Coffee Butter with Brown Sugar & Cinnamon

Coffee Butter: A Surprisingly Perfect Use for Your Morning Brew

This recipe was born out of necessity.

During a 10-day silent meditation retreat earlier this winter, my real coffee was confiscated within minutes of arrival. I was left with instant coffee and a lot of time to get creative. Somewhere between oats experiments and questionable dirty chai attempts, I stumbled onto something that actually worked: coffee butter.

Once I got home, reunited with real coffee, I knew this recipe deserved a proper redo.

Coffee butter is exactly what it sounds like. Soft butter infused with freshly brewed coffee, a little sugar, and just enough salt to make everything pop. It is rich, slightly sweet, gently bitter, and wildly comforting. Think cinnamon toast energy, but elevated.

This is not a dessert but it can be if you want it to. I like to think of it as a quiet luxury breakfast situation.

Smear it on toast. Let it melt into warm bread. Add a little crunch if you feel like it. Eat slowly.

What you’ll need

• 75g butter, salted or unsalted
• 3 tbsp light or dark brown sugar
• 20 mL fresh brewed espresso, slightly cooled (or concentrated brewed coffee)
• A dash of sea salt
• A dash of cinnamon
• Optional toppings: sunflower seeds, chopped nuts, raisins

How to make it

1. In a small bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar together using a spatula until smooth and well combined.
2. Add the slightly cooled espresso or coffee and mix until fully incorporated. Make sure the coffee is not hot, as you want to flavour the butter, not melt it.
3. Add a dash of sea salt and cinnamon to taste. Adjust as needed.
4. Smear generously on toast, just like you would with butter.
5. Optional but recommended: top with sunflower seeds, nuts, or raisins for a bit of texture and crunch.

This recipe is a good reminder that coffee does not always have to live in a cup. It can be an ingredient, a flavour, a mood. It can show up in unexpected places and still feel intentional.

If you make this, I would genuinely love to hear what you think. Bonus points if you eat it slowly, without your phone, and let it be the moment.