20 Coffee Recipes for Java Connoisseurs and Dessert Lovers

Mocha Protein Cheesecake

This healthy mocha cheesecake is rich and satisfying, yet low in fat with a mix of Greek yogurt and cottage cheese. Chocolate whey protein also boosts the macros, so this cheesecake isn’t that different than drinking a protein shake – only you’re also eating a rich, decadent dessert.

The crust is optional, but since it’s all almonds, there’s no reason to cut it out nutritionally. If you go without, though, each slice is barely over 100 calories and still has 15 grams of protein with one-third the fat.

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Apple Buttermilk Spelt Coffee Cake

This healthy coffee cake manages to keep the added sugar low by using the natural sweetness of apples.

It’s topped with a glaze made with powdered sugar, but you could just as easily use a scoop of vanilla whey protein powder, still mixing it with buttermilk to make a nutritious topping.

For the same number of calories, you’ll bump up the protein by about 3 grams per serving, decreasing the carbs by the same amount.

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Coffee Ricotta Mousse

Coffee and cream are a match made in heaven. The two are so delicious together, Starbucks practically built a business off of it one Frappuccino at a time.

If your morning cup of Joe isn’t enough to satisfy your cravings, dig into this creamy coffee mousse. It’s made with ricotta so you can use less heavy cream, replacing it with an awesome natural source of whey.

Looking for more low-carb desserts that’ll reduce sugar in your diet? Check out the Sugar-Free Mom Cookbook, packed with other awesome recipes like chocolate-coated salted chickpeas and homemade vanilla coffee creamer.

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PB&J Chickpea Coffee Cake

To make a flourless coffee cake, you don’t need an alternate to wheat flour like coconut or almond meal. Just open up a can of chickpeas, mix with oats and peanut butter, then add sweetener like maple syrup to taste.

To make this into a peanut butter and jelly cake, spread on jam and fresh fruit. Then for crunch, add crushed peanuts to the oat crumble topping.

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Vegan Affogato

In Italy, affogato is dessert-meets-coffee. Simple but decadent, making one couldn’t be easier. Just pour a shot of espresso over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

For this nutritious overhaul of the classic, you don’t ever need a frozen dessert – just whole bananas that have been stashed in the freezer, which is a great way to preserve them when they’re turning brown.

Blend the frozen bananas for a healthy vegan ice cream, and then add coffee (or tea) for a dairy-free affogato treat.

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Chocolate Berry Chia Coffee Parfaits

You might expect this impressive parfait to come from a restaurant or café, but you can make it at home with just five ingredients.

Start by flavoring Greek yogurt with brewed coffee. Stir in chia seeds to thicken, or leave them out if you want a low-fat coffee dessert. Either way it’s packed with protein, which means it can also be enjoyed as an easy breakfast. Make it the night before, or assemble in the morning with fresh berries.

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Pumpkin Coffee Smoothie

Craving a pumpkin spice latte when it’s still summer? Turn it into a healthy coffee milkshake with this easy recipe that uses Greek yogurt, a banana, and pumpkin puree.

If you’re enjoying it as a post-workout shake, add a scoop of whey protein powder and a splash of milk. Or on the weekend, cool down with a pumpkin spice Irish coffee by adding a splash of whiskey.

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Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

Enjoy a jolt of coffee in the morning or afternoon with these flourless cookies. A blend of almond butter, ground flax, and cocoa powder makes up the batter.

You don’t even need oil or butter, just some coconut sugar to sweeten up the three strong shots of espresso used for this coffee cookie. And if you’d rather not use chocolate chips, try crushed chocolate-covered coffee beans as a mix-in instead.

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Espresso Cardamom Oat Muffins

If you can’t get enough coffee in the morning, add some espresso to a batch of muffins so you can grab one on the way out the door.

They’re great to fill you up when your quick breakfast wasn’t quite big enough, and unlike a hot cappuccino, you won’t be spilling this on yourself in the car.

These coffee muffins also have the nutrition of a small serving of oatmeal, fueling you up on not just caffeine but also complex carbs that will digest slowly so you can fight off hunger until lunch.

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Frozen Vanilla Latte Pops

All you need are two ingredients to make coffee popsicles that are creamy and delicious. These easy snacks will cool you down whether you’re dreading going out in the sweltering summer heat, or revving up for some sweat-dripping exercise.

