If you don’t own a single-serve coffee maker, you may find yourself wondering what to do with leftover coffee. Coffee beans can be expensive; it seems like a shame to throw that money down the drain. Today I’m sharing an easy leftover coffee recipe that can help you to prevent food waste. We’re going to take those coffee leftovers and make some refreshing 15-calorie coffee popsicles!
I'm (usually) the only coffee drinker in my household. As a result, there always seems to be some extra coffee leftover in the pot in the mornings. At some point I should probably pick up a single-serve coffee maker, but it just hasn’t happened yet.
The coffee maker we do have works well, so I’m having trouble justifying the additional purchase. My childhood home followed the well-known frugal adage:
Use it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or do without.
I continue to carry these thrifty lessons into adulthood. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Well, my current coffeemaker isn’t broken. So, we’re not seeking replacements just yet.
However, this doesn’t solve the problem of the leftover coffee. Even though I never make a full pot of coffee just for me, there is always a little left in the pot.
I knew someone years ago who would save her coffee leftovers in the fridge to make iced coffee. She always brewed her coffee extra strong since it became diluted once she added ice.
Here, I’m offering up another option for what to do with leftover coffee. I’m turning my coffee leftovers into tasty coffee popsicles. At only 15-calories each, these should not interfere with any weight loss goals you may have!
Some mornings when it is hot out, I prefer these ice pops to a cup of hot coffee.
Who are these leftover coffee popsicles best for?
Though kids tend to be the biggest consumers of popsicles in many households, these coffee popsicles are better for adults. Because these are made with coffee, these popsicles do contain some caffeine. (Yes, even if you use decaf coffee, they do contain some caffeine.)
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests taking caution when it comes to caffeine intake in kids. They recommend that children under 12 should not be consuming coffee and other caffeinated drinks. Teens are also discouraged from consuming caffeinated beverages.
Most healthy adults, on the other hand, can safely consume up to 400 mg of caffeine per day. That’s about 4-5 cups of coffee. In other words, a few of these popsicles should be just fine for a healthy adult.
You can feel good about saving these low-calorie coffee popsicles for yourself. No need to caffeinate the kids and have them bouncing off the walls! Haha
Though these popsicles do contain some milk, they’re more of an icy pop rather than creamy. They’re simple, they’re energizing, and they have been made with coffee that would have been thrown away.
It’s kind of like getting a snack for free. Nothing to complain about there!
At some point, I’m sure we’ll have to replace our coffee maker. When we do, I’ll probably get a single-serve coffee maker that uses K-Cups. Until then, I’m happy to have found a way to use all the leftover brewed coffee I end up with when I brew a big pot!
And now for the disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to this post. Let's get cooking!
What to do with leftover coffee: 15-calorie coffee popsicles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups brewed coffee (strong-brewed)
- 2 teaspoons Swerve, granular (or your preferred sweetener, optional)
- 2 cups milk, 2%
Instructions
- Add any optional sweeteners to the coffee while it is still hot, so it fully dissolves. Let the coffee cool to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.
- Stir the milk into the coffee.
- Fill your popsicle molds with the coffee and milk mixture. I was able to fill 17 molds.
- Put the tops/sticks on the molds and freeze for several hours (or overnight). So easy to make and so refreshing! (Seriously, so easy! But I made a recipe video for this one anyway. haha)
Video
Notes
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). The exact calorie count of these pops depends on things like the size of your ice pop molds and whether you add a sweetener with calories. I added a zero-calorie sweetener and was able to make 17 pops, meaning each pop was only 15 calories. Aside from being super low-calorie, another way this treat may support fat loss is through the presence of caffeine. Caffeine will give a small boost to your metabolism. That said, your overall dietary pattern is a far more important factor in weight loss than any one food you do (or don’t) include. Nutrition information is for one serving of the recipe.
Nutrition
If you’re in need of a cooldown, you’re in luck! I have a lot of ice pop recipes that you can check out (and unlike this recipe, they’re kid-friendly). My homemade popsicles with watermelon, mint, and lime are a family favorite.
Also, don’t miss the peanut butter banana chocolate smoothie pops and the watermelon pineapple mango pops. All of my popsicle recipes use whole blended fruits and skip the added sugars.
If you were wondering what to do with leftover coffee, I hope that this simple recipe helped you out! And if you already use leftover coffee in recipes, I’d love to hear all about what you’re making. You can let me know in the comments below!
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