I typically obsess over the perfect espresso or correct milk frothing techniques when making coffee drinks. But today, I wanna take you down a road less travelled and look at the most unusual coffee recipes in the world. We’re talking coffee with cheese, egg, bacon and even, dare I say it, charcoal!
While these unusual coffee drinks may sound downright weird, some have centuries of tradition behind them and in terms of flavor, they actually work.
Read on to learn more on these unusual coffee combos.
Table of Contents
Overview: What’s an Unusual Coffee Drink?
In a world where we’ve normalized dropping five bucks on a triple shot, half-caff, oat milk latte with ten pumps of vanilla syrup, the bar for “unusual” may seem pretty high. But there is a real difference between customized and genuinely weird.
Unusual coffee recipes are any that challenge our assumptions of what coffee should be. They use ingredients that break culinary norms, or indeed, follow preparation methods that’ll have you doing a double take.
Perhaps they’re traditional coffee drinks from other cultures that sound absolutely bonkers to Western ears. Or maybe they’re modern creations that mad-scientist baristas have dreamt up.
Either way, these unusual coffee drinks immediately draw you in by their curious nature. Trust me, they often seem wrong until you actually try them.
What Equipment Will You Need?
Depending on the recipe, you’ll most likely need the following:
The best coffee grinder: Grinding beans fresh gives you the best taste experience
Coffee scale: for accurate measurements
Brewing equipment: Espresso machine, moka pot, pour-over maker, French press or traditional brewer
Frother or electric mixer: If your recipe requires mixing of any kind
Serving cups: Anything from espresso cups to coffee glasses
Spoons: For stirring. No duh, right?!
Coffeeness Medium Roast Espresso
Well-balanced with chocolate & hazelnut notes
Freshly roasted in Brooklyn
Very low acidity
The 7 Most Unusual Coffee Recipes
Spiced Butter Coffee (Buna): Ethiopia
Long before Dave Asprey popularized bullet-proof coffee (inspired by Tibetan butter coffee), Ethiopians were perfecting unusual coffee recipes in the birthplace of coffee itself.
Buna, or coffee with spiced ghee (clarified butter), is a sacred social ritual. The host roasts, grinds and brews coffee fresh, and just before serving, stirs in a hefty dollop of spiced ghee.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons (10-12 grams) medium-grind Ethiopian coffee
8 ounces (240 milliliters) cold, filtered water
1 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter
Pinch of ground cardamom, cinnamon and/or clove
Method
Brew strong coffee using your best pour-over maker or Ethiopian jebena if you’ve got one.
While the coffee is still hot, add the butter and spices
Stir vigorously using a spoon, or even better, a hand-held frother, until the butter and the coffee form an emulsion with a rich, frothy texture.
Serve immediately in a finjal (traditional porcelain cup) or your best espresso cup.
Why It Works: Butter in coffee sounds like a prank until you try it. The fat creates a smooth, creamy mouthfeel; the spices complement coffee’s complex flavor notes.
Coffee with Cheese (Kaffeost): Swedish Lapland & Finland
Kaffeost, literally coffee cheese, is fresh-brewed Scandinavian coffee with chunks of bread cheese (Finnish: leipäjuusto), something between a snack and a beverage.
It’s clear that with this unusual coffee drink, the Scandinavians decided that their coffee needed more dairy, just not in liquid form.
Ingredients
8 ounces (240 milliliters) fresh-brewed pour-over or filter coffee
2-3 ounces (60-85 grams) leipäjuusto cheese (substitute with fresh Wisconsin cheese curds)
Method
Brew your coffee however you like; just make sure it’s hot. Use a light to medium roast for the best results.
Cut the cheese into bite-sized cubes and drop them into your empty coffee cup.
Pour hot coffee over the cheese and wait about 30 seconds for the cubes to soften.
Drink your brew, then eat the coffee-soaked cheese with a spoon.
