Traditional Swedish Egg Coffee

By
Kari Diehl
Kari Diehl
Freelance food writer who specializes in Scandinavian cuisine and is the author of "The Everything Nordic Cookbook."
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/12/22
Tested by
Renae Wilson
Photo of Renae E. Wilson
Tested by Renae Wilson
Renae has certifications in both Pastry Arts and Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education and works as a private chef and caterer, recipe tester and developer, and food writer. Renae has written and developed recipes for Rachael Ray In Season, the Kitchn, Food52, and more.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Traditional Swedish Egg Coffee in a mug

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Yield: 8 cups
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
7 Calories
0g Fat
0g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 7
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 17mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 10mg 1%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 16mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Swedish egg coffee is a unique way of brewing coffee with an egg. According to legend, this recipe originated en route from Sweden to America in the late 1800s. It has become a long tradition for Lutheran church gatherings of Scandinavian-Americans in the Midwest and was dubbed "church basement coffee" for the large quantity it usually makes. To make Swedish egg coffee, a raw egg is added to the coffee grounds before brewing the coffee, creating a potting soil-like mixture. Some diehard egg coffee lovers use the crushed eggshell as well, but that's optional.

Adding the egg helps clarify the coffee, allowing the grounds to separate from the water easily. The egg white extracts the bitterness from the grounds and enhances the caffeine. The result is a light, clear brew with absolutely no bitterness or acidity and a velvety texture that's easy to drink. You'll notice that after a few minutes of simmering, the grounds will clump together and float to the top, which is why the coffee has such a mild taste. Adding the cold water toward the end creates a French press effect, causing the mass of grounds to sink to the bottom of the pot. To make Swedish egg coffee, you can use either an enamel coffee pot or a saucepan.

Coffee is always a great way to start off the day—go ahead and enjoy your egg coffee with the perfect accompaniment—a cinnamon roll or bagel.

0:56

Click Play to See This Unique Swedish Egg Coffee Come Together

"Never heard of this technique and I won’t be going back! Smooth coffee with no bitterness." —Renae Wilson

Traditional Swedish Egg Coffee in a glass
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 9 1/4 cups water, divided

  • 3/4 cup freshly ground coffee (medium to coarse grind)

  • 1 large egg (including the shell, if you like)

  • 1 cup cold water

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Traditional Swedish Egg Coffee ingredients gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Bring 9 cups of the water to a rapid boil in a saucepan or enamel coffee pot.

    Water in a saucepan to be boiled

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. While waiting for the water to boil, stir together the ground coffee, remaining 1/4 cup water, and the egg in a small bowl or measuring cup. (You can omit the eggshell and use only the egg yolk and white if you prefer.)

    Ground coffee, water, and egg in a small bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Once the water is boiling, carefully pour in the egg and coffee mixture. Turn down the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, being watchful that it doesn't boil over.

    Egg and coffee mixture boiling in a saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. The coffee grounds will gradually bind together into a single mass that floats to the top of the pot. Once this happens, immediately remove the pot from heat.

    Egg and coffee mixture in a pot

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Pour in the 1 cup of cold water and let the coffee sit for 10 minutes. This allows the coffee grounds to settle to the bottom of the pot.

    Coffee with cold water in a pot

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Once the grounds have sunk to the bottom, pour the coffee through a fine-meshed sieve or strainer into cups and serve.

    Coffee and egg mixture pushed through a fine-meshed sieve with grounds left behind

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs poses a risk of food-borne illness.

Tips

  • The longer you let the coffee simmer, the stronger the flavor grows without becoming bitter.
  • The coffee ground mixture can easily boil over so make sure to watch the pot and lower the heat when necessary.
  • It is important that you add cold water as the cooler temperature will cause the coffee grounds to sink to the bottom of the pot.
  • If you are concerned about including an egg, keep in mind that the boiling water will kill any bacteria that may be present, making the coffee safe to drink.