Coffee and Dessert Pairings for the Summer

“Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy you coffee which is kind of the same thing.”

Coffee and dessert are good anytime. Honestly, I would eat it all day if calories weren’t a thing. There are so many dessert and coffee recipes that you can make, and when you start matching and switching around coffee and dessert pairs, you can really create a delightful menu for the season to have a treat to enjoy every day.

The fun thing about summer is that you can leisure a bit more and indulge. So, as the final month of summer winds down, I wanted to share some coffee and dessert pairings for the summer that you can enjoy.

Cold Brew and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cold brew coffee and cream cheese pound cake are the perfect pair of bitter and sweet. The mild bitterness of the cold brew is balanced and rounded with a bite of sweet, rich, and fluffy pound cake. It is a match of light and heavy that goes well for breakfast and dessert.

Iced Matcha Latte and Tropical Pavlova

A tea pop cult favorite. A mix of Japanese matcha powder and your favorite coffee, and Iced Matcha Latte brings you a delightful spin on your summer coffee. Matcha is an acquired taste as the green tea taste is intense. The strength of the matcha flavor is met with the powerful sweetness of the pavlova and balanced with seasonal fruits.

Dalgona Coffee and the Perfect Chocolate Cake

Chocolate and coffee are a match made in heaven. Both items are rich and robust with a velvety smooth finish. They also bring out the flavors of each other. The milk underneath the whipped coffee in the dalgona works as a neutralizer as well so you can keep eating and drinking all night long.

Iced Americano and Vanilla Crème Brulee

Two classics that come together as a well-balanced pair. Another balance of bitter and sweet. Being on both extreme ends of the taste spectrum, they both reset your taste buds with each bite and sip.

Vanilla Iced Latte and Carrot Cake

To complement the spiciness of the carrot cake and the richness of vanilla cream cheese frosting a vanilla latte is needed. You can adjust the sweetness of the latte to bite through the spiciness while sweet and bolster the flavor of the cake while bitter and bold.

Iced Caramel Macchiato and Gingerbread Cake

Layers of condensed milk, espresso, and caramel drizzle make eating a gingerbread cake all the more sweet. If your gingerbread cake has actual gingerbread cookies or gingersnap, the lovely break of the biscuits is a delight, and fun the dip in the coffee.

Café con Leche and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

The great thing about this pair is that they’re not overwhelmingly sweet. They are just sweet enough together. The bold taste of the café when brewed with an espresso coffee matches the subtly sweet and spicy bites of oatmeal and raisin in the cookie.

Double Espresso and Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (or an Affogato)

Bitter, sweet, and cold, you won’t be going to sleep with a double espresso and homemade vanilla ice cream in hand. Hot and cold. Sweet and bold. You can definitely control your temperature and your taste buds with this pair.

Get adventurous and make a coffee dessert or eclectic coffee by making an affogato. All you do is pour your espresso over your ice cream and enjoy. If you want to add a little bit of texture, sprinkle a few coffee grounds on top.

Iced Dirty Chai and Banana Pudding

Banana pudding itself is super sweet and delicious. Eating this beloved comfort dessert with a dirty iced chai will not only bring out the banana flavor of the pudding but add a sweet relief to the spice of the chai.

Espresso Martini and Cream Puffs

Two neat things that are a match in heaven. The light airiness of the cream puffs and bold taste of the espresso martini create an excellent pair for a wonderful evening in or out.

Iced Oat Milk Latte and Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is a southern favorite that is rich in flavor. A great dessert or morning sweet treat you can enjoy any time with a light iced oat milk latte that won’t take away or overshine this wonderful southern comfort.

Hazelnut Mocha and Vanilla Sponge Cake with Fresh Berries

Two very different flavors that somehow work well together. The nuttiness of the hazelnut flavoring in the mocha creates an interesting contrast to the light airiness of the vanilla sponge and the sweetness of fresh berries. Sprinkle bits of dark chocolate on top of your mocha or garnish your sponge cake with chocolate curls.

Iced Coffee and Blood Orange Mascarpone Panna Cotta with Raspberry and Rose

This pairing comes with a nice balance created by the sharpness of citrus acid, the bitterness of coffee, and sweetness of mascarpone panna cotta. An interesting play of tastes occurs on the tongue with the combination of flavors, enhancing, subduing, and highlighting all at once.

Iced White Chocolate Mocha and Meringue Roulade

Get ready for a match of sweetness and a touch of bitterness. The only thing cutting through the intensity of sweetness is the combination of mocha and espresso, and more so if you include two espresso shots instead of one. Do not count your calories on this day. It is sweet on top of sweet making for a dessert pairing that is heavenly for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Hot Black Coffee and Cheesecake Mousse

Strong, rich, sweet, and creamy. A complimentary pair that brings out and settles flavors simultaneously. The richness of the cheesecake smooths the bold taste of black coffee (nothing added). Of course, the flavor play changes depending on if you add anything to your cheesecake or coffee. For example, if you add a citrus syrup or glaze over your cheesecake, you may detect more notes from your coffee.