Searching for a good espresso powder substitute? These easy-to-find Test Kitchen-approved ingredients are just as effective at enhancing flavor.
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Katlyn Moncada is the associate food editor at BHG.com, sharing food news and tutorials on becoming better home cooks. She is a writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience in digital media, photography, and video production.
Updated on November 19, 2023
Espresso powder is essentially concentrated instant coffee. It is often used in baking to add deep, rich flavors to cakes, cookies, brownies, and other desserts. In small amounts (just a teaspoon or two) you can make chocolate taste more chocolatey and add complexity to both sweet and savory dishes. If you're making a recipe that calls for instant espresso powder—but don't have any on hand—use one of our Test Kitchen's espresso powder substitutes to finish your dish and still achieve the intended flavor.
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The Best Espresso Powder Substitutes
If you don't have instant espresso powder and are wondering what to use instead, try one of these two Test Kitchen-approved espresso powder substitutes:
- Instant coffee powder: Using an equal amount of instant coffee powder or granules will work fine in your recipes. Keep in mind: Espresso powder is more concentrated than coffee powder, so using the latter as an espresso powder substitute won't impart the same depth of flavor. Although you can add more coffee powder than you would espresso powder, don't go overboard, since this could add a bitter note to your food (especially desserts).
- Brewed coffee: Use strong brewed coffee—ideally, a super-dark roast—that's been chilled to replace a small portion of liquid in the recipe.
How to Use Espresso Powder and Substitutes
There are reams of recipes featuring coffee to provide that bold, robust flavor you associate with a cup of joe. While caffeinated desserts—like pumpkin spice latte cookies and Gingerbread Espresso Spirals—are absolutely divine—we also like to recruit instant espresso powder for another purpose: bringing intensity to savory recipes. And, no, this dark-hued dust doesn't make everything taste like coffee. For example, using instant espresso in a rub for steak adds rich, earthy notes that deliciously complement the meat. Coffee powder is also the secret ingredient for our popular Coffee-Braised Pot Roast, Coffee-Rubbed Salmon Sandwiches, and Chipotle-Coffee Pot Roast.
Now, go ahead, and try an espresso powder substitute in more of our rich, flavorful recipes, like these espresso tarts or this stunning maple-mocha pull-apart bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is espresso powder the same as instant coffee?
Not quite. Instant espresso powder is made from dark-roasted coffee beans that have been ground, dried, and pulsed into a fine powder, which can dissolve in hot water without needing to be brewed in a coffee pot or filtered. While it looks the same as instant coffee powder and the two can be used interchangeably, instant espresso powder is more concentrated.
Can I substitute ground coffee for instant espresso?
Depending on what you are making, yes. If you are baking and your recipe only calls for a small amount, ground coffee may be a suitable replacement. If you require more than a couple of teaspoons or the recipe will not be baked, ground coffee will likely give your dish a grainy texture.
Can I substitute cocoa powder for instant espresso?
If you are making a savory dish or chocolate-based dessert, an equal amount of unsweetened or Dutch-process cocoa powder could work beautifully as a substitute (although the resulting flavor may be slightly fruitier). Sweetened cocoa or hot chocolate mix is not recommended as it will change the flavor and composition of your dish.
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