Coffee isn’t just one flavor. With an entire wheel of intricate tasting notes, its various tastes range from floral to fruity and from sweet to sour. It should come as no surprise, then, that there is an art to pairing coffee with foods that enhance the flavors of both what’s on your plate and what’s in your mug.
The right combination could improve your coffee experience, making your drink smoother, sweeter, or richer based on what you’re enjoying alongside it. Pairing food with coffee can add complexity to your coffee-drinking experience, allowing you to enjoy food and coffee in a more nuanced and satisfying way.
Whether you’re new to the coffee world or consider yourself a seasoned coffee expert, this guide will walk you through what to keep in mind when preparing your morning or afternoon cup of joe with a meal or snack.
Coffee Pairing Best Practices
Before getting into specifics, there are five general rules you should keep in mind when it comes to pairing coffee with food.
- Like Goes with Like
Just like when pairing wine with food, coffee follows similar pairing rules. The first is that like goes with like. If you’re drinking a coffee with a more fruity flavor profile, consider pairing it with a similarly fruity food, like a fruit salad or fruit tart. A coffee with a nutty taste may pair well with a pastry like an almond croissant. A coffee with chocolate notes will likely pair well with a brownie or a chocolate croissant.
- Balance Out Intensities
How intense is the coffee you’re drinking? How intense is the food with which you’ve paired it? If you have a strong dark roast of coffee, pair it with a lighter option. Something with a subtle flavor like a sugar cookie or vanilla cupcake will help balance out the strength of the coffee. Contrarily, if your coffee has a light taste, pair it with a richer food item like a chocolate truffle or cheesecake.
- Consider How Temperature Affects Flavor
The temperature of your food and drink can add depth to your pairing experience. You may prefer to pair similar or contrasting temperatures. If you’re a cold brew drinker, you might want to enjoy it alongside a warmed baked good. Alternatively, you may prefer a hot coffee and a freshly toasted bagel. Like for like only applies to flavors, so feel free to mix things up when it comes to the temperature of your food and drink.
- Temperature Affects Texture
The texture of the food you’re eating can help you determine the ideal serving temperature for your coffee. If the food is firm and crumbly, like a biscotti or piece of toast, consider a hot coffee. You can also dip the food in the drink to soften the bread. If the food is soft, you have free reign to choose an iced or hot drink.
- Complementary Flavors
Sometimes, opposites attract! Opting for complementary flavors can also be interesting. If you have a coffee with a sweet flavor profile, consider pairing it with something savory or even salty. Coffee with spicy cinnamon tasting notes will pair well with a salty complement like chocolate covered pretzels.
Best Flavors for Coffee Pairing
One of the best ways to pair coffee is to identify the flavor profile of the coffee and select foods that will match or complement the coffee’s tasting notes. The flavors we detail below are some of the most common to pair with your chosen cup of coffee.
Chocolate
Depending on the cocoa percentage in the chocolate and the roast level of the coffee, chocolate tends to be one of the more complex flavor profiles. Both coffee and chocolate have rich, deep flavors that should be balanced accordingly.
Generally, the sweetness in chocolate balances out the bitterness in coffee. This makes them an ideal and classic pair. Whether you want to pair your coffee with a chocolate chip muffin or a decadent piece of chocolate cake, you can rest assured the two will go well together. This is also a reason why drinks like mochas and cocoa joes are so popular.
Vanilla
When going for a lighter flavor, many people tend to lean toward vanilla. Vanilla’s mild sweetness smooths out the strong, acidic taste of coffee to create a perfectly balanced match. The light and airy, floral taste of vanilla contrasts well with coffee. Vanilla pairs especially well with light and medium roasts.
When drinking a light or medium roast, try pairing it with vanilla cake, ice cream, or a vanilla scone for a full flavor experience.
Cinnamon
There’s a reason it’s called coffee cake. The warm, sweet, and spicy flavors of cinnamon go well with the rich taste of coffee, especially when that coffee has flavor notes of cinnamon. The balanced and complex flavor experience of cinnamon and coffee can bring out more flavors that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Whether enjoying a slice of a coffee cake or a freshly baked cinnamon roll with a cup of coffee, the warming sensation of cinnamon can add a nice cozy feeling to your tasting experience. Rather than mixing cinnamon into your coffee, the best way to get an aromatic coffee experience with cinnamon is to add a light dusting of cinnamon on top of a latte.
Ginger
Similar to cinnamon, ginger is another complex spice with a warming effect. Ginger packs a flavorful punch that can amplify flavors, especially those we find in coffee. For lovers of intense, complex flavors, ginger can create an intense experience in the same way cinnamon does.
Enjoy your coffee with a pastry filled with ginger jam or mix the ginger directly into your coffee with a ginger syrup or ground ginger.
Caramel
Another sweet flavor that can contrast with the boldness of coffee is caramel. Caramel’s rich, buttery sweetness rounds off the bitter taste of coffee without masking it. Like chocolate, caramel is another rich flavor that goes well with coffee and creates a complex blend of tastes.
There are many popular caramel coffee drinks such as caramel lattes, caramel macchiatos, and dulce de leche lattes. Treats like caramel popcorn, caramel-dipped apples, or salted caramel brownies go well with a caramel flavored coffee.
Pairing Based on Roasts
When having a black or sweetened cup of plain coffee, the roast of the coffee affects the flavor of the food and vice versa. Here’s what you should pair with each roast of coffee for the best experiences.
Light Roasts
Light roast coffees generally have brighter, more acidic flavors that tend to pair well with citrus fruits and desserts. The fruity tastes common in light roasts also go nicely with fruity desserts like fruit pies or tarts.
When drinking light roast coffee, it’s important to select foods that will not overshadow their taste. Light options like delicately flavored pastries, for example almond croissants or angel food cake, can complement a light roast’s vibrant flavors. Other foods that go well with this roast may include a butter croissant, white chocolate, an almond biscotti, or granola.
Medium Roasts
Medium roast coffee has a balanced flavor profile that can balance out the taste of most desserts or breakfast foods. Sweet baked goods like muffins, scones, or banana bread tend to go well with medium coffee.
Nut butters like peanut and almond butter also tend to pair well with medium coffee. Alongside your cup of medium roast coffee, you can enjoy peanut butter toast, almond butter and apples, or even a PB&J.
Dark Roasts
The bold, robust, and slightly bitter taste of dark roast coffee pairs well with almost any food. Whether you prefer sweet or savory foods, a dark roast will complement either. Doughnuts, pancakes, and cinnamon rolls will pair just as nicely as bacon, eggs, and bagels.
Espresso Drinks
Even darker than a dark roast coffee are espresso drinks. The concentrated taste of espresso creates a drink that is even more complex than a basic cup of coffee.
There are a few stand outs when it comes to food to pair with espresso. One classic flavor combination is espresso and biscotti. Dark chocolate also accompanies espresso as its bitter taste matches the intensity of espresso.
If you’re looking for a lighter option, espresso also goes well with fruit. Citrus fruits have a bright acidity that contrasts with espresso’s bold taste.
When enjoying a sweet espresso drink like a latte or cappuccino, try matching it with pastries like croissants, breads, muffins, or even chocolate chip cookies.
The flavors, textures, and aromas of food and coffee combine to create an enjoyable experience that leaves a lasting impression on the taster. Pairing the right food with the right coffee can add depth and complexity to the flavors, aromas, and textures of the food and coffee.
Whether you’re a coffee connoisseur or an adventurous foodie, you now have all the knowledge you need to explore the world of coffee pairings. Happy sipping!
