We purchase specialty coffee beans with the best intention to brew them right away. Then, life happens…
You make coffee at work or go to a nearby coffee shop with a friend every day for a pick-me-up. Before you know it, you’ve forgotten when you purchased the beans and are stuck with old coffee beans.
While your coffee beans haven’t gone bad and are safe to consume, they certainly won’t taste spectacular.
Don’t fret! There are several creative and delicious ways to use old coffee beans at home.
Once you finish reading, you’ll know how to reuse coffee beans and how to avoid getting old coffee in the first place.
As a coffee lover, you likely have bags of whole coffee beans stocked in your pantry. But what happens when some of those beans go past their prime, or you want to use them for more than just your morning brew? Well, don’t toss those beans just yet! Whole coffee beans can be used in many surprising and delicious ways beyond making coffee.
Here are 15 creative ways to put your extra coffee beans to good use
1. Make Chocolate-Covered Coffee Beans
Chocolate and coffee are a match made in heaven For a tasty treat, coat roasted coffee beans in melted chocolate and let set Dark, milk or white chocolate all pair wonderfully with the beans. Add nuts, sprinkle with sea salt or roll in cocoa powder for extra flavor.
2. Use Them as a Meat Rub
Coffee’s robust, earthy flavor makes an excellent complement to meat. For your next BBQ, crush the beans and blend with spices like garlic powder, salt, pepper and chili powder to make a zesty dry rub for beef, pork or chicken.
3. Whip Up Coffee-Infused Recipes
Incorporate whole or ground beans into recipes for a mocha taste. Add to cookies, brownies, tiramisu, pancake batter, milkshakes and more. Or use brewed coffee as a liquid when baking cakes and breads.
4. Make Coffee Ice Cream
For an icy coffee treat, steep ground beans in cream overnight, then churn in your ice cream maker. Add chocolate shavings or swirls for extra decadence. You can also make coffee popsicles by blending brewed coffee with sweetened condensed milk and freezing.
5. Craft Homemade Coffee Liqueur
Infuse vodka or rum with coffee beans and spices like cinnamon and vanilla. Fine strain and sweeten with sugar syrup. Voila, you have a homemade Kahlua-style liqueur to spike drinks or baked goods.
6. Prepare a Scrub for Your Skin
Used coffee grounds make a great exfoliant, and beans can too. Coarsely grind them and mix with a little olive oil to make an invigorating skin scrub. The caffeine will also give your skin a energizing boost.
7. Make DIY Coffee Candles
Coffee’s aroma is heavenly. Simmer whole beans in water, then use the coffee-infused water as the liquid for your homemade candles. Light one up for an inviting coffee-scented home.
8. Craft Coffee Bean Sachets
Make custom sachets with your leftover beans. Place beans in small muslin or mesh bags with spices, dried flowers or potpourri. Tie them closed with a pretty ribbon. Use to scent drawers, closets or place under your car seat.
9. Fertilize Your Garden
Coffee grounds make great fertilizer, and beans can too when ground up. Their nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium feed plants. Just scratch them into the soil around your vegetables and flowers. They’ll release nutrients as they decompose.
10. Make a Coffee Bean Necklace
Accessorize with a stylish necklace made from your own coffee beans. String up roasted beans, painting or gluing them first if desired. Add beads, charms and other embellishments for a one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry piece.
11. Craft DIY Coffee Bean Sugar Scrub
Mix ground coffee beans with coconut oil and sugar for an invigorating body scrub. The beans will slough off dead skin cells while the oils moisturize. Add a drop of essential oil for extra fragrance.
12. Use as Natural Pest Deterrent
Scatter spent coffee grounds or beans around garden beds and house foundations to repel ants, slugs and snails, which dislike caffeine. The strong scent of coffee also masks the smell of your vegetables to pests.
13. Make Play Dough Creations
Ground beans mixed into play dough add interesting texture and color variations. Let the kids shape and mold fun sculptures accentuated with the fragrant beans.
14. Fill Bean Bags
For an aromatic take on bean bag games, fill your bean bags with used coffee beans instead of traditional beans. Their solid shape gives weight without added bulk.
15. Create Coffee Bean Art
Get creative by using your coffee beans as an art medium. Glue them onto canvases in patterns to make abstract coffee art. Or paint the beans before gluing for colorful designs.
The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to repurposing whole coffee beans! With so many practical uses around the home alongside fun craft projects and recipes, you can give new life to old beans and reduce waste.
Next time you spot a forgotten bag of beans, remember how versatile they can be. Follow one of these coffee bean ideas to transform what you already have on hand into something new and useful.
Bake a Delicious Coffee Dessert
Is there a better pair than coffee and dessert? Nope! Coffee goes well with cake, pies, chocolate, and any other kind of dessert you can think of.
One of my favorite ways to use old coffee beans is to make a coffee-infused dessert, like:
- For a sweet coffee treat, pull out an espresso shot and pour it over your favorite ice cream. I call this the “affogato.”
- Cold brew float: This dessert is self-explanatory and tasty. Put cold brew made from the used beans in a glass of your favorite ice cream instead of soda.
- When making Texas brownies, add a cup of coffee to the batter for a bold and flavorful kick.
- When you mix cold brew coffee with ice cream, you can’t go wrong with a coffee milkshake.
- Mocha frosting: I love coffee cake! Make some mocha frosting to put on top of vanilla or chocolate cake for a rich coffee dessert.
Tip: Don’t use your freshly-roasted coffee for these recipes. Reserve your best and freshest beans for your morning cup of coffee. Instead, choose any old or unused beans for your dessert recipes.
Make Cold Brew Concentrate
Cold brew is one of the simplest ways to brew coffee.
Weigh, grind, steep, drink!
Because cold brew is made by immersing the coffee in water, it won’t have the bright flavors and sharp acidity that a pour over coffee would. This means old coffee beans that might have lost their vibrancy are perfect for smooth, rich cold brew.
You can use it in many recipes, from cold brew cocktails to protein shakes, if you brew it as a strong concentrate. You can’t go wrong with the classic cold brew over ice, too.
How To Grind Coffee Beans
FAQ
What can I make with whole coffee beans?
What can I do with coffee beans?
Simply grind up your coffee beans and combine with baking soda and salt. Add essential oils if desired. It makes an awesome toothpaste. Just remember to store it away from children as they may swallow small amounts. 5.
What is the best way to eat beans?
The best way to eat beans is to first cook them in a large pot of water, about 4 cups of water to every 1 cup of beans. Adding lemon grass or other herbs to the water can improve the flavor. Once beans are cooked the best thing to do is combine them with cooked rice, this is because beans are low in methionine and rice is low in lysine, so combining them makes a more complete protein.
Can You brew coffee with whole beans?
Using whole beans reduces the amount of the coffee bean that contacts the water, which means you have to wait a lot longer for the extraction to finish. You can absolutely brew coffee using whole beans instead of coffee grounds. Really all you have to do is let the beans steep in hot or boiling water for about one hour.
Can you use whole coffee beans in a coffee maker?
Yes, you can use whole coffee beans in a drip coffee maker. Grind the beans to a medium-coarse consistency and follow your machine’s instructions for adding the grounds. Enjoy the rich flavor and aroma of freshly brewed coffee! What is the best way to grind whole coffee beans for a French press?