Brazilian Coffee Recipe – Brew An Amazing Cafezinho!

The most popular and most common Brazilian coffee recipe is one that focuses around the popular and cultural Cafezinho coffee drink.

It is easy to find all the ingredients and equipment that you need and make this at home right away.

I strongly suggest that you get your hands on top quality single origin specialty coffee beans from Brazil for a truly authentic experience.

What Is Cafezinho?

Cafezinho as the rather foreign and Portuguese sounding name is a traditional coffee drink that is loved and enjoyed by Brazilians, it is literally their coffee of choice. It is made adding unrefined sugar, or rapadura as it is called locally, to their black coffee.

It is often served as a black coffee, but Brazilian coffee drinkers will often add cream or milk to make the texture a little thicker and lighten the flavor.

Read: How to make Brazilian coffee

Is Cafezinho Espresso?

Some like to describe Cafezinho as an espresso, a Brazilian espresso, and even as an intense, sensual espresso. These are all loose definitions, as any coffee enthusiast or coffee lover will tell you Cafezinho is not an Espresso.

But it does use an espresso grind size.

This of course does not detract at all from the quality of the drink. It is rather tasty.

What Makes Cafezinho So Culturally Significant?

It is the coffee of choice for many locals and, coffee alongside caipirinha, is the national drink and one of great pride.

Serving a great coffee, usually a Cafezinho, is how the locals like to welcome visitors, friends and start business transactions. It is a way of showing their hospitality.

Even at job interviews while sitting down and waiting, you will be offered a coffee. It is a very welcoming country and coffee is what they like to welcome you with.

Read: Cafezinho

Brazilian Coffee Recipe – How To Make The Cafezinho Brazilian Coffee Drink

Learning to make a Cafezinho, quite literally the Brazilian coffee drink, will delight your taste buds and your friends. It will aid your home barista skills by adding a new and exotic coffee to your repertoire.

Let’s get making this tasty coffee concoction.

Ingredients Needed

There are very few ingredients that you will need for making this coffee. None of which are difficult to find.

Here they are:

• 3 to 4 teaspoons of rapadura or sugar.
• 4 heaped teaspoons of high-quality, finely ground coffee. (espresso grind)
• Cream or milk (optional).
• 4 cups (24 ounces, 720 ml) of mineral or filtered water.

Equipment Needed

No specialist equipment is needed that you may not already have in your kitchen.

• A pot for boiling your water.
• A paper, cloth or metal filter.
• A glass for serving your Cafezinho in.

Step 1: Boil Your Water Add Sugar

The very starting point. Add your water and sugar to your saucepan and heat to a temperature of 92C and 96C (196F and 206F), the ideal temperature range for brewing coffee.

Step 2: Remove Your Saucepan From The Heat

Remove your saucepan from the heat once it has reached the desired temperature. Add your 4 heaped teaspoons of finely ground coffee and add them to your hot water. Stir for approximately 20 seconds.

Step 3: Filter The Residue

You have three choices of filter to use; each has an effect on the results produced.

A paper filter will produce a cleaner taste, more crisp due to removing all the coffee oils. A cotton cloth filter removes some oils and produces a coffee that is a tasty middle ground between a paper filter and metal filter.

A metal filter filters your coffee grounds and leaves all the oils in your coffee resulting in a full-bodied and full flavored coffee.

Simply pour your coffee mixture through the filter that you are using.

Step 4: Serve And Enjoy

Simply serve and enjoy your coffee adding cream or milk as desired or enjoy as many Brazilian coffee drinkers do – enjoy it black.

What Kind Of Coffee Should You Use?

Since this is a Brazilian coffee recipe I strongly suggest that you cast your thoughts towards a high-quality coffee from Brazil, preferably a single-origin coffee.

It is entirely your choice to use pre-ground coffee or whole beans. Using fresh, whole beans and grinding them just as you are about to brew your Cafezinho will produce better results.

Here are what I consider to be the best ones to try out:

• Brazil Peaberry By Volcanica: A rich full of flavor volcanic coffee, made with rare Peaberry beans.
• Pilao Coffee Traditional Roast: One of the most popular coffees in Brazil, very affordable and makes a great Cafezinho.
• Coopers Cask Brazilian Espresso Cremoso: Top quality Brazilian coffee that has notes of brown sugar, orange and cherry.
• Peet’s Coffee Brazil Minas Naturais: The characteristics of the roast are more pronounced, and Peet’s, you can trust them for top quality coffee. It is fruity, nutty and with undertones of chocolate.
• Café Caboclo ‘Torrado e Moido’: This is a great everyday coffee that Brazilians love and is a serious rival to Pilao coffee. There is nothing exceptional about this coffee as far as coffee goes, but if you want to make a Cafezinho like locals do, then this has to be considered.

Can You Change The Recipe?

A cafezinho is part and parcel of Brazilian coffee culture, as such I do not suggest that you make any changes to it and enjoy it as such.

You can perhaps add a shot of caipirinha to make caipirinha coffee with your cafezinho. Healthy coffee recipes suggest the use of ground cinnamon to this Brazilian coffee recipe for a nice health and flavor boost.

Frequently Asked Questions About Brazilian Coffee Recipe

 Does Brazilian Coffee Have More Caffeine?

Brazilian espresso blends tend to have more caffeine than single origin espresso or coffee that comes from other nations and non-blended Brazilian Arabica coffee.

The reason for this is simple: Brazilian espresso blends are a blend of Arabica and robusta coffee beans, with 30% being the highly caffeinated Robusta coffee beans.

What Is The Difference Between Colombian And Brazilian Coffee?

Colombian coffee is more acidic and has a fruitier flavor than Brazilian beans. Colombian beans are easier to find on the international market and are very well known for their specialty beans. The majority of Colombian beans are grown on volcanic soil and are wash processed. Both produce a great cup of coffee.

Is Brazilian Coffee Sweet?

Yes, Brazilian beans are sweet, low in acidity, and have a nutty sweet flavor, and often with chocolate tones. The chocolate tones can often be bittersweet.

Is Brazilian Coffee Low Acid?

Yes, generally speaking, Brazilian beans are full-bodied, well-rounded and with a reduced acidity and are considered to be a low acidity coffee.

How Is Brazilian Coffee Made?

Brazilian coffee is made using the full immersion brewing method as finely ground coffee is fully immersed in boiling water. Sugar is added to sweeten while the coffee is brewing. After a relatively short brew time, the coffee mixture is filtered using a cloth coffee filter and placed over a carafe.

What Is A Typical Brazilian Coffee?

The typical and classic Brazilian coffee is the famous cafezinho. It’s a short, strong cup of coffee that is intense. It’s not an espresso, more like a lung than an espresso.

What Is Brazilian Coffee Made Out Of?

Brazilian coffee is often a rich and complex blend of four different coffee beans using Mundo Novo, Icatu, Catuai, and Obata.

What Makes Brazilian Coffee Different?

Brazilian coffee is different due to its unique flavor profile. It’s bright, floral and has a very refreshing taste.

Final Thoughts – Brazilian Coffee Recipe

I hope that you enjoyed this Brazilian coffee recipe and are ready to make the coffee that gives Brazilians their Samba beat. It is a delicious coffee beverage that is centuries old and very traditional part of life in Brazil, and as you can imagine – they drink a lot of coffee.

Did you try this recipe?

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location