When To Use Espresso Powder Vs Coffee Grounds For Homemade Coffee Ice Cream

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Even the best store-bought coffee ice cream isn't as delicious or rewarding as the one you make at home just the way you like it. While the ingredients are pretty straightforward, there's one decision you'll need to make about how to infuse the ice cream with coffee flavor. It might seem logical that brewing a cup of coffee or espresso is the best way to add coffee flavor to ice cream, but that method can add too much liquid to the mixture. That's why it's best to opt for espresso powder or coffee grounds, which don't require additional liquid, yielding a thick and creamy frozen dessert. But there are differences in how they work in the recipe, so it's best to understand how they work before choosing.

You can't add coffee grounds directly to the ice cream mixture. First, you have to simmer and steep them in the milk base. It's important to use coffee with a medium grind, which is easier to strain, ensuring there's no gritty texture in your finished product while providing plenty of roasty coffee flavor. With espresso powder, there's no need for the extra steps of steeping or straining. Many coffee ice cream recipes call for espresso powder because you don't need much for a strong coffee flavor. Simply mix it into the ice cream base before churning. No need to brew or dissolve it.

All of that said, there's one more important factor to consider before writing off coffee grounds completely. There are some significant variances in flavor that might make or break one option or the other for some coffee ice cream lovers. 

When it comes to flavor, coffee grounds are typically mellower than espresso powder, which is quite concentrated. Like espresso shots, espresso powder is very concentrated. It's made from dark-roasted beans that are ground, brewed, and then dried and ground again for deep espresso flavor. Compared to coffee grounds, espresso powder packs a stronger punch, with an intense and somewhat bitter coffee flavor. 

However, there's not as much flavor variety if you use espresso powder. Coffee grounds have loads of different roasts ranging from light to dark and a huge variety of beans from all over the world, allowing you to get exactly the flavor you want. If you have grounds from a favorite roaster, you can infuse your ice cream with the tasting notes you enjoy in your cup of morning brew. But avoid using cheap beans, or you'll just end up with equally cheap-tasting ice cream. That doesn't mean you need to spend a fortune. Just choose a coffee you actually enjoy drinking and don't expect some cream and sugar to work miracles.

You probably already have coffee grounds you like in your kitchen, though they're also readily available at any store. Or you can shop Amazon for one of our best coffee beans in every category, such as our best dark roast from Death Wish Coffee Co. or Café Bustelo's Supreme, our best budget find. For some, finding espresso powder may be more difficult, though Amazon carries a variety of those too, including the highly rated King Arthur Espresso Powder.