5 best biscuits to pair with coffee

Add a touch of luxury to your coffee break with a rich, crumbly biscuit — but which variety is best?

Biscuits and coffee, coffee and biscuits — is there a dreamier pair? Whether it’s a mid-morning nibble to perk you up in the office or a moment of indulgence at home, there’s nothing quite like dunking a melt-in-the-mouth biscuit into an aromatic mug of coffee. Americano, cappuccino or mocha — whichever is the beverage of your choice, here are some of the best biscuits to pair with your coffee.

Delicious biscuits to pair with coffee

Coffee is a delight on its own but when you add a sweet bite or crumbly biscuit, you change the game completely. Whether you’re a coffee biscuit dunker or prefer to alternate between sips and bites, there’s a baked good to take your coffee break to the next level.

If you read our guide to the best British tea-dipping biscuits, you’ll be familiar with how some of the nation’s favourite cookies hold up when submerged. Classics like the Rich Tea and Digestive held fast for around a minute, while Custard Creams and sturdy shortbread biscuits stayed composed for nearly a minute and a half.

But it’s not all about how long the biscuits stay whole. Are some biscuit flavours better suited to coffee than tea, and vice versa?

Fig rolls and Garibaldis, for example, have a dense fruity taste that may work more harmoniously with a builder’s brew than an espresso. Of course, it all comes down to personal preference but here are a few biscuits that we believe work beautifully with coffee…

1. Malted Milk

With its delicate malty notes, the malted milk biscuit is a subtle and soft coffee biscuit choice. We think it pairs rather nicely with our Cashmere coffee blend — particularly as a latte or flat white. The gentle maltiness compliments the baked brioche tones of this blend, and its soft texture will soak up the milky coffee perfectly.

2. Shortbread

Chunky yet crumbly, the shortbread biscuit is a satisfying treat. As well as soaking up your coffee in its delightfully dense crumb, it also has a buttery flavour that’s perfect for both tea and coffee. Shortbread biscuits dipped in coffee provide a melt-in-the-mouth texture that lets the flavours of the coffee beans and the biscuit itself blend gorgeously.

Although you can soak up a creamy latte or cappuccino with your shortbread, we feel it works best with a well-rounded cup of black coffee. An Americano, made with a classic, full-bodied coffee blend is ideal. We rather enjoy a thick shortbread wedge with a freshly brewed mug of The One coffee. With its notes of milk and caramel, it’s the perfect companion for buttery shortbread.

And for an extra layer of decadence, you can’t go wrong with a shortbread biscuit enrobed in silky milk chocolate. Our Chocolat Shortbread Biscuits of the Gods are just the ticket. Let that layer of chocolate melt at the touch of hot coffee, releasing its delectable flavour and aroma. The crunch of the biscuit will follow, engaging all the senses. And don’t worry, if you prefer dark chocolate, this collection includes a 70% dark chocolate shortbread variety, too.

3. Biscotti

It’s no wonder that biscotti is the traditional accompaniment for Italian coffee. Crisp, crunchy, and usually scattered with almonds, it’s ideal for soaking up warm coffee. A long dunk is the name of the game with this cookie.

Its versatility also makes it a great pairing for all kinds of coffee. Its toasted sweetness is sure to balance a vibrant espresso. However, Biscotti biscuits also work nicely with milky coffees, such as lattes or flat whites. Let them soak and melt to let those baked notes shine through. 

A chocolate biscotti is a fantastic mocha accompaniment. As you dip it into the coffee-chocolate blend, its own cacao tones will be released. After all, chocolate and coffee are a match made in heaven.

The beauty of Biscotti is that it comes in a variety of flavour combinations. Take a look at our Dunking Biscuits for a selection of exquisite styles. Try Orange, Pistachio & Cardamom with your latte; Pecan Pie for a chocolate latte, and Chocolate & Sour Cherry for a moreish hazelnut latte.

4. Chocolate chip cookie

The humble chocolate chip cookie might be a childhood favourite but it’s also a great way to elevate your afternoon coffee. Sweet and crumbly, studded with chocolate chips just waiting to melt as they hit the surface of your hot coffee — it’s made for dunking!

Another versatile option, the chocolate chip cookie goes with pretty much any coffee. Its rich chocolate element works with black coffee but it’s also ideal for soaking up the warm milk of a latte — just think of it as the grown-up version of milk and cookies.

From mellow Cashmere to our turbo-charged Rocket offering, we think chocolate chip cookies are excellent biscuits to pair with all kinds of coffee blends.

5. Speculoo

A slightly more obscure biscuit type, the speculoo is a spiced gingerbread cookie from Belgium. Traditionally a festive biscuit, baked for children in the winter holidays, speculoos don’t just have to be for Christmas. In fact, you may recognise one of the most popular speculoo brands served daily in cafes and coffee shops around the world…

They are thin and crunchy with a deeply caramelised flavour that dances on the tongue. Their buttery texture also allows them to melt delightfully in coffee. Their cinnamon-sweetness makes them excellent for eating with black coffee but they also give a gingerbread latte vibe to milky coffee. The only problem is that these petite morsels are rather moreish!

Coffee and biscuits: a delicious duo

Whichever type of coffee is your go-to, why not add an extra element of indulgence with a delicious biscuit? From malted milks and speculoos to shortbread and biscotti, find your new favourite biscuits to pair with coffee and make your morning or afternoon drink a true joy.