Brazilian Cafezinho, Little Coffee

📍 Where this dish comes from: Rio de Janeiro · Copacabana Beach
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Cafezinho means little coffee, and it is the small, strong, sweet cup Brazilians offer guests and drink many times a day. It is traditionally made by sweetening the water before brewing, then pouring it through a cloth filter. This version uses allulose so the ritual stays sugar-free.

Per serving: 3 calories · 0 g net carbs · 0 g protein · 0 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)

What You’ll Need

Brazilian Cafezinho, Little Coffee

Cafezinho means little coffee, and it is the small, strong, sweet cup Brazilians offer guests and drink many times a day. It is traditionally made by sweetening the water before brewing, then pouring it through a cloth filter. This version uses allulose so the ritual stays sugar-free.

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Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 7 minutes minutes

Course: Beverage

Cuisine: Brazilian

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 3kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 4 tablespoons finely ground dark roast coffee
• 4 teaspoons allulose or to taste

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Instructions

• Put the water and allulose in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring until the allulose dissolves.
• Just before the water boils, when tiny bubbles form around the edge, turn off the heat and stir in the coffee.
• Immediately pour through a cloth coffee filter or a paper filter set over a pot.
• Serve right away in small cups.

Notes

Never let the coffee boil, or it will taste bitter. Rinse a cloth filter with hot water only, without soap, and let it dry between uses so it does not pick up flavors.

Chef's Tip: If you prefer, brew the coffee unsweetened and let each person add allulose to taste. Many Brazilians today drink it that way.

Keto Swap: Cafezinho is usually brewed with a generous amount of sugar already in the water. Allulose dissolves the same way and keeps the familiar sweet, strong taste.

Success Tip: Serve it after lunch with a square of sugar-free chocolate, the way many Brazilian restaurants offer a free cafezinho at the end of a meal.

Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 3kcal

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About This Dish

Coffee was brought to Brazil in the early 18th century, and by the 19th century Brazil had become the world's largest coffee producer, a title it still holds. Offering a cafezinho is a basic act of hospitality in Brazilian homes and offices. The traditional cloth filter, the coador de pano, is still used in many homes. Coffee wealth helped build cities like São Paulo and the railways of southeastern Brazil. The word cafezinho is also used for a short coffee break during the workday.

This recipe is from The Ultimate Brazilian Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 12: Drinks (Copacabana Beach). See all Brazilian recipes