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    Home » Recipes » Beverages and Cocktails

    Modified: May 13, 2024 · Published: Jul 17, 2021 by Willow Moon · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

    Cold Brew Cacao Coffee

    Jump to Recipe Pin Video

    This rich smooth Cold Brew Cacao Coffee has a subtle dark chocolate flavor. It is less acidic than brewed coffee.

    Cold Brew Cacao Coffee in a glass with straw and ice cubes.

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    I have been drinking cold brew coffee for quite a few years. It is my favorite brewing method because it has less acidity than hot brewed coffee.

    Since it takes 18-24 hours, you need to make sure you make enough for the next day. (So if you have company coming, make sure to brew a pot ahead of time.)

    I make a pitcher that holds 7 cups, which lasts anywhere from a few days to a week.

    This Cold Brew Cacao Coffee has a subtle chocolaty flavor and is easy to make.

    It tastes great in my Coffee Overnight Oats recipe. You might also like my Oat Milk Hot Chocolate recipe or Spiced Hot Cocoa recipe.

    Jump to:
    • What Do Cacao Nibs Taste Like?
    • How to Use Cacao Nibs in Coffee
    • Can I Use Cacao Powder?
    • ❤️ Why You'll Love It
    • 🧾 Ingredients
    •  📖 Variations / Additions
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Recipe FAQs
    • Other Coffee Recipes
    • 🎥  Video
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    What Do Cacao Nibs Taste Like?

    If you have never had them before, they have a bitter chocolaty flavor. Cacao nibs are pieces of roasted cacao beans and have no sugar.

    This Cold Brew Cacao Coffee has a bitter dark chocolate flavor. You can add sweetener as you would coffee. I like to add vegan creamer.

    You can also use cacao nibs to make Hot Cacao Tea and Cold Brew Cacao.

    How to Use Cacao Nibs in Coffee

    To get a subtle dark chocolate flavored coffee, grind cacao nibs coarsely and combine them with coarsely ground coffee beans when making cold brew coffee.

    Can I Use Cacao Powder?

    No. You can add cacao powder (or cocoa powder) to a regular coffee maker, but not cold brew. Cold brew coffee needs coarsely ground coffee beans and cacao nibs.

    I tried this recipe with cacao powder and it was unsuccessful.

    ❤️ Why You'll Love It

    • It has a subtle chocolate flavor.
    • It's a great way to switch up your morning coffee.
    • Cold brew is less acidic than brewing in a coffee machine.

    🧾 Ingredients

    Cacao coffee ingredients on a cutting board with labels.
    • Coffee beans: By grinding the beans yourself you can control the size of the grind to make cold brew coffee. Use whatever your favorite roast is. You could use decaf coffee but know that cacao nibs contain a little caffeine.
    • Cacao nibs: Add a bitter chocolaty flavor. Cacao powder and unsweetened cocoa powder will not work for this recipe.
    • Water

    To see the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

     📖 Variations / Additions

    • Cardamom and sweetened condensed milk to make Cold Brew Thai Iced Coffee
    • Cinnamon stick added when brewing

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    🔪 Instructions

    Coarsely ground cacao nibs in a coffee grinder.

    Step 1: Coarsely grind cacao nibs in a coffee grinder.

    Coffee grounds in a coffee grinder.

    Step 2: Coarsely grind coffee beans in a coffee grinder.

    Filter being placed in a cold brew coffee maker.

    Step 3: Place ground cacao nibs and coffee grounds in a cold brew coffee maker or large mason jar with water.

    If you have a fine mesh bag, place grounds in that. Otherwise, you can place grounds directly in the jar and strain it out after brewing.

    Brew grounds for 24 hours and strain out grounds. Add sweetener and almond milk, or however you like your coffee.

    Soy milk being poured into Cold Brew Cacao Coffee.
    Cold Brew Cacao Coffee in mason jar on cutting board.

    👩🏻‍🍳 Recipe FAQs

    Do cacao nibs have caffeine?

    Cacao nibs do have caffeine. According to the Navitas website, cacao has 41 mg of caffeine per 3 tablespoons of cacao nibs. In comparison a brewed cup of coffee has 80-135 mg of caffeine.

    Other Coffee Recipes

    • Vegan Bulletproof Coffee in a mug with coffee beans in the background.
      Vegan Bulletproof Coffee
    • Vegan Coffee Ice Cream
      Vegan Coffee Ice Cream
    • Coffee Soda
      Coffee Soda
    • Mocha Almond Overnight Oats
      Mocha Overnight Oats

    🎥  Video

    If you tried this Cold Brew Cacao Coffee Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and let me know how you like it in the 💬 comments below. I love hearing from you!

    📋 Recipe

    Cold Brew Cacao Coffee
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    5 from 2 votes

    Cold Brew Cacao Coffee

    This rich smooth Cold Brew Cacao Coffee has a subtle dark chocolate flavor. It is less acidic than brewed coffee. 
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine American
    Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
    brew 1 day day
    Total Time 1 day day 5 minutes minutes
    Servings 7
    Calories 47kcal
    Author Willow Moon
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Coffee grinder
    • Cold Brew Coffee Maker or a jar, and a fine mesh bag or cheesecloth

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups coffee beans coarsely ground
    • ½ cup cacao nibs coarsely ground
    • 7 cups water

    Instructions

    • Combine coffee grounds, cacao grounds, and water in a cold brew coffee maker or large jar. Let steep in refrigerator or on countertop for 18-24 hours.
    • Discard coffee and cacao grounds. If using a jar, pour coffee grounds and cacao nibs through fine mesh bag or cheesecloth into another jar.
    • Add plant based milk and sweetener, if desired.

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    Nutrition

    Calories: 47kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 11mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 7mg
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    *Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.

    **Important! If you are gluten free you may want to avoid coffee altogether. I personally have never had a problem drinking it, and I have a gluten intolerance. It is probably because I drink whole bean organic coffee, and grind it myself. I learned that it can be problematic for people who don't tolerate gluten. So I did some research and one article mentioned to try organic whole bean coffee because it isn't highly processed causing cross-reactivity issues. So please do the research yourself, and test it out. I try to only post recipes that are 100% gluten free since I have a gluten intolerance. I am really careful about avoiding gluten in my daily life.

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