to stir
Method:
Step 1: Make Espresso With A Moka Pot
Boil water and add it to the lower chamber of the Moka pot. Fill the tunnel with ground coffee, gently tap to remove any air pockets, and even out the ground surface. Screw on the upper part of the chamber and place it over low heat until the espresso starts to simmer.
Step 2: Make Espumita
When the espresso just begins to boil, take a few tablespoons out of the Moka pot and add them to sugar to moisten. Keep whipping the espresso with sugar using a spoon to create what’s known as “espumita.” You want it to turn brown and thicken slowly.
Remove the rest of the espresso from the heat and slowly pour it from the Moka pot into the espumita. Keep stirring until the entire mixture combines. Let it rest until the foam floats on top.
Step 3: Prepare To Serve
Slowly pour the ready-made mixture into the cup and serve.
2. Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso
Game up your barista skills with a cup of creamy oat milk. Oat milk has a subtle sweetness that balances out the rich espresso.
Materials Needed
Ingredients:
- Two shots of espresso
- Two teaspoons of brown sugar
- Six ounces of unsweetened oat milk
- Ice cubes
- Cinnamon powder to garnish
Equipment:
- A cocktail shaker
- A spoon to stir
- A highball glass
Method:
Step 1: Sweeten Your Espresso
Add brown sugar into your double shot and mix well until the sugar dissolves. If you like it sweeter, add more sugar accordingly.
Step 2: Shake
Add the sweetened espresso, oat milk, and ice cubes into a shaker and shake well for 20 seconds until combined.
Step 3: Garnish & Serve
Pour the mixture into a glass. Garnish with cinnamon powder and serve.
3. Cinnamon Brown Sugar Cortado
This traditional Spanish beverage injects your daily grind with a warm and aromatic profile using lightly steamed milk in the making. It’s one of my favorite pick-me-ups in the morning; that takes less than 15 minutes to get the drink ready.
Materials Needed
Ingredients:
- One teaspoon of brown sugar
- Two shots of espresso
- Two ounces of milk
- Cinnamon powder to garnish
Equipment:
- A saucepan
- A stovetop
- A spatula
- A latte glass
Method:
Step 1: Sweeten Your Espresso
Add brown sugar to the hot espresso you just made. Stir until dissolved.
Step 2: Warm The Milk
Place your milk on the stovetop, heat it over high heat until almost boiling, and then simmer. Turn off the heat and take it off.
Step 3: Mix & Serve
Mix the sweetened espresso with cinnamon powder until combined. Add the mixture to a latte glass. Pour the warm milk on top of the drink to create a beautiful layer and serve.
4. Creamy Dalgona Espresso
Dalgona has been taking social media by storm for the past few years. The world has seen a wild variety of dalgona recipes using different types of coffee, especially instant coffee. I like to give mine a powerful kick of real espresso for a more robust drink.
Materials Needed
Ingredients:
- Two shots espresso
- Three teaspoons of sugar
- Half a cup of milk
- Ice cubes
Equipment:
- A small bowl
- A latte glass
- An electric hand mixer
- A straw to drink
Method:
Step 1: Whisk The Espresso
Pour espresso into a small bowl. Add sugar to the espresso and whisk it up until foamy.
Step 2: Serve
Pour the mixture into the latte glass filled with ice. Slowly drizzle milk on top of the mixture.
5. Chilled Espresso Zabaglione
As a home baker myself, nothing sounds more fun than playing up a classic drink recipe and turning it into a custard-like beverage. Zabaglione is a traditional Italian dessert using egg yolks whipped with sugar and served warm. I like to add a double shot of espresso to give it a rich caramel profile and a light, airy texture.
Materials Needed
Ingredients:
- Two egg yolks
- Two tablespoons of sugar
- Two shots of espresso
- Two tablespoons of Cognac
- Cocoa powder and powdered sugar to garnish
Equipment:
- A small bowl
- An electric hand mixer
- A saucepan
- A spatula
- A dessert spoon
- Your favorite glass or cup
- A mason jar to store custard
Method:
Step 1: Prepare The Custard
Add the egg yolks to the bowl and slowly pour in the sugar while mixing gradually with a hand mixer until foamy. Gradually drizzle in espresso and Cognac, and keep mixing until combined.
Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and keep it going over medium heat until it starts to simmer. Keep whisking until the egg yolks are cooked, and the mixture begins to thicken and double in size. This should be within two minutes.
Remove from the heat once the custard feels like whipped cream. Keep whisking off the heat for one more minute.
Step 2: Chill
Let the custard chill and store it in a mason jar, cover it with a lid and place it in the freezer overnight.
Step 3: Serve & Garnish
Take the custard out of the freezer about ten minutes before serving. The custard should have begun to soften. Sprinkle with cocoa powder or powdered sugar on top and serve with a spoon.
6. Artisan Espresso-Flavored Sugar Cubes
Espresso-flavored sugar cubes? Is that even a thing? Well, if you’re looking to brush up on your dessert recipes with a unique sweetener other than honey or coconut sugar, check out this one. You can save it in the kitchen for other drink recipes as well.
Materials Needed
Ingredients:
- Two cups of white sugar
- Two shots of espresso
- One and a half tablespoons of instant coffee
- One and a half tablespoons of water
Equipment:
- A fork
- A small bowl
- A baking sheet
- A metal spatula
- A spoon to stir
- A mason jar
Method:
Step 1: Combine Dry Ingredients
Add sugar, espresso, and instant coffee to the bowl. Use a fork to stir all ingredients together until combined.
Step 2: Make A Wet Mixture
Add water to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Step 3: Dry The Mixture
Pour the mixture on top of a baking sheet. Press the sugar mixture with a spatula to create a firmly-packed rectangle.
You can choose to cut off the redundant sides of the batch to straighten the sides of the rectangle, but it’s optional.
Dry the batch in the sun until it is set and partially hardens. This should take half a day. Ensure it’s shielded from the elements.
Step 4: Cut It Into Cubes And Store It For Later
Cut the batch into smaller cubes and spread them apart on the baking sheet. Allow the cubes to dry fully. Store in the kitchen in a mason jar away from sunlight.
Check out these espresso with cold milk drinks.
