What To Do With Leftover Coffee: 7 Creative Ideas

Not sure what to do with leftover coffee from this morning’s breakfast? Instead of pouring it down the drain, consider reusing it (you’d be surprised at how many uses there are for your leftover brew).

Read on to learn 7 creative uses for leftover coffee. From recipes to home use you’ll never find yourself pouring any java down the drain.

1. Make Coffee Ice-Cubes 

No one likes watered down java. But many of us also don’t like chugging it. If the ice in your brew is diluting your coffee, we have the solution: coffee ice-cubes! 

Making them is easy. Simply pour the leftover java into your ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, add them to your iced beverage. You’ll notice your drink stays cold without compromising its flavor. 

2. Chill Leftover Java

There’s always the option to put your leftover brew in the refrigerator and enjoy it for later. Think about it – you can enjoy your hot brew in the morning and save any leftover coffee for some afternoon delight. 

Note that java deteriorates in flavor over time and can actually go bad after a few days of being made. Therefore, this only gives you a small windown in which you’ll be able to truly enjoy it.

3. Blend Into a Smoothie

Don’t limit yourself to a plain cup of joe. Spice things up and add some brew to your protein shakes. Next time you workout, we encourage you to add a hint of coffee to your smoothie. For isntance, you can add the coffee as your liquid base and blend with frozen bananas, protein powder, and ice. Or, you can add a few coffee ice cubes into the blender when making a chocolate or vanilla smoothie. Either option will be a hit! 

3. Add it to Your Pancake Batter

Ever tired coffee flavored pancakes? It may be your new favorite meal. 

For those days that you want a double dose of java, consider adding some coffee to your pancake batter. You can add as little or as much as you want, but we suggest at least two tablespoons per cup of batter. Mix the coffee into your batter and follow the recipe instructions. 

If you’re both a coffee and pancake lover, this will be one of your favorite ways to start the morning. 

4. Give Your Hair Some Loving 

Coffee can do more than just keep you awake. Have you ever tried a hair rinse? If you haven’t this may be the perfect way to use your leftover coffee. Using java in your hair has plenty of benefits, some of the most popular being: 

• Restored hair growth
• Softer, shinier hair 
• A natural way to get rid of gray hairs 

Making a hair rinse is easy. You’ll need 2-4 cups of coffee (depending on your hair length), a spray bottle, and a plastic shower cap. Then, follow these instructions: 

1. Pour the brew into a spray bottle. 
2. Wash and condition your locks as normal. With your hair still wet, apply coffee to your hair. Make sure to get all strands of hair.
3. Message into your hair/scalp for 3-5 minutes. 
4. Apply the shower cap and let the rinse sit for 15 minutes.
5. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry. 

5. Make Yourself a Frappe 

Leftover coffee recipes are life-savers when you don’t want to waste a drop of java. One of our favorite recipes is the famous frappe. A frappe is a coffee beverage that’s served with ice or blended to a slushy consistency and making one is easy. 

Ingredients 

• 2 cups of coffee (frozen into ice cubes)
• 2 cups milk of your choice (oat or almond milk are great options)
• 3.5 tbsp chocolate syrup 
• 3.5 tbsp sugar 
• Whipped cream (optional)

Directions 

1. Make 2 cups worth of ice cubes using your leftover brew.
2. Combine the cubes, milk, chocolate syrup, and sugar in a blender.
3. Blend thoroughly. 
4. Top with whipped cream if you’d like. 
5. Enjoy! 

6. Make a Meat Marinade 

Different meats require different marinades and seasonings. For instance, fish is best with ligh marinades like salt, pepper, olive oil, garlic, and lemon. Chicken is great with these ingredients plus some light beer. However, beef can stand just about anything! This includes coffee. 

The acidity of coffee works well with tougher meats as it helps breakdown the connective tissue, hence more tenderness. Here’s a quick and easy marinade recipe to follow: 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup leftover coffee
• 6 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp white vinegar 
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions 

There is only one step here. Combine all the ingredients and you have yourself a delicious marinade ready to use! 

Final Thoughts 

And there you have it! As you can see, there’s no reason to toss leftover coffee. Instead, try one or all of these creative ideas the next time you have some leftover brew.