My melt and pour coffee soap is awesome for gardeners, chefs and anyone wanting some exfoliation in the shower! Easy and fast to make, this coffee soap smells divine. It is a great pick-me-up for your morning shower and it makes a wonderful gift for you’re coffee loving friends and family.
I know some of you may be asking why I don’t make the soap base myself. I’ve made soap from scratch, with lye and all that, and it is wonderful. I think it is an important skill for us to learn and share. However my time, at this point, is spent with animals, garden and homeschooling; melt and pour soap is a convenience for me. I like adding my own ingredients and customizing my soap but this just makes it easier for this time in my life. If you want to make your own soap base this you can still add the other ingredients.
Melt and Pour Coffee Soap Recipe
Ingredients
1.5 lbs Organic Goat’s Milk Soap Base (like this one)
1 Tablespoon of fresh ground coffee
1 Teaspoon of Almond Oil (like this)
1 – 1.5 Teaspoons of Fragrance, optional (scents you many want to consider – vanilla, coffee cake or cinnamon)
Tools
Soap Molds – you can use just about any silicone soap mold for this, depending on the look you want to achieve. I used a loaf mold for this one but usually I use individual bar molds because I don’t want to cut them into bars.
Double boiler for melting on stove top
Plastic or wooden spoon dedicated to soap making or crafts (not one you intend to use for food in the future)
Small spray bottle filled with rubbing alcohol
Directions for Making Your Melt and Pour Coffee Soap
- Get your double boiler ready
(I recommend you use a bowl or pan you’re going to use for food, this should be soap dedicated only) - Put your molds on a cookie sheet (cover with wax paper or the like, to protect from spills)
- Cut your soap base into chunks
- Gently melt the chunks in your double boiler on low to low medium – you don’t want to scald your base
- Remove from heat and quickly mix in your coffee, almond oil and fragrance into the melted base (but be careful, it’s hot!)
- Pour into molds, just short of the top
- Spray, generously, with the rubbing alcohol to prevent air bubbles
- Allow bars to harden for a few hours – you can put them in the refrigerator for an hour to speed this up.
- Be sure to carefully test the soap before trying to remove them.
- Once the bars or loaf is completely hardened pop them out and store in air-tight containers.
- They are ready to use immediately, no curing time needed.
- Package them up for gifts in brown wrapping and twine for a rustic feel, if you like.
How much coffee do you put in and how fine do you recommend I ground the coffee?
Just 1 tablespoon – I use an auto drip grind on my coffee. If you you do if finer you won’t get much of a scrub from the grounds.
Do you mean the ground coffee after using it or without making the drink? I heard of a lady in my city that owns a coffee shop and uses them for soap after making espressos…
You could but I think you’d want to dry it out first.
I use my brothers used coffee grounds however he grinds them. An hour or two after he turns off the coffee pot they are just right for making soap.
I love the idea of using the coffee cake fragrance oil to scent it!
Can I use a castille bar instead of goats milk bar?
I’ve never tried that but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Since you’ve done it both ways, which is cheaper? I love making my own things but I always look at the cost too.
Soap base is made from using lye in the process to make it a soap base. Soap cannot be made without lye. Glycerin is what is made after oils and lye are spoonafied.
I think the “no Lye” refers more to not having to handle the Lye.
Hi there, gonna try making soap for the first time. Do I have to buy fresh coffe beans to grind. I use k cups and and I really don’t want to spend extra money to get fresh ground coffee. Or can I use already ground coffee???
Thank you?
Either should work but fresh grounds give you more coffee scent.
You can use used coffee grounds for making soaps. Starbucks and many other coffee shops will give you a bag of used grounds/espresso pods (usually for composting or gardening) for free. Just be sure to lay them out to air dry COMPLETELY before use.
I have used kcups for soap making and the soap came out great!
1 tablespoon for how much pound or ounces of soap
1.5 lbs of soap
WHERE can I get the soap to make my coffee soap?
Almost any coffee house will give you old grinds. Just give them a call the day ahead.
Hello, Did you add a few unground coffee beans to your soap. They look very textury and I like that. But, wondering how you got that. Tyou!
Yes, sometimes I do.
How many bars does this make/ what size?
It will depend on the mold you choose.
can i use olive oil or coconut oil instead of almond oil?
I’ve never tried that but I should work if you use extra virgin.
I made it! Love it as much as my husband. Great way to start or end your day. Lol
Thank you. I wish you could see the pics. I put a little more ground coffee and coffee essential oil.lovely… mmm
I love love LOVE hearing this! They make great gifts too, especially for your coffee lovers.
Hello, it will not let me print it. Help
Let me see if I can get a printable version up.
I want to make these as gifts for some friends, I plan on giving each two bars. If they keep the extra in their bathroom pantry, how long will they be good for or is there a specific amount of time that the should be used within? Thank You!
They should be fine for several months.
Hi. Can I skip the soap base and made it into lotion bars ??What would the shelf life for these lotion bars?
Several months, at least.
Without the base you really don’t have soap.
I thought ingredients apart from colour & fragrances couldn’t be used with M&P as it goes brown eventually? Even petals that are inside soap go brown.
It can but I haven’t had a problem with it.
How can I print this out please
Could I use Coconut oil instead of Almond Oil in the same ratio?
Yes but the coconut oil hardens when it is cooler so it may not be a good choice in the cooler months.
Very nice! But all soap has lye in it including the melt and pour bases. I’m sure it smells wonderful.
I got my almond oil but it doesn’t have a scent. Is the oil necessary and what kind of fragrance should I be using?
I don’t use a fragrance. The coffee will do that naturally.
For some reason my coffee all sunk to the bottom and isn’t distributed evenly throughout, any ideas?
Did you use fresh or used coffee grounds?
You need suspension melt and pour base
Why an airtight container afterward? If I make these to sell will there be a short shelf life I need to be aware of?
I would like to use espresso powder along with the coffee grounds will that make a difference in the shelf life?
Just to keep them fresh as long as possible. I don’t know about espresso, I’ve never tried it.
Can I use hemp seed oil instead of almond oil?
You know I’ve never worked with hemp seed oil. I would try it but in a small batch to see how it does.
I want to print this but can’t.
Mary
I need to update many of my recipes and DIY instructions to be printable. sorry.
Anything else that can substitute for the spraying of rubbing alcohol??
You can skip it but you may have bubbles.
Can you add pumpkin to met and pour soap
I have never tried that.
I’m allergic to nuts. Can I substitute almond for something else or do I even need it? If substitute,what do you suggest?
Thank you so much!
Yes, you could definitely use a different oil. I like coconut oil as well.
How do you get yours to look so coffee? Do you add whole coffee beans to your molds or on top?
Right at the end.
Can I add whole bean coffee? If so will it sink?
If you add it right at the end it should be fine.
I did 1 tablespoon coconut oil, I didn’t have almond oil, and added 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract to 1 lb of goat milk base. Lathers wonderfully and smells amazing!
I was wondering if you can substitute The goat milk soap base with a different soap base, such as shae butter, cocoa butter ect…?
Absolutely!
Do you have other soap recipes to follow. I love this one. Do you have a link or page w other recipes on it.
Here you go! 😀 https://www.imperfectlyhappy.com/?s=soap
Can you use olive oil melt and pour.
If you mean in place of the almond oil, yes.
Could you amp up the coffee scent by mixing instant coffee with the almond oil?
If you really want more coffee scent you might actually want to use coffee scents made for soapmaking.
My coffee grounds floated all to top. What did I do wrong or did I use the wrong type of soap base?
Hi Veronica – which base did you use? Did you use dry grounds or wet?