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Coffee Drink

Cafezinho Recipe: Brazil’s Small, Sweet Filter Coffee

By Ali Can DoralarReviewed by Online Coffee Guide editorial teamPublished Updated 5 min read

Cafezinho means a little coffee: a small serving associated with everyday coffee drinking in Brazil. This guide makes a sweet filtered version, with sugar added after brewing so the amount in each cup is easy to adjust.

Brazilian cafezinho in a small white cup on a warm kitchen table
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Drink Snapshot

Caffeine
Not measured (home brew)Comparator only: 24 mg / 60 g (2.1 oz) generic brewed coffeeCalculated from USDA SR28 NDB 14209 at 40 mg per 100 g.
Calories
About 15 kcal64 g (2.3 oz) serving; generic coffee energy proxyGeneric coffee energy and sugar references support this estimate.
Serving, sugar and sources
Serving
60 g (2.1 oz) filtered coffee + 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar = 64 g (2.3 oz) drink
Made with
Small filtered coffee + sugar
Sugar
About 4 g total. 4 g granulated sugar is added per serving. USDA’s ingredient reference gives approximately 4 g total sugar; plain coffee contributes 0 g in that record.
Preparation
About 10 minutes

Primary context sources and USDA reference records checked 25 September 2026. Serving estimates use the named coffee and sugar records. See the full calculation or label comparison.

Key Takeaways

  • 1This is filtered coffee in a small cup; the word cafezinho does not make it an espresso recipe.
  • 2Measure 240 g (8.5 oz) brewed coffee, add 16 g (4 US tsp) sugar and divide into four 64 g (2.3 oz) servings. Each has 4 g added sugar.
  • 3The defined serving is about 15 kcal and 4 g total sugar. See the caffeine section for the separate generic brewed-coffee comparator.
On This Page12 Sections

What Is Cafezinho?

Cafezinho is a small coffee associated with everyday hospitality in Brazil. The word means a little coffee; it does not specify one nationwide ratio, bean, sugar quantity or machine. This guide focuses on a familiar sweet filtered version, served in small cups.

Brazil's coffee culture includes many regions and preparations, as the Ministry of Tourism's coffee guide illustrates.

Cafezinho home method: brew 30 g coffee with 300 g water, measure 240 g filtered coffee and stir in 16 g sugar, then divide into four 64 g servings
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This home version adds sugar after filtering; follow the measured portions shown.

Cafezinho Recipe

A paper filter works for this recipe; a clean cloth filter is another option.

Recipe

Cafezinho

Makes:
4 small servings
Time:
About 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 30 g medium-fine ground coffee
  • 300 g (10.1 US fl oz) hot water, plus a little if needed
  • 16 g (4 US tsp) granulated sugar

Equipment

  • Kettle, scale, filter holder, paper filter, server and four cups

Method

  1. Rinse a paper filter and preheat the server. Discard the rinse water.
  2. Add 30 g medium-fine coffee and level the grounds.
  3. Pour 300 g (10.1 US fl oz) hot water through gradually; 93°C (199°F) is a useful starting point. Let it drain.
  4. Tare a clean server and weigh in 240 g (8.5 oz) filtered coffee. Save any extra; if short, top up with hot water to 240 g (8.5 oz).
  5. Stir in 16 g (4 US tsp) sugar until dissolved.
  6. Divide the 256 g (9 oz) batch into four 64 g (2.3 oz) servings and serve promptly.

Estimated nutrition per serving: 15 calories; total sugar 4 g. Serving: 64 g (2.3 oz) sweetened coffee.

Recipe notes

Sugar after filtering is this home recipe’s choice; use less or omit it.

About 15 kcal and 4 g sugar per serving use generic coffee data.

ABIC, the Brazilian Coffee Industry Association, suggests 80–100 g coffee per litre of water in its general brewing guidance. The recipe uses the upper end of that guidance as its home starting point.

Tare the empty server before measuring the 240 g (8.5 oz) brewed coffee. The grounds retain water, so 300 g (10.1 US fl oz) poured water does not mean 300 g (10.6 oz) finished coffee. Using a measured output portion keeps the sweetness per cup predictable. A 90–120 ml (3–4.1 US fl oz) demitasse leaves useful headroom for this serving.

How Sweet Should Cafezinho Be?

The baseline adds 4 g (1 US tsp) granulated sugar to each 60 g (2.1 oz) coffee portion. Sweetness preferences differ. Because the sugar goes into already-filtered coffee in this method, you can reduce it without changing the brewing steps.

How Sweet Should Cafezinho Be?Scrollable table
How Sweet Should Cafezinho Be?
Sugar in the 240 g (8.5 oz) coffee batchSugar ingredient per cupFinished drink per cupApproximate calories per cup
None0 g60 g (2.1 oz)1 kcal reference
8 g (2 US tsp)2 g (½ US tsp)62 g (2.2 oz)8 kcal
16 g (4 US tsp), recipe baseline4 g (1 US tsp)64 g (2.3 oz)16 kcal

The coffee portion stays fixed while the sugar changes.

