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When you know how to make instant espresso you can enjoy a vanilla latte, chocolatey mocha, or espresso tonic without a bulky or expensive espresso machine. Below you’ll find my favorite way to stir up a shot of bold espresso using instant coffee powder.
Not everyone who loves making Starbucks copycat drinks or coffee recipes has an espresso machine at their disposal. But that doesn’t mean you have to go without! Using the instant powder in place of freshly brewed beans is an easy and practically effortless way to enjoy the bold and rich taste of real espresso!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Espresso Powder – This is not the same as instant coffee granules, it will say espresso on the label. You can find instant espresso powders at high-end grocery stores or online.
- Hot Water – To mix with the instant espresso. It should be steaming, but not boiling.
Instant Espresso vs Instant Coffee
As I stated above, instant espresso and instant coffee are not the same thing. Just like espresso and brewed coffee are not the same thing. They both come from coffee beans, yes, but the brewing method is different which yields a different product.
The benefit of both though, is that people who live in dorm rooms, or small apartments, or are traveling and on the go can enjoy a great cup of coffee if there is access to hot water!
Look at the picture below and you will see the instant espresso powder at the top, followed by the instant coffee granules, and finally showing regular ground coffee. That’s a lot of difference!
You can see how fine the instant espresso powder is versus the regular instant coffee. It’s almost like chalk dust it’s so fine.
This means that when you have 1 teaspoon of instant espresso versus 1 teaspoon of instant coffee you’re going to get more coffee bang for your buck in the espresso, making the flavor and concentration stronger.
It’s a similar situation to salt. Kosher salt has thicker, coarser grains versus regular table salt.
So, if you were to use 1 teaspoon of regular table salt in a recipe that called for 1 teaspoon of kosher salt it would taste saltier, because the smaller granules of salt mean that you’ll be getting more in the end product by concentration.
Does this make sense? I sure hope so! Now we can focus on making a shot of instant espresso!
Making Instant Espresso
This is just a brief overview, find detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
- Add the espresso to a cup. Either an espresso cup if you’ll just be sipping it or in a larger mug or cup if you’ll be making a fun drink, like an iced vanilla latte!
- Top with hot water. More or less, depending on whether you’re doing one or two “shots” of espresso.
- Mix well. You’re not going to get a thick and velvety crema on the top of instant espresso but mixing it well with a spoon or even a small whisk will create a lovely foam on top.
Espresso Powder to Water Ratio
Obviously, you can just follow the instructions on the package of your instant espresso, but I encourage you to play around with ratios of the coffee and water to see what you prefer.
I like to use at least 2 shots of espresso in all my espresso-based drinks (like my maple latte). In a traditional espresso machine, 1 shot of espresso is going to roughly equal 1 fluid ounce. So, that means my drink base is 2 ounces.
I have found that 1 tablespoon of espresso powder mixed with 2 ounces of water (which is 4 tablespoons or ¼ cup if you didn’t know) makes the perfect instant espresso shots for me.
Mix it up and try 1 teaspoon espresso to 1 ounce water or 2 teaspoons to 2 ounces and so on. When you find what you like, you can make a note on the jar so you’ll always remember your favorite method.
Now if I wanted to make an instant Americano (which is espresso topped with hot water), I use 1 tablespoon of instant espresso and 6 – 8 ounces of hot water.
But let’s say you want to make a latte with the instant espresso…
Making a latte using instant espresso
- Mix the instant espresso. With hot water in a serving mug.
- Froth your steamed milk. Using a handheld frother, or by simply shaking a well-sealed jar of hot milk.
- Pour milk into mug. You can also add flavored syrups like a nice caramel simple syrup or peppermint simple syrup for a sweet and flavorful instant latte!
Espresso Powder in Baked Goods
Did you know you can also stir a teaspoon of instant espresso powder into your favorite chocolate cake and brownie recipes to add more depth to the chocolatey flavor?!
Now that’s pretty sweet!
Watch the recipe video!
How to Make Instant Espresso
Equipment
- Serving Mug
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 2 ounces hot water
Instructions
- In an espresso cup or serving mug, add 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder. Top with 2 ounces (which is 4 tablespoons or ¼ cup) hot, steaming water.
- Stir very well using a small spoon or mini whisk until powder is fully dissolved.
- Enjoy as a shot of espresso with cream and a sugar cube or in your favorite latte and cappuccino recipes.
Irene Castellon says
I loved this simple, doable recipe. I am not in a place to buy a fancy espresso machine or have the time to use one so this is a nice alternative and offered the same taste to me.
Amanda Gajdosik says
Hi Irene,
I totally agree with you! Instant espresso makes it so much more approachable. Thank you for your kind words!
Amanda