6 Snacks to Best Pair With Coffee

Whether you enjoy your coffee first thing in the morning, as an afternoon pick-me-up, or anytime in between, there is an abundance of tasty treats that can be enjoyed alongside your sip. If you’re a lover of quality coffee and like to get the best out of your beans, then you’ll want to ensure your brew is perfectly paired with each snack to avoid any bad tastes. Here we share some of the best coffee and food pairings.

You will notice that many of the best pairing choices are sweet rather than savoury. This is due to the fact that coffee can be bitter, and so the sweetness that some foods offer compliment it well, balancing out the sharper tastes for a more enjoyable drinking experience.

Chocolate

Not many of us will turn down a chocolatey treat, and luckily for coffee lovers, coffee and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Whether you choose to dunk a square into a freshly brewed cup for a soft, melty bite, or nibble on a chunk after a refreshing sip, there are plenty of incredible flavour experiences to be had. Again, the type of coffee you drink will have an impact on the chocolate you should pair with it, and vice versa.

In similar rules to pairing wine with food, a dark roast coffee, or the bold coffees produced in Brazil and Ethiopia will taste divine when matched with dark chocolate. If you tried to eat white chocolate with a darker coffee, the flavour would likely be overwhelmed. Instead, opt for a Colombian or Costa Rican roast if you like to eat white chocolate. Luckily, milk chocolate is pretty easy and can pair well with any type of coffee. However, it must be said that it tastes extremely delicious when matched with a Kenyan, Ethiopian, Sumatran or Colombian brew! 

Fruit

If you’re looking for a healthier snack, then fruit often provides the best option. You have to be careful when pairing fruit with coffee, though, as the sour notes of some will be overwhelming when mixed with coffee. Opt for berries or stone fruits, such as peaches and apricots, for the best flavour combination. The kind of coffee you drink will determine which fruit works best with it. For example, Jamaican coffee tastes great with a handful of blueberries!

It doesn’t all have to be fresh fruit though, either. Fruit can be added into tarts and desserts or baked for a sweeter taste. If you choose a fruit-based dessert or sweeter fruit, then pair it with a medium or dark-roasted Brazilian coffee, as the richness and flavour of the drink will perfectly balance out the sugariness of the food.

Pastry

A great on-the-go breakfast or break time snack to enjoy with a to-go cup of coffee, a pastry such as a croissant or Danish will work wonderfully with a morning brew. The buttery and sweet taste of these pastries will complement the coffee, balancing out any bitter notes for a well-rounded taste experience. If your Danish pastry includes fruit or chocolate, then similar rules to pairing can apply as above.

Cheese

While you might think of pairing wine more with cheese, coffee can actually have an incredible effect on a cheese’s flavour too. The intense flavours of cheese are only strengthened by coffee, which is powerful enough to hold its own flavour against the cheese. The coffee can cut through the salty notes of the cheese and act as a palate cleanser with each sip so you can truly appreciate the full flavours of each. 

Cheese and coffee is also a traditional combination in Scandinavia, in the form of Kaffeost. Kaffeost is coffee with cubes of cheese added to it. The cheese traditionally used is called Leipäjuusto, and it soaks up some of the coffee and softens in its warmth. The cheese develops a delicious coffee flavour, while the coffee gains a buttery and nutty flavour. You could say that Kaffeost is like the savoury version of hot chocolate and marshmallows!

Cake

An absolute classic pairing, all good coffee shops will have a wide array of cakes on offer for you to enjoy alongside a hot cup of coffee. All coffee and cake pairings are going to work pretty well, but by matching key flavours in each, you can discover some truly incredible taste experiences. A slice of carrot cake will taste wonderful with a Colombian coffee, which will present nutty and caramel notes that will complement the cake. Plate full of rich, gooey chocolate cake? Pour yourself a cup of medium-dark roasted Guatemalan coffee and enjoy the chocolatey notes it presents. If you really can’t get enough of coffee, then you could even grab a slice of coffee cake too! Be sure not to overwhelm your palate with the coffee taste by drinking a lighter Nicaraguan coffee alongside it.

Doughnuts

Doughnuts are another classic choice for coffee lovers, especially for those who take their coffee with a little milk and sugar. Costa Rican coffee works well with doughnuts, as it is naturally sweeter, complimenting the sugary tastes of a doughnut.

Whatever you decide to enjoy alongside your coffee, make sure you’re getting the best brew possible out of your beans by using the AeroPress UK. The smoothness and richness of an AeroPress coffee will make it perfect for pairing with anything you want to eat!