Love all things coffee? This chilled Japanese coffee jelly is a refreshing dessert to enjoy on a hot summer day. Enjoy it plain or with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
Coffee Jelly (コーヒーゼリー) is a popular Japanese dessert and a true summertime delight! If you’re all for caffeinated desserts, you will fall in love with the mild sweetness and the big coffee flavor it offers. Top this gelatin dessert with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a spoonful of half and half, oh my, you’d be in heaven!
Table of contents
What is Coffee Jelly?
To put it simply, coffee jelly is gelatinized coffee. A rich and silky coffee jello.
Made of black coffee, gelatin powder, and sugar, coffee jelly or kohii zerii can be found on the menus in many restaurants, cafes, and bakeries in Japan. This chilled dessert is typically served in small cups, and sometimes the jelly is cut into cubes and served in a cup with whipped cream or milk.
While Jell-O desserts have been deemed out of fashion in the US and England, coffee jelly — and many other jelly desserts — never go out of style in Japan. In fact, its popularity lives on even though coffee jelly has been trendy since the 1960s when a Japanese coffee shop chain introduced it in their menu. We enjoy our Jello-Os not only are they light and refreshing, but they also have a solid place in Japan’s culinary history.
The Japanese love a little quick pick-me-up so you can even find pre-made coffee jelly sold in small plastic cups in supermarkets and konbini convenience stores!
Ingredients for Coffee Jelly
It cannot be any easier to make coffee jelly at home! You’ll need only four ingredients.
- Water
- Kanten powder (sub with gelatin or agar agar)
- Sugar
- Instant coffee (or instant espresso coffee for stronger flavor)
In my recipe, I used kanten powder instead of gelatin to make it vegetarian friendly. Kanten is a natural vegetable gelatin made of edible seaweed which can be found at Japanese and Asian grocery stores or online.
If you are going to substitute powdered kanten with gelatin powder or agar agar, use a double portion. My recipe note below explains more.
How to Make Coffee Jelly
- Combine water and kanten powder in a small saucepan. Whisk and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Once boiling, add sugar and instant coffee and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Pour into serving dishes. Once the coffee jelly cools down, cover with lids or with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours, or until the jelly has set.
- Serve it chilled.
Different Ways to Enjoy Coffee Jelly
For an elegant presentation, serve the dessert solid in glass dishes like how I made them here. You can also pour the coffee mixture in a baking pan, cut into cubes and serve them in a bowl.
You can even add the jiggly, translucent cubes of coffee jelly into your milkshakes, lattes, ice cream float, or sundaes for additional flavor and texture! It will instantly level up your dessert games.
My favorite way to serve coffee jelly is with whipped cream on top. Or try it with a few tablespoons of half & half.
It is truly a simple yet lovely dessert. I often serve coffee jelly as a summer dessert, but every now and then, I’ll have it for afternoon tea break and imagine myself in a little cafe in Japan.
More Japanese Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
- Japanese Cheesecake
- Tofu Pudding (Blancmange)
- Fruit Jelly
- Orange Jelly
- 10-Minute Japanese Custard Pudding
- No-Bake Creme Caramel
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Easy Japanese Coffee Jelly
Video
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup water
- 1 ½ tsp kanten powder (See Notes; If you are going to substitute powdered kanten with gelatin powder or agar agar, use a double portion and see if it sets. Each brand of gelatin or kanten or agar sets differently, so please test. Gelatin won't solidify if you heat the mixture too long while kanten requires cooking for 2-3 minutes.)
- 5 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp instant coffee
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- In a small saucepan, combine water and kanten powder and whisk together. Then bring the liquid to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, turn down the heat to simmer. Add sugar and instant coffee and cook stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Pour into serving dishes. Scoop up any bubbles on the surface with a spoon and discard. Once the coffee jelly cools down, wrap with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours.
To Serve
- Serve with whipped cream, mint, and a coffee bean on top. It's not vegan-friendly, but the coffee jelly is great with 1-2 Tbsp of half & half poured on top.
To Store
- You can keep the coffee jelly in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Kanten powder = 1 tsp (2 g)
- Kanten stick = ½ stick (4 g)
- Kanten thread = 12 threads (4 g)
