Vegan Café Bombón

If you aren’t sure what a “Café Bombón” is, don’t worry—you’ll like it. It’s basically a dessert coffee that’s popular in Spain and it sometimes gets sold here in the U.S. as a Cuban coffee, as I’ve seen in a few places here in Nashville. I was introduced to this drink through my husband’s sweet tooth, as he’s not a huge coffee fan but loves all things sweet. And since we do mostly non-dairy, I thought it would be fun to find a way to make a similar version at home so it would be both less expensive than going out and a vegan option as well. As you’ll see, it’s only two ingredients (with an optional third topping), so it’s super easy to make whenever the mood strikes.

Vegan Café Bombón, serves one

-ground espresso coffee that’s a little courser than finely ground (this is my favorite coffee to use for this method)
-stovetop espresso maker or other espresso method (I use this one)
–sweetened condensed coconut milk
-either canned coconut milk or coconut whipping cream for topping (optional)

First, you’ll want to put some of your condensed coconut milk into your cup. I find that the ones I buy are a lot thicker and sweeter than the condensed coconut milk I’ve made at home, so you’ll kind of have to do the sweetener part to taste depending on which route you go. For the store bought, I would do a 1:4 ratio of condensed milk to espresso and I used a tablespoon to measure them out (1 tablespoon of condensed milk and 4 tablespoons of espresso). You can probably go heavier on the homemade version, but start at 1:4 until you add the espresso to know if you want more. Some recipes go as high as a 1:1 ratio, but I would imagine the condensed milk they are using is on the less sweet side or it would be undrinkable otherwise.

For the espresso part, I use my stovetop espresso maker but there are several ways to make your own espresso shots at home, so pick whichever way sounds good to you and fits your budget! I have the 6-cup pot and I put two rounded scoops of espresso in the basket and heat it over medium-high heat for 6 minutes to get an espresso that I like. However you make yours, add your hot espresso to your condensed milk and stir and taste to find the right ratio for your taste. Remember, this is a dessert coffee so it’s OK to keep it sweeter than your regular morning cup of Joe.

And now, you can add some optional coconut whipped cream! You can either buy the kind exclusively made for whipping or you can use a regular coconut milk too (just put it in the fridge overnight so the coconut cream hardens separate from the water and you can separate them out). Either way, chill your can so the cream solidifies and then put it in a bowl and whip with a mixer until it turns to whipped cream. Add some sugar and a dash of vanilla extract if you like (or leave it plain) and top your coffee when it’s done! Maybe make this step ahead of time so it’s ready whenever your coffee is …

I love the paintbrush effect of the coconut whipped cream on top (and it tastes yummy when you get some with a sip), but you can leave that out if you are short on time or want to make it easier. And it’s optional to serve this in those cute little espresso cups, but I definitely would suggest it! This is a great way to end a meal too if you’re always craving a coffee after dinner (just maybe switch it out for decaf espresso like I do) … enjoy! xo. Laura

Credits// Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.