Why It Works: Cheese and coffee together sounds crazy, right? I assure you, it isn’t. Leipäjuusto is slightly sweet, mild and addictively squeaky. When hot coffee hits it, this cheese absorbs rich coffee flavors and softens into something pudding-like.
Egg Coffee (Ca Phe Trung): Vietnam
Vietnam’s egg coffee is basically a caffeinated crème brûlée in a cup. Born in 1940s Hanoi during a milk shortage, it comes to us courtesy of a resourceful barista, who whipped egg yolks with sweetened condensed milk to create a fluffy, custard-like foam.
He (I’m assuming it’s a he) then dolloped this foam atop strong Vietnamese coffee. It’s a case of dessert meeting coffee in the best possible way.
Ingredients
15-20 grams fresh-ground Vietnamese coffee
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon sugar
4 ounces (120 milliliters) just-boiled water
Method
Brew strong coffee using a Vietnamese phin filter or moka pot. Aim for around 4 ounces of concentrated coffee.
While the coffee brews, whisk together the egg yolk, condensed milk and sugar.
I suggest using an electric mixer as you’ll need to whisk vigorously for 3-5 minutes. The egg mixture should turn pale and triple in volume.
Pour the hot coffee into a cup, then gently spoon the whisked egg mixture on top.
Let it sit for a minute or so, before stirring. Then enjoy!
Why It Works: Raw egg in coffee sounds sketchy until you realize it’s basically a caffeinated zabaglione. The hot coffee gently “cooks” the egg mixture just enough for it to be safe to indulge in. Also, the sweet egg foam acts like the sweetened condensed milk in a Vietnamese iced coffee; it balances the strong, bitter coffee without being too heavy.
Coffee Jelly (Kohii Zerii): Japan
Coffee jelly is exactly what it sounds like: sweetened coffee set with gelatin, served cold. It often comes topped with cream or ice cream.
A staple coffee in Japan, you’ll find it in convenience stores and cafes. It’s refreshing, caffeinated and delightfully weird.
Ingredients
16 ounces (480 milliliters) hot, strong coffee
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin powder (substitute with leaf gelatin forvegan/kosher/halal recipes)
3 tablespoons cold, filtered water
Whipped cream, half-and-half or vanilla ice cream (for serving)
Method
Bloom the gelatin by sprinkling it over the cold water and letting it sit for 5 minutes. If using leaf gelatin, soak 2-3 leaves in cold water until they soften.
Meanwhile, brew your coffee strong and stir in the sugar while it’s hot. Add the bloomed gelatin powder or wring-out softened leaves to the hot coffee and stir until completely dissolved.
Pour into a shallow dish or individual cups and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until fully set.
Cut the jelly into cubes and serve topped with whipped cream, half-and-half or ice cream.
Why It Works: Coffee as a solid food is definitely a curveball for most Americans. But the tender, jiggly coffee jelly against a creamy topping creates a playful, almost luxurious experience, while mellowing coffee’s bitterness.
Charcoal Coffee (Kopi Joss): Indonesia
Indonesia’s charcoal coffee is definitely one of the most unusual coffee drinks I’ve come across, but hear me out when I tell you it works.
In parts of Java, hot coals (from an open fire used to roast coffee beans) get dropped directly into the brewed coffee. The charcoal continues to gently heat the drink while adding a subtle smoky flavor. It’s primal, dramatic and totally metal!
Ingredients
10-12 grams coarse-ground Indonesian coffee
8 ounces (240 milliliters) filtered water
1 piece food-grade charcoal (preferably coconut charcoal)
Method
Brew your coffee using a French press.
In the meantime, heat your piece of charcoal over an open flame until it glows red-hot.
Use tongs, obviously; we’re going for unusual coffee recipes, not hospital visits!
Pour your finished coffee into a heat-safe cup, then carefully drop the hot charcoal directly into it. It’ll immediately sizzle and bubble dramatically.