If serving several people with different preferences, leave the pot unsweetened and offer measured sugar separately. Sweetening hot coffee helps it dissolve.

Cafezinho vs. Espresso and Cuban Coffee

Cafezinho vs Espresso and Cuban CoffeeScrollable table
Cafezinho vs Espresso and Cuban Coffee
Drink in these guidesPreparationSugar distinction
This cafezinhoSmall serving of filtered coffeeSugar stirred in after filtration
EspressoCoffee extracted under pressureSweetening is optional; crema is not sugar foam
Café cubanoStrong coffee with a whipped-sugar method in our home versionSugar is worked with the first coffee to make espumita
TintoColombian black coffee, with varied home and café preparationsServing and sweetness vary

A small cup alone does not make two drinks equivalent. It also does not tell you which has more caffeine: prepared coffee amount and extraction matter.

Paper Filter, Cloth Filter and Coffee Choice

Paper is a practical starting point. Fit it to the holder, rinse if its instructions call for it, level the coffee and pour evenly. ABIC's filter preparation guidance discusses paper and cloth methods. If using cloth, follow the maker's cleaning and drying instructions.

Choose a coffee you enjoy black. Brazilian coffee is a natural thematic choice, but the recipe does not require a particular origin or a very dark roast. Medium-fine grounds are a useful paper-filter starting point; adjust to your brewer's flow rather than grinding to espresso fineness automatically.

Melitta Brazil gives 93°C (199°F) as a brewing reference. Serve promptly, but let the small cup cool enough to drink comfortably.

Flavor and Tasting Notes

Expect a compact serving with coffee bitterness balanced by the chosen sugar portion. Chocolate or nutty notes can come from the beans and roast. Reducing the sugar lets more of the coffee's own acidity and bitterness show.

Cafezinho Caffeine, Calories and Sugar

Each 64 g (2.3 oz) serving has about 15 kcal and 4 g total sugar. A separate USDA generic brewed-coffee reference gives 24 mg caffeine per 60 g (2.1 oz) coffee.

Serving calculation and generic coffee reference

USDA SR28 NDB 14209 lists 40 mg caffeine per 100 g generic brewed coffee, giving 24 mg for 60 g.

For the defined sweet serving, an energy-only generic coffee proxy plus the sugar ingredient gives:

Cafezinho Caffeine, Calories and SugarScrollable table
Cafezinho Caffeine, Calories and Sugar
Component per cupEnergyTotal sugar
60 g generic brewed-coffee proxyAbout 1 kcal0 g
4 g granulated sugarAbout 15 kcalAbout 4 g
Whole recipe serving, rounded to nearest 5 kcalAbout 15 kcalAbout 4 g

The unrounded calculation is 0.6 + (4 × 3.87) = 16.08 kcal and 4 × 0.998 = 3.992 g sugar. The sweetness table above rounds to whole calories to make small changes visible; quick facts round the complete recipe to the nearest 5.

Milk, pastries and extra sugar count separately. A larger cup does not dilute coffee on its own; adding water changes concentration. For another milk-based preparation, see café con leche.

Cafezinho Troubleshooting

Cafezinho Troubleshooting
Cafezinho Troubleshooting
ProblemFirst change
Too bitterTry a coarser grind or a less dark roast; adjust sugar separately to suit your sweetness preference
Too weakCheck the dose and measured brewed portion; do not judge strength from cup size alone
Too sweetUse 8 g (2 US tsp) sugar for the batch, or offer it separately
Filter stallsGrind a little coarser next time and avoid compacting the grounds
Grit in the cupCheck filter fit and condition; keep grounds below the paper edge
Less than 240 g (8.5 oz) coffee collectedAdd hot water to reach the defined batch weight before sweetening

History and Culture

Offering a small coffee can be part of a welcome, a work break or a meal. The small, shareable serving is central to the coffee pause.

Common Questions

Is cafezinho espresso?
Not necessarily. The word means a little coffee; this guide uses a small filtered-coffee preparation. Espresso requires a different pressure-brewing method.
Must cafezinho be sweet?
This recipe is sweetened, but preferences and preparations vary. Use less sugar or omit it; the same filtered coffee method still works.
Should sugar go in before or after filtering?
This home version adds sugar after measuring the filtered batch, which makes the amount per cup repeatable.
Do I need a cloth filter?
No. Paper works for this recipe. If you use cloth, clean and store it according to its maker.
How much caffeine is in cafezinho?
Our home extraction is unmeasured. The serving section explains the separate USDA generic brewed-coffee comparison for a 60 g (2.1 oz) portion.
Can I make it without sugar?
Yes. Omit the 16 g (4 US tsp) batch sugar and divide the 240 g (8.5 oz) brewed coffee into four 60 g (2.1 oz) servings. The generic energy proxy is about 1 kcal per serving.

Editor's Take

Sources and Further Reading

6 references

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