5 reasons to save your coffee grounds

These recipes will give your morning pick-me-up a second life

Hey team! Welcome back to our little sustainable corner of the internet. Wouldn’t you know it, we’re talking about beans again. This time, though, we’re upcycling ones you may be tossing in the trash: the leftover grinds from your morning cup of Joe. Coffee is a resource-intensive and heavily emitting commodity, and sending spent grounds to rot in the landfill only makes matters worse.

Let me be super-mega clear here in case your morning cuppa hasn’t kicked in yet: I’m not saying quit coffee (😱). I’m saying don’t waste coffee. Used grounds are the king of compost, a gardener’s best friend, and can even help keep your fridge smelling fresh or power some DIY skincare. They also happen to be one of the most aromatic ingredients you could have in your kitchen, adding a boost and caffeinated kick to dishes both sweet and savory. Ready to get your buzz on? 

5 ways to use up spent coffee grounds

Cooking and baking with everyone’s favorite breakfast bevvy isn’t some Earth-shattering idea, but it’s usually reserved for fresh grounds. In many cases, though, you can use spent ones the exact same way. (Just don’t swap ’em when the recipe calls for instant coffee or espresso powders, which, in most cases, need to dissolve completely.) Used grounds will last in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to a month. 

Here are five tasty ways to cook and bake with those excess granules, including our own recipe for a dairy-free cookie with serious mocha energy.

1. Granola

Coffee crunch. Credit: Gabriella Vigoreaux

Wake up and smell the … granola? This recipe comes from plant-based content creator Carleigh Bodrug via her newest cookbook, PlantYou: Scrappy Cooking. Her Common Ground Granola calls for both leftover brewed coffee and 3 tablespoons of spent grounds. It comes together pretty quickly, and you likely have all the ingredients in your pantry (oats, nuts, cocoa powder, flaxseed, tahini, maple syrup, and cocoa nibs). Or you can customize it with whatever nuts and nut butter you’ve gotta use up. If you feel like adding some dried fruit into the mix (cherries would be nice), stir those in after the bake so they stay plump. 

2. Rubs

Coffee rubs aren’t just for steaks. This sweet and smoky blend, for example, can add an aromatic burst to grilled tofu or roasted veggies, like carrots, parsnips, or sweet potatoes. All you need is the grounds, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and ketchup—plus some chile flakes if you’re feeling feisty. Coffee and carrots, in fact, make an excellent pairing when cooked low and slow.

3. Cocktails

Last week’s morning brew can become this week’s after-dinner delight. Steeping used grounds in vodka with some sugar and vanilla nets you a homemade coffee liqueur in just a few days. Sip it on its own, pour it over some ice cream, or shake it into an espresso martini or a lesser-known bourbon cocktail called the revolver. 

4. Tiramisu

Could there be a better dessert for stashing leftover coffee than tiramisu? You can whip those excess grounds right into the creamy mascarpone if you’re going classic, but this version also happens to be completely plant-based. It swaps aquafaba (that’s chickpea water) and silken tofu for eggs and dairy, and it’s still plenty decadent thanks to coconut butter and some optional, but encouraged, brandy.

5. Cookies 

I actually prefer baking with spent grounds over fresh ones, because the coffee’s softened both in texture and flavor. There’s less grittiness, and the taste is more subtle so you can use up more than just a couple teaspoons. Plus, adding coffee to baked goods can help extend their shelf life.

I’ve spent years working in bakeries with coffee programs, which is where my love affair with coffee grounds bloomed. I’m forever stealing used pucks from the espresso machine to throw into cookies, cakes, brownies, and pies—basically anywhere I also use chocolate. The two are the power couple of the dessert world. Coffee, which is bitter and floral, complements the sweetness of chocolate and enhances its cocoa flavor. This is why recipes for chocolate desserts so often include a small amount of coffee. The idea behind these cookies is the same. 

These are some caffeinated cookies. Credit: Gabriella Vigoreaux

Coffee & Coconut Compost Cookies

Yield: 30 2-inch cookies