Can You Eat Coffee Grounds? (And Are They Good for You?)

Most coffee drinkers don’t usually think about eating coffee grounds. If you wanted to, though, can you eat coffee grounds?

Eating coffee grounds is safe, and they contain high amounts of essential minerals like potassium, magnesium, and iron. Coffee grounds are also high in protein, antioxidants, and fiber. Just be sure to consume coffee grounds in moderation because your body is absorbing concentrated amounts of caffeine and the other ingredients in coffee grounds.

In this article, we’ll look at how you can safely eat coffee grounds and some of the ways coffee grounds are used in cooking and baking.

Is Eating Ground Coffee Bad for You?

Coffee grounds aren’t bad for you. In fact, eating coffee grounds can be quite healthy, supplying your body with concentrated amounts of antioxidants. Additionally, coffee has potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, folate, magnesium, and several other essential minerals.

However, if you consume too many coffee grounds, whether you’ve used them to brew your morning coffee beforehand or not, you could be asking for trouble. When you eat ground coffee, your body absorbs the caffeine much more rapidly than it does from brewed coffee, so start with small amounts.

Overconsumption of coffee grounds can lead to various gastrointestinal ailments due to the production of acid that coffee grounds can promote. So, if you suffer from acid reflux, bloating, nausea, heartburn, and more, you might want to consume even less than a tablespoonful of coffee grounds, or you could risk triggering these stomach woes.

Uses of Coffee grounds in Cooking, Baking, and More

• To enhance the chocolate flavor in desserts – Many bakers are quite familiar with the fact that adding ground espresso to chocolate desserts enhances the chocolate flavor. By simply adding a couple of tablespoons of instant espresso powder to chocolate desserts, it can transform them from good to great.
• To make a spice rub for cooking meat – If you check the spice aisle at your local grocery store, you might be surprised to find that some of the spice rubs for cooking ribs and other meats contain coffee grounds. Coffee grounds can help tenderize and crisp the meat faster and make a delectable caramelized crust that is to die for.
• When drinking Turkish coffee – Turkish coffee is ground so finely that sometimes fine grounds end up in your coffee cup. As long as you don’t mind a bit of “grit” in your coffee, it’s fine to drink it, and you shouldn’t notice any negative effects.
• To enhance the flavor and energizing effects of smoothies – Many people like drinking smoothies with various healthy ingredients mixed together. Tossing in some coffee grounds can provide your body with increased antioxidants as well as extra flavor. You will also receive a boost of energy, which is great if you’re headed to work or to exercise after enjoying your smoothie.
• To freeze and use later in frozen coffee drinks and desserts – Putting frozen ground coffee into iced coffee drinks and desserts is a great way to add flavor and fun. The grounds can be placed in the blender with the coffee drinks, which can provide you with an extra boost of caffeine and a delicious coffee flavor.

Can You Eat Raw Coffee Beans?

People eat coffee beans all the time, but they’re usually roasted and covered in chocolate. While roasted coffee beans are softer and tastier, raw coffee beans are hard and bitter tasting. However, if you choose to, you could eat raw coffee beans.

Raw coffee beans are hard, difficult to chew, and green in color. They don’t turn brown until they’re roasted. When it comes to green coffee beans vs roasted coffee beans, the roasted version is likely to win every time.

Are Green Coffee Beans Good for You?

Some people swear by the proposed health benefits of consuming green coffee beans, and they state that green coffee beans work effectively as a weight loss inducer, appetite reducer, fat-burner, diuretic, and more.

There are numerous supplements currently on the market that are made from green coffee beans, so people don’t have to suffer and eat them in order to enjoy the benefits.

Is Eating Chocolate-Covered Coffee Beans Healthy?

Chocolate-covered coffee beans can be a healthy snack, especially when compared to the typical sugary American snacks. That’s why many health food stores sell them as their bulk snack sections.

Again, you don’t want to consume too many at once because of the chance of absorbing too much caffeine and acid at once. Large amounts of these treats can make you extremely jittery. Those with caffeine sensitivities, in particular, may suffer from various uncomfortable stomach ailments.

What’s Next?

Baking, cooking, and snacks are only a few of the uses for coffee beans and grounds. The coffee plant really is the gift that keeps on giving!

Of course, I’m partial to grinding coffee beans and turning them into delicious cold brew coffee or brewing them in an espresso machine. But not everyone likes the taste of black coffee or even flavored coffees. Chocolate-covered coffee beans or a coffee spice rub can be a great way to share your favorite fruit with your non-coffee-loving friends.