Coffee jelly is silky, bouncy, and so refreshing on a hot day. It’s SO easy to make and its soft texture makes it so satisfying to eat! This delicious treat is super popular in Japan and it’s basically a coffee you can eat!

It’s Saiki K’s favorite treat and practically on every Japanese dessert cafe menu for good reason. With just 4 ingredients, you can make a sweet and delicious coffee jelly that is light in calories and full of flavor.

So, here’s how to make Japanese coffee jelly at home!

What is Coffee Jelly?

You might’ve seen brown cubes of bouncy jelly in a cup topped with whipped cream and served in milk.

Coffee jelly is an edible coffee dessert or snack that is satisfying to look at and eat. You can find it all over Japan from coffee shops to grocery stores and convenience stores either in cubes in a parfait or a whole pudding.

It’s so popular that it’s been featured in numerous animes, with the most famous being “The Disastrous Life of Saiki K” where the main protagonist Saiki K is obsessed with it.

What is Coffee Jelly Made Of?

It’s a super popular dessert in Japan (コーヒーゼリー) that is made from sweetened coffee and kanten, a vegan gelatin. The dessert is sweet, bouncy, strong, and refreshing, usually served with a dollop of whipped cream and milk.

This jelly is especially popular during the summer when it’s sweltering hot outside, and your iced drinks melt in the blink of an eye.

What Country Invented Coffee Jelly?

Coffee jelly is actually a British/American invention! A Japanese student who studied in America shared the recipe with a famous Japanese magazine, Yomiuri Shimbun, in 1914 and it exploded in popularity 50 years later in Japan when Mikado Coffee sold it as “coffee you can eat”.

Because of its popularity, supermarkets in Japan started selling it in the 70’s and now you can find it in every Japanese convenience store and cafe.

What Does Coffee Jelly Taste Like?

Coffee jelly is silky and bouncy with a strong and sweet coffee flavor and a creamy aftertaste. This jelly has a strong coffee flavor, which is balanced by the sugar!

It’s refreshing, especially on a hot day, and with whipped cream and a little milk, it’s basically an edible iced coffee.

The kanten makes the jello very jiggly, which also makes it super satisfying to eat.

How to Eat Coffee Jelly

It’s easiest to eat this by scooping it up using a fork or spoon. Most cafes and restaurants will cut the coffee jelly into cubes before garnishing it with whipped cream, a sprig of mint, and a drizzle of milk or condensed milk and serving.

The jelly is soft enough that you can easily cut into it with cutlery, and sometimes even break it up into smaller pieces and slurp it up with a straw. It’s a fun and refreshing treat that you can enjoy in multiple ways!

What Coffee to Use

The best coffee to use with coffee jelly is brewed coffee or cold brew coffee. Because the coffee brews into water, it’s easy to dissolve into the gelatin or kanten. Plus, you can make the coffee as strong or as diluted as you want. It’s also the best way to get the freshest flavor since you’re brewing it fresh. I like cold brew coffee since it’s not sour or bitter, just smooth.

For convenience, you can also use store-bought coffee or coffee concentrate. The premade coffee will most likely taste most similar to the storemade jelly.

You can even use instant coffee to make this treat super fast. However, instant coffee has a very distinct bitter and sour taste to it that you’ll taste in the jelly.

What is Kanten?

Kanten is a vegan gelling agent made from red seaweed. It’s different from gelatin and sets at room temperature and doesn’t melt as easily out of the fridge. It’s high in nutrients and makes you feel full, so it’s also a popular dieting food.

Kanten and agar agar are very similar gelling agents and can be used as replacements for each other since they basically set and have the same texture. The difference is that they are made from different types of seaweed, which does not contribute to a significant difference between the two.

It’s an important part of making coffee jelly and is what gives it its signature jiggle and texture!

How to Make Coffee Jelly

Here’s what you’ll need to make coffee jelly:

• 1 cup hot water
• 1 tsp kantan or agar agar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp instant coffee OR 1 cup of brewed coffee (see below)

Japanese Coffee Jelly Recipe

1. Make Jelly Mixture: Boil water and add it to a small saucepan, then add your agar agar and whisk until fully dissolved. You should not see any specks in your water, it should be clear! If not, the agar agar isn’t dissolved and your jelly won’t set properly.
2. Add your sugar and coffee and whisk until dissolved.
3. Pour into Molds: Let the mixture cool slightly before adding it to your desired individual serving cups or mold. Use a rectangle dish if you want to cut the jelly into cubes.
4. Chill Jelly: Make sure the mixture is cooled before adding it to the fridge for at least one hour or firm to the touch.
5. Serve: Once firm, serve as is or cut into cubes before adding optional garnishes or enjoying in a milk tea or coffee drink as shown in this post.
6. Mix and enjoy!

Different Ways to Make Coffee Jelly

Have different ingredients available? You can easily make coffee jelly using different methods:

• Gelatin powder: If using gelatin powder, use double the amount of gelatin since it sets much softer than agar agar does. You need to bloom the gelatin before use, which is just letting water and powder sit for a few minutes until hydrated. Similarly, make sure it’s completely dissolved before pouring into molds and chilling. Do not boil gelatin, as it’s heat sensitive and can also set improperly if it experiences high heat.
• Brewed coffee: Brew your coffee a little stronger so the flavors come through in the jelly. You should dissolve the kanten into a little water first before adding the brewed coffee, otherwise, it will be really hard to tell if it’s completely dissolved or not.

Is Coffee Jelly Good for You?

Kanten is high in fiber and potassium and virtually calorie-free, so it’s a healthy food item. It’s super popular in Japanese desserts (wagashi) like anmitsu (あんみつ) and kanten fruit jelly.

However, while by itself it has some nutritional value, mixing it with sugar makes it less healthy.

Tips:

Here are some tips for making a refreshing Japanese coffee jelly at home!

• Add a Creamy Garnish: Top your coffee jelly with whipped cream, sweetened condensed milk, and a mint leaf for the full effect! Mix a little cream or half and half into your condensed milk for a creamy addition.
• Use in Desserts: Layer cut-up jelly in a yogurt parfait or mousse dessert for extra flavor.
• Enjoy in a Drink: Enjoy cubed coffee jelly as a topping for a coffee or milk tea drink, or let it firm up at the bottom of a cup to enjoy a cool visual with your drink.
• Make a Large Batch: This recipe is for one serving if you want to enjoy it as a small treat or in a drink, but if you want to make it in bulk, triple, or quadruple this recipe!