Desserts in general are always great pairings for coffee. Their sweetness works in tandem with the bitterness of coffee to create an explosion of flavours in your mouth. However, some desserts do work better with certain coffees than others.
Here is our list of the 7 best dessert and coffee pairings out there:
1. Fruit Tart And Latte
Lattes are essentially espresso mixed with an equal amount of steamed milk. They can be considered lighter versions of espresso, and thus are very popular among those who cannot tolerate strong bitter coffees.
Their light taste means that the latte goes extremely well with light desserts such as fruit tarts. These kinds of pairings are always the best for quick snacks or breakfast.
2. Hot Fudge Chocolate Pudding Cake And Ristretto
Ristrettos are basically stronger and more concentrated versions of the espresso. Since it uses only half the amount of water espresso does, it has a much thicker and full – bodied consistency.
For those who enjoy drinking ristrettos, we recommend pairing it with hot fudge chocolate pudding. This very sweet and rich chocolate dessert provides a great counter to the heavy bitterness of ristretto.
3. Caramel Nut Tart And Macchiato
Macchiato is a stronger espresso – based drink that highlights all the qualities of espresso while supporting it with milk. The amount of milk in a macchiato is always lower than that of a latte, which is why those who love stronger coffees but still want a kick of dairy often pick this drink.
The macchiato goes extremely well with desserts made from caramels and nuts. This is why we suggest you try macchiato and caramel nut tart at least once in your life!
4. Tiramisu And Cafe Au Lait
Cafe Au Lait literally means “coffee with milk” in its native French. However, unlike most drinks on this list, they do not contain any espresso. They are instead made with freshly brewed black coffee.
The lack of espresso means that the Cafe Au Lait is not as bitterly strong as others on this list, but they are certainly delicious. The light, fluffy taste of this drink will go super nice with desserts that are more on the softer side, such as Tiramisu cake.
5. Crispy Choco Chip Cookies And Cappuccino
Cappuccinos are often among the hottest selling menu in coffee shops. They are the epitome of perfectly balanced coffee in terms of everything from taste to texture to the aroma. To make this drink, you must pour an equal amount of espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam (⅓ each).
The balanced taste of cappuccinos means that they generally go well with most desserts. However, we strongly recommend trying them alongside crispy choco chip cookies. The two of them provide an interesting and delicious contrast with the velvety cappuccino and crispy cookies dancing in your mouth.
6. Flourless Chocolate Cake And Espresso
A ‘shot’ of espresso is a strong and concentrated coffee that is served in 30 ml servings. They are considered full – bodied drinks and the common consensus is that they are best consumed alone.
We beg to differ.
Strong and full bodied coffees like espresso are best paired with rich chocolate desserts such as flourless chocolate cake. The consistency of the espresso and the complex flavour profile of the cake beautifully complement each other to form an amazing tasting experience.
7. Vanilla Buttercream Cupcakes And Americano
Similar to lattes, Americanos are also well – liked among coffee aficionados. They are mostly made by mixing espresso and hot mineral water to create a softer kind of espresso. This means that Americanos are often more full – bodied than lattes, which is why you will need to pair it with medium / fairly rich desserts.
Out of all the options out there, we prefer to pair it with vanilla buttercream cupcakes. Not only are they strong enough to not be drowned out by the flavour of the drink, but vanilla buttercream cupcakes are simply super delicious to munch on alongside coffee.
