Coffee doesn’t just have to be for your morning cup of joe. It can add a rich and natural flavor to meats like steak, ribs and pork. Then on the flip side coffee can also be a savory and sweet addition to desserts, pancakes and sauces. I first fell in love with coffee by enjoying an afternoon latte as a pick me up. Now almost every day starts with black coffee at breakfast. As I fell more in love with the rich earthy flavor of coffee I started to experiment with how coffee can be used like a spice in many recipes. Here are four fun ways to cook with coffee.

Use coffee in your next batch of chili. Coffee acts like a natural tenderizer for meats and it adds a bold savory flavor.
Make coffee pancakes or waffles. Simply sub some of the liquid ingredients (water or milk) with room temperature brewed coffee.
Buy instant espresso powder for desserts. When you desire to infuse cake, brownies or a glaze with coffee flavor it’s best to use instant espresso powder. The powder dissolves in warm water and it can add the fresh bold coffee flavor many desire for a dessert.
Use ground coffee beans in a spice rub. Make your own spice rub for prime rib, steak or hamburgers with a dash of ground coffee beans.