A couple pre-workout popsicles will provide your body with protein and carbs without leaving you with that full stomach feeling.

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Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte

Skip the line at Starbucks, and make a light pumpkin spice latte right at home. This PSL is made with regular brewed coffee, so you can use whatever method you prefer: French press, cold brewed, or good ol’ Mr. Coffee machine.

Start by thinning pumpkin puree with almond milk. Warm it up, and whisk the mixture into a cup of coffee. Then add pumpkin spice, vanilla, and sweetener to taste.

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Cold Brew Mocha Protein Ice Cream

Make this low-fat ice cream with or without a fancy machine. And since it uses almond milk and whey protein in place of heavy cream, this frozen dessert is nutritious enough to have as part of an awesome summer breakfast.

Each serving of this mocha chip ice cream has about the same calories as the gourmet stuff, and yet you’ll benefit from over 30 grams of protein instead of overloading on fat.

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Low-Fat Lemon Biscotti

If you don’t have time in the morning to do more than brew coffee, don’t worry about upgrading your drink.

Get the coffeehouse experience by drinking your cup of Joe along with these lemon biscotti, which can be baked ahead of time so they’re ready to snack on in the morning. With just oat flour, whey protein powder, and lemon flavoring, they’re naturally low in fat and have a healthy serving of complex carbs for breakfast.

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Milk Stout with Pumpkin, Coffee, and Vanilla

If you have a place nearby that stocks craft brews, you can find a beer that includes coffee for flavor, like Kona Brewing Company’s Pipeline Porter or Rogue Cold Brew IPA, made in collaboration with Stumptown Coffee Roasters. But if you’re feeling adventurous (and patient), you can make your own homemade coffee stout.

Brewing your own beer actually comes with health benefits. Since most beer is pasteurized, it doesn’t contain live yeast. Not only is that what originally makes the mix alcoholic, but brewer’s yeast can actually be a nutritional supplement. It’s used as a probiotic for digestion, plus a good source of B vitamins.

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Protein Tiramisu

Tiramisu is the perfect candidate for a high-protein dessert since you can add eggs to the cream. This recipe takes it one step further by baking ladyfinger cookies from scratch using whey protein powder.

The result a low-sugar dessert that’s loaded with flavor from coconut cream, coffee, and cocoa powder. You can add masala wine or dark rum too, but it’s not necessary with everything else going on.

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Mocha Protein Mug

With lean macros, this chocolate cake doesn’t have to be dessert. Enjoy it in the mornings for breakfast, and it won’t take more than five minutes to put it together.

That means it’s also great for an afternoon post-workout snack or a late-night chocolate craving. No matter when you decide to eat this chocolate protein cake, it’ll fill you up with oats, yogurt, egg whites, and whey – adding up to an amazing 26 grams of protein per serving.

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Protein-Packed Frozen Mocha

Turn your morning cup of coffee into a fancy homemade Frappuccino with just a handful of ingredients. And this one beats Starbucks any day since it includes a scoop of chocolate whey protein powder.

It’ll take less time to blend this up at home than it does to stop by a café and wait in line, and you can customize it with vanilla extract, sugar-free maple syrup, or cinnamon and honey.

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Buttered Coffee

There are a few tricks to making bulletproof coffee that actually delivers health benefits. First, start with grass-fed butter. It has a higher concentration of nutrients like vitamin K2, which prevents blood clotting.

Add coconut oil too for medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), and what you have is coffee that won’t just wake you up with caffeine, but also provide healthy fats to keep you full and power up your brain to prepare you for the day.

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Peanut Butter Mocha Frosty

Want to boost your morning coffee with protein? Add peanut butter and whey protein powder to win big with both convenience and nutrition.

This is also a great way to kill cravings for a candy peanut butter cup, while the nutritional profile of protein and sugar makes a great post-workout shake. It’s similar to chocolate milk, yet with a scoop of whey protein to really fuel muscle growth.

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Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte Dip

Enjoy your favorite beverage as a delicious dip. This is easy to make, and since it has marshmallows and cream cheese, it’s an awesome snack everyone can enjoy at a family gathering or on game day.

Serve it with graham crackers and apple wedges. Or to enjoy a light snack that’s salty and sweet, try it with thin pretzel sticks.

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