Let it sit for 30 seconds to a minute, then carefully remove the charcoal with a spoon.
If you dare, go ahead and enjoy!
Why This Works: Throwing chunks of burning carbon into these unusual coffee recipes seems certifiably insane, but there’s method to the madness. The charcoal acts as a natural filter, absorbing some of coffee’s acidity and bitterness while adding a beautiful smoky depth.
Chengdu Shock-Temp Latte: China
Chengdu’s Luna Cafe put this drink on the map, and it quickly became one of the most Instagrammed coffees in China. Their signature shock-temp latte is a sensory experience that plays with temperature extremes in the most dramatic way possible. Just watch out for the inevitable brain freeze!
Ingredients
1-2 shots of espresso
4-8 ounces (120-240 milliliters) cold Einsbock milk (a sweeter, higher fat content Austrian milk)
Ice cubes (optional)
Method
This recipe requires serious prep. First chill your latte glass for 1-2 hours.
At the Luna Cafe, they chill their glasses to -123 degrees Fahrenheit (-86 degrees Celsius) in a special, ultra-cold freezer. Obviously, we all can’t access one, so placing your latte glass in the freezer for 1-2 hours should suffice.
Once chilled, remove your glass from the freezer (wearing safety gloves), add ice cubes (optional) and pour in your cold milk.
Pull 1-2 shots of hot espresso and carefully layer the coffee over the milk. Enjoy!
Why It Works: Luna Cafe took the idea of how to make a latte and cranked it up to 11. The ultra-chilled latte glass isn’t just for show. It keeps the bottom layer of creamy milk viciously cold (even as you’re drinking), maintaining the temperature contrast with the hot espresso. It’s one of the most unusual coffee drinks, for sure!
Maple Bacon Latte: USA
Only in America would folks look at coffee and say, “You know what this needs? Bacon!”
The maple bacon latte is exactly as extra as it sounds: espresso with steamed milk, maple syrup and either bacon-infused syrup or actual candied bacon crumbles as garnish. It’s peak American excess, born from the craft coffee movement’s “let’s-try-everything” phase. All the same, somehow it just works.
Ingredients
2 shots espresso
8 ounces (240 milliliters) milk of your choice
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup and 1 strip of bacon or;
Store-bought candied bacon crumbles
Tiny pinch of smoked sea salt (optional)
Method
Cook your bacon until crispy.
Crumble half and save the rest for garnish.
In a small saucepan, gently warm the maple syrup with the bacon crumbles for 2-3 minutes to infuse, then strain.
Alternatively use candied bacon crumbles from the grocery store.
Fire up your best espresso machine and pull a double espresso shot.
Add the bacon-infused maple syrup to the shot and stir.
Steam or froth milk and pour it over the espresso mixture.
Top with a sprinkle of smoked sea salt and garnish with the rest of the crispy maple bacon.
Why It Works: Sweet and savory shouldn’t work in coffee, but maple and bacon are already best friends at the breakfast table, so why not in your brew? The maple syrup’s caramel notes complement coffee’s natural sweetness, while the smoky, salty bacon adds intriguing complexity.
Double Walled Thermo Coffee Glasses
Enjoy your coffee drink hot for longer
Keeps your coffee warm longer
Made of robust borosilicate glass
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed reading all about the most unusual coffee recipes! They certainly prove that there are brews out there more creative and intriguing than you’ll find on your local coffee shop’s menu.
Sure, some of these might sound absolutely bonkers. Maybe you’re thinking, “There’s no way I’m putting cheese in my coffee” or “Is an ultra-chilled glass really necessary?”
But that’s exactly the point. The best taste experiences happen when we step outside our comfort zones and try something that surprises us. These unusual brews have survived (and thrived) because they’re delicious, not just because they’re different.
Now it’s your turn to drink something strange! Pick one recipe from this list – just one – and actually make it. Then, come back here and let us know which one broke your brain (in a good way).
