15 Uses for leftover coffee

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When I roll out of bed in the morning and drag myself into the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee, there is always that day old coffee staring at me, judging me.
I know what its thinking. 
"Look at you, wasting all this precious brown deliciousness. And you're about to do it again aren't you. Yeah you are. Shame.... Shame."

Soooo I got to thinking and came up with ways to repurpose that leftover coffee.



1. Make Coffee Ice Cubes 

Rather than watering down your iced coffee with regular ice cubes, freeze yesterday’s coffee into cubes to use instead!
You can also put a cube or two into your hot coffee to cool it down a bit faster or (as you will read later in this post) you can turn it into a coffee shake.


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2. Iced Coffee

When you turn off your pot, put the rest of the coffee in a hot/cold safe container in the refrigerator and have yourself in ice coffee later. The sooner you get the coffee into the fridge, the more you will preserve the taste and quality of the coffee. 


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3. Coffee Ice Cream 
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Food.com has an awesome coffee ice cream recipe. 
1 cup of heavy cream
1/3 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup of strong coffee, chilled

In a medium bowl, whisk the cream and sugar until the sugar has dissolved completely and the mixture is frothy.
Add the milk, vanilla and coffee.
Whisk until blended.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Prepare the ice cream in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.

There are ways to make ice cream without an ice cream maker.
Visit TasteOfHome.com to see their instructions. 


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4. Make Coffee Brownies
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Rather than using water, add in your leftover coffee for a light coffee taste to your "café mocha" brownies.


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5. Make A Marinade 

The acidity in coffee is light which compliments steak well.
Below is a marinade from Taste of Home.
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Coffee Marinated Steak

6. Use Coffee In Your Hair
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I would not recommend using this with light colored hair, as coffee is a natural staining agent, but the caffeine in coffee can promote hair growth and stimulate follicles. Use up to 4 cups of coffee (depending upon your hair length) after shampooing and let those tiny little caffeine monsters go to work on your scalp!





7. Compost It
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Put the coffee ground AND the filter straight into your compost bin to help regulate the acidity of your wonderful, plant nurturing compost.




8. Make An Exfoliant 

GroundtoGround.org has several DIY exfoliant recipes but this one is my favorite:

1/4 cup used coffee grounds
1 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp honey

Mix in a jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Best results are when used in a hot, steamy shower. 





9. Make A Coffee Protein Shake

This is a perfect “get your butt up and going” breakfast idea.
Mix your cold coffee, protein powder, and some of your frozen coffee ice cubes into a blend and voila! A caffeine/protein packed snack that is also low in fat and calories!




10. Make Your Plants Some Coffee Water 

The coffee water acts like a fertilizer for your indoor and outdoor plants. Be sure to dilute your coffee with water (25% coffee and 75% water) and spray or pour that morning goodness into your indoor and outdoor plants to give them an extra bit of caffeinated love.




​11. Stain Wood

Coffee is a great staining agent, as some of us may have found out the hard way
with clothing or carpet…
To stain wood, sand it first. Once you have a nice, sanded surface, use a cloth and your leftover coffee to rub the stain into the wood. Let the coffee dry into the wood before applying each coat to get your desired color.




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12. Make Tiramisu 
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If you are a baker (which I am NOT), you can turn that cold coffee into a delicious batch of tiramisu. There is an easy tiramisu recipe from Marth Stewart:
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Martha Stewart Easy Tiramisu

13. Scour Your Pots & Pans

Coffee has a nice, coarse consistency to help get your pots and pans cleaned without damaging them. Add dish soap, water, and a bit of coffee grounds and get to scrubbing. Be sure to use a small amount of coffee grounds as they are not suggested to go down your plumbing in large quantities.





14. Remove Cooking Odors

Keep a small bowl of coffee grounds next to your sink to remove garlic and onion odors from your hands after chopping. 



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15. Keep Pests Away From Your Plants

Use the grounds as natural bug repellent in your garden. Simply sprinkling the grounds on top of your garden or potted plants can keep away pests like ants, slugs, and even snails. 



​I can't espresso enough how much I appreciate you coming by my page today! 
Please comment below with uses you have come up with for repurposing your old coffee and coffee grounds. 

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Java nice day! 

-Jamie