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Made in an individual serving cup, this Japanese Coffee Jelly consists of a layer of black coffee jelly and is topped with a layer of sweet cream. The sweetness and kick of caffeine make it the perfect wake-me-up afternoon snack.

If you are a fan of coffee desserts, you will love this Japanese Coffee Jelly recipe. Soft, silky, jiggly bittersweet coffee jelly served straight in your glass and topped with sweet cream. Instead of drinking coffee, you get to eat the coffee with a spoon!

Japanese Coffee Jelly is the ultimate dessert for grown-ups and coffee lovers with its bold coffee taste. It is a satisfying way to get your caffeine boost. Plus, it is very easy to make at home with just simple ingredients.

What Is Coffee Jelly?

Coffee jelly is a popular Japanese dessert of coffee-flavored jelly that has been chilled and served in cups, or sometimes cut into cubes and served in a cup with heavy cream. Coffee jelly can be found in supermarkets, convenience stores, coffee shops, bakeries, and dessert shops, all across Japan.

Many people believe that this dessert originated in Japan; however, it was actually first made in England in the 1800s. The British recipe called for brewed coffee to be mixed with gelatin and left to set in cups or a mold. In 1963, Mikado Coffee in Karuizawa is said to have pioneered the Japanese Coffee Jelly trend with their so-called “edible coffee.” There was such high demand for the dessert that Japanese supermarkets started selling it in the 1970s.

Ingredients You Need

Coffee Jelly

Instant coffee. If you don’t have instant coffee, make a pot of coffee and use that instead.
Gelatin powder. You can also replace this with other vegan gelling agents like kanten powder or agar-agar.
Brown sugar. To sweeten the jelly. You can adjust the sweetness based on your preference.
Boiling water. To help dissolve the other ingredients.

Sweet Cream

Heavy cream. It is the key to creating that rich, creamy consistency of the cold foam. You can also use a vegan version to make this drink completely plant-based.
Milk. Add a splash of milk to the heavy cream base to keep it from getting too thick. You can also use non-dairy milk.
Sweetened condensed milk. It adds a rich milky flavor to the cream. You can substitute condensed milk with simple syrup or other sweeteners if preferred.
Sea salt. Adds saltiness to the salted cream topping. This ingredient is optional, and you can omit the salt if you want a sweet cream topping.
Cocoa powder. To dust the top. It is optional.

Substitutions and Variations

Vegan option. Gelatin powder can be substituted with agar agar powder. You can also substitute the heavy cream with vegan heavy cream, milk with dairy-free milk, and condensed milk with other liquid sweeteners.
Coffee. You can substitute instant coffee with brewed coffee or decaf coffee.
Flavor. If you are not a fan of coffee flavor, you can also experiment with the flavor of jelly, like matcha or black tea.
Shape. Instead of pouring the jelly into individual cups, you can set it in a small rectangular mold or tin. Then, cut the jelly into small cubes after the jelly has hardened.

Why Coffee Jelly Does Not Set Properly

There are a few things that may have caused this:

Gelatin is not dissolved properly. Make sure to mix it well in the boiling water until the gelatin is fully dissolved.
Insufficient Chilling Time. Gelatin generally takes 4 to 6 hours to set in the refrigerator, though it can take up to 24 hours for a firmer consistency.
Not enough gelatin. If you find the jelly semi-set but still quite soft, try using an extra teaspoon of gelatin on your next round. That should help to give you a really firm set